composed by 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn-Hakam as follows:
"Say from me as a man of Yemen
To Mu'awiyah, the son of Harb,
Would you be angry if they say:
Your father is virtuous and chaste?(204)
Your father has committed adultery?
I testify that your kinship with Ziyad
Is like the kinship of an elephant with a foal."(205)
Ibn al-Athir, the well-known scholar and historian writes:
The story of grafting Ziyad to Abu Sufyan was the first verdict issued openly contrary to the sacred canon law of Islam. The holy Prophet has declared: "An offspring is related to a legitimate and lawful bed, while the punishment of an adulterer is stoning to death."(206)

Heavy taxes

Mu'awiyah ordered his governors to collect gold and silver for me.
Historians

As we have already seen Mu'awiyah bought the favour of crafty men of his own time by every possible trick. He deceived some with the offer of rank and position, others with money and property, and a third group under the pretext of kinship, and joined them to the Umayyad party who were guardians of paganism and infidelity. On the other hand he persuaded to cooperation and friendship or at least to silence such individuals as the chief of tribes and men of power and even the enemies by means of moderation, cajolery, offers of wealth, pretending toleration, and conniving at their hostilities. He tried in every possible way to make them act in harmony with his government.
This sly and un-Islamic policy had, of course, been adopted since the beginning of his rule. But when his power was established and strengthened, he revealed his inner rancor and envy, and then showed his true self from behind his calm appearance. This was followed by the issue of a decree by the