first Abu Sufyan showed opposition to him; for, he was loath to see as a ruler, a member of the lowest of the Quraysh tribes, whereas there existed members of the higher Quraysh tribes such as Banu Hashim and Banu Umayyah, both of them of the branch of 'Abd Manaf and each other's cousins, who had received no share of such high positions despite their merit.
Therefore, for the first time he came to Imam 'Ali and said:
"O Abu al-Hasan! Offer your hand so that I may show allegiance to you!" He was willing to do anything to attain his purpose, and declared: "I see a mist in the space, which cannot be cleared by anything except by blood."(88)
The conspirators of as-Saqifah were fully aware of the character of Abu Sufyan and his power. So they made an effort to keep him quiet and satisfied. 'Umar said to Abu Bakr: "Let him keep the alms he has collected in the Prophet's time so that we may be free from his evil."(89)
This was done and Abu Sufyan showed allegiance to Abu Bakr and accepted their rule; for, on the one hand he had no hope of becoming a ruler since no one would submit to him, and on the other hand Imam 'Ali would not and could not support him. Therefore, he chose the third alternative, namely to collaborate with the authorities of the time. Thus Abu Sufyan joined the party of the administrators of as-Saqifah, and he and his household were placed in their rank.
As a reward for Abu Sufyan's silence and collaboration, Abu Bakr appointed Yazid Abu Sufyan's son, as commander of a large army of Islamic warriors for the conquest of the ash-Sham region. This event occurred in the year 13 of the Hijrah, and Mu'awiyah took part in this campaign under his brother's command. After the conquest of ash-Sham, by the order of Abu Bakr Yazid ibn Abu Sufyan was granted the governorship of Damascus as well as the command of the army there.
During 'Umar's caliphate when Yazid ibn Abu Sufyan was stricken with plague, he nominated his brother Mu'awiyah as the ruler of ash-Sham and commander of the army in his own place, and 'Umar, the second caliph, accepted the nomination, and entrusted those positions to Mu'awiyah (90) It was thence that the foundation of the rule and caliphate of the Umayyads was laid.