The Call of the Quran
2. The Call to God and Unity
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generated internal conflict, he unilaterally
renounced his right to it to avoid exacerbating the
differences existing among Muslims.
The two warring factions of Muslims were led by
Hadhrat Hasan and Hadhrat Mu’awiyah. Hadhrat
Hasan’s withdrawal from the office of the caliphate
had, in a way, sealed up all possible internal strife
and redirected Muslims’ endeavours towards the
spread of Islam. The caravan of Islam once again
after a delay of ten years set out on the path of
progress. The reign of Mu’awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan
(40-60 A.H.) witnessed the spread of Islam to an
extent unparalleled in the centuries-long history of
the religion. It was during his time that Islam
extended as far as Samarqand, Afghanistan, Tunis
and Rhodes Island, enroute to the Bosphorus Strait,
the last being the gateway for the Muslims’ entry
into Constantinople. In short, Islam made all-round
progress in this period of overseas expansion.
A LESSON FROM HISTORY
The caliphate of Mu’awiyah has been made the
subject of severe criticism. Some say that
Mu’awiyah was the first ruler to introduce kingship
