Was Yazid really that bad?

[We see and hear divergent opinions about Yazid.  Some curse him and some praise him.  But what is the truth? Here, in this excerpt from "Imam Hussain, the true Imam and truth about the Hadith of Constantinople" authored by Mufti Syed Ziauddin Naqshbandi, Professor, Islamic Law, Jamia Nizamia and Founder/Director Abul Hasanaat Islamic Research Center, we will honestly analyze this issue in light of the canons of Hadith and the canons of history]

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has described all the tribulations and unrests, which will occur until the Day of Judgment.  He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) had warned the Ummah about Yazid as well.  Many Hadith have been reported in this connection.  In some Hadith, Yazid has only been indicated and in some it has been clearly mentioned that the first person in the Ummah to change the Sunnah and to destroy the edifice of religion will be a person from the clan of Ummayyah called Yazid.

 

The great Imams of the science of Hadith have recorded these Hadith in their books.

 

Imam Abu Bakr bin Abi Shaiba (May Allah shower His mercy on him) has recorded these Hadith in his "Musannaf,"

 

Imam Abu Ya’ala in his "Musnad,"

 

Imam Ahmed bin Hussain Baihaqui (May Allah shower His mercy on him) in his "Dalaail e Nubuwwa," 

 

Imam Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalani (May Allah shower His mercy on him) in his "Al Matalib ul A’aliya,"

 

Imam Shihabuddin Ahmed bin Hajar Haitami (May Allah shower His mercy on him) in As Sawaaiq Al Muhriqa,

 

Imam Ibn Katheer (May Allah shower His mercy on him) in "Bidayah Wan Nihayah,"

 

and Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti (May Allah shower His mercy on him) in "Tarikh Al Khulafa."

 

The great Hadith-expert of the 3rd century Hijri, Imam Abu Ya’ala (May Allah shower His mercy on him) has recorded a Hadith along with its chain of authority in his Musnad Vol. 2, Pg No. 71:

 

Translation:  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Jarrah (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: The affairs of my Ummah will be maintained with justice.  A person from the clan of Ummayyah will be the first to cast a crack in it.  He will be called Yazid.  All the narrators of this Hadith are honest and reliable.  (Musnad Abu Ya’ala, Tarikh Ul Khulafa, Pg No. 166)

 

Abul Fida Ismail bin Umar, famous as Ibn Katheer has recorded this Hadith in Bidayah Wan Nihayah, Vol. 6, Pg no. 256.

 

The aforementioned Hadith has also been recorded by the great Hadith-expert Imam Shihabuddin Ahmed bin Hajar Haitami Makki in As Sawaaiq Al Muhriqa, Pg no. 132.  He has recorded another Hadith in this regard in the same book on Pg No. 132.

 

Translation:  Hadhrat Abu Darda (May Allah be well pleased with him) relates: I heard the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) say: The first person to change my Sunnah will be a person from the clan of Ummayyah who will be called Yazid.

 

Imam Ibn Katheer (May Allah shower His mercy on him) has recorded the same Hadith in Bidayah Wan Nihayah, Vol. 6, Pg No. 256 on the authority of Hadhrat Abuzar Ghifari (May Allah be well pleased with him).  In that narration, the words: "who will be called Yazid," are not related.  This Hadith is also present in the following books:

 

Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaiba, Vol. 8, Pg No. 341. Hadith no. 145

 

Dalaail Un Nubuwwah Lil Baihaqi, Hadith No.2802

 

Matalib ul A’aliyah, Kitabul Futooh, Hadith No.4584.

 

My Ummah will be destroyed at the hands of a few lads of Quraish

 

There is a Hadith in Sahib Bukhari, Vol. 2, Kitab Ul Fitan:

 

Translation:  ‘Amr bin Yahya Sa‘eed bin ‘Amr bin Sa‘eed narrates on the authority of his paternal grandfather; that he said: I was sitting along with Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him) in the Prophet’s Masjid in Madina and Marwan was along with us.  Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him) said: I heard the Truthful Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) say: My Ummah will be destroyed at the hands of a few lads of Quraish.  Marwan said: Allah curse such youngsters.  Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him) said: I can say 'so and so, son of so and so and so and so, if I want to.  Hadhrat ‘Amr bin Yahya says: I, along with my grandfather, went to the Clan of Marwan when they were ruling over Syria and found that he was a young lad and my grandfather said shortly they will also become one of them.  We said you understand this better.

 

Ask for Allah’s protection against the rule of lads

 

There is a Hadith in Musnad Imam Ahmed.

 

Translation:  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Ask for Allah’s protection against the beginning of the decade of 60 and against the against the rule of lads.  (Musnad Imam Ahmed, Hadith No: 3800)

 

The interpreter of Sahih Bukhari and the author of Fath Ul Bari, Hafidh Ahmed bin Hajar Asqalani (May Allah shower His Mercy on him), mentions another Hadith on the authority of "Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaiba, and writes:

 

Translation: The Hadith of Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaiba says that Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him) even while passing through markets, used to pray:  'O Allah, let me not reach 60 Hijri and the rule of lads.’

 

Hafidh Ibn Hajar Asqalani (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) writes after mentioning this Hadith:

 

Translation: In this Hadith, it is indicated that the first youngster would become a ruler in 60 Hijri.  Accordingly this is what happened.   Yazid bin Mu‘awiyah occupied the seat of power in this year, stayed on it till 64 Hijri and died.

 

The interpreter of Sahih Bukhari, Imam Badruddin ‘Aini Hanafi (May Allah shower His mercy on him) specifies what is meant by "the first lad to rule."   In ‘Umdat Ul Qari Vol. 16, Pg No. 333, he writes:

 

Translation: The first lad to rule was Yazid.  On him is what he deserves.

 

It is mentioned in the Hadith, which mention the tribulations close to the Qiyamah,

 

Translation:  Then those who invite towards misguidance will arrive.

 

In the interpretation of this Hadith, Hadhrat Shah Waliullah (May Allah shower His mercy on him) writes in Hujjatullahil Baligha, Vol. 2, Pg No. 213:

 

Translation: In Syria, the one who invited towards misguidance is Yazid and in Iraq, Mukhtaar.

 

Abul Hasanaat Syed Abdullah Shah Naqshbandi Mujaddidi Qadri (May Allah shower His mercy on him) mentions the opinion of Hadhrat Mazhar (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) on the authority of Mirqaat:

 

Translation: By lads, it is meant those who were after the first 4 Rightly-Guided Caliphs, , i.e. Yazid, Abdul Malik bin Marwan etc.  (Explanatory notes, Zujajatul Masabeeh, Vol. 4, Pg No. 228; Mirqatil Mafateeh, Vol. 5, Pg No. 140)

 

In a very short period of time, Yazid spread extraordinary corruption in the Ummah.  He destroyed Madina (from where the world was granted peace); in Makkah, (which has been declared by Allah as a city of peace), he set up cannons and rained stones on the Ka’aba.  He denied water to the Prophet’s Family for 3 days in the battle of Karbala.  He insulted the Prophet’s Family.  He persecuted the family of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) to no end.  He martyred the associates of the Prophet’s Family and he martyred Imam Hussain (May Allah be well pleased with him).

 

To be continued.......