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The pledge to Yazid as heir apparent

البيعة ليزيد بولاية العهد

56 AH

In 56 AH Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan called for the pledge to his son Yazid as heir apparent, at the suggestion of al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba. Ziyad ibn Abihi had disliked this, because he knew Yazid's frivolity and his devotion to hunting; he sent to Mu'awiya to dissuade him, but the matter was completed after Ziyad's death 1. Then, on his way from Mecca to Syria, Mu'awiya summoned the five who had refused: Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, Abd Allah ibn Umar, Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, al-Husayn ibn Ali (may God be pleased with him) and Ibn Abbas. Abd al-Rahman was the most vehement in refusing. Mu'awiya preached in Medina while they sat beneath his pulpit, and the people pledged to Yazid without showing dissent 2.

Depth

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Era
The Umayyad Period
Region
Arabia
Review
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Overview

In 56 AH Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan called for the oath of allegiance to his son Yazid as heir apparent, on the advice of al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba. 3

Ziyad's objection

The book says that Ziyad ibn Abihi disliked this, because of what he knew of Yazid's frivolity and his devotion to hunting, and he sent to Mu'awiya to dissuade him. The matter was settled after Ziyad's death. 3

Those who refused

On his way from Mecca to Syria, Mu'awiya summoned those who refused the oath: Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, Abd Allah ibn Umar, Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, al-Husayn ibn Ali and Ibn Abbas. Abd al-Rahman was the most vehement in refusing. Mu'awiya gave a sermon in Medina while they were under the pulpit, and the people gave their allegiance to Yazid without showing any dissent. 4

The Gregorian date has not been converted. There is another account of the event, the oath to Yazid as heir apparent, which differs in the year.

Connections

Explore the connections

Had participant
Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan· Yazid ibn Mu'awiya

People and things also explored

The pledge to Yazid as heir apparent· The Conquest of Rhodes and the Demolition of Its Fort· The Second Raid on Cyprus· Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan· Yazid ibn Mu'awiya· Abd al-Malik's Coinage Reform· Ali declines to keep Muawiya in office· Letters between Ali and Muawiya after the Camel

Sources

  1. The Umayyad State — Bakr Muhammad Ibrahim Bakr (1st ed., Markaz al-Raya lil-Nashr wal-I'lam, Cairo 2002) , p. 146
  2. The Umayyad State — Bakr Muhammad Ibrahim Bakr (1st ed., Markaz al-Raya lil-Nashr wal-I'lam, Cairo 2002) , p. 147
  3. The Umayyad State — Bakr Muhammad Ibrahim Bakr (1st ed., Markaz al-Raya lil-Nashr wal-I'lam, Cairo 2002) , p.146
  4. The Umayyad State — Bakr Muhammad Ibrahim Bakr (1st ed., Markaz al-Raya lil-Nashr wal-I'lam, Cairo 2002) , p.147
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islam.museum contributors. “The pledge to Yazid as heir apparent”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/bayah-yazid-56/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-22.

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The pledge to Yazid as heir apparent

Mu'awiya summoned the Syrians to pledge the succession to his son Yazid — the first to bequeath the caliphate to a son and the first to do so in his own lifetime — and wrote to Marwan at Medina to take the pledge. Marwan preached that the caliph wished to appoint Yazid 'after the manner of Abu Bakr and Umar'; Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr rose: 'rather after the manner of Chosroes and Caesar — neither of them gave it to a son or any of their house'. When Muawiya made the hajj in 51 he took the pledge in person: Ibn Umar answered that earlier caliphs had sons no worse than Yazid yet chose for the Muslims, while disclaiming any wish to break the community's staff; Ibn Abi Bakr leapt up vowing to return the matter to shura; Ibn al-Zubayr retorted 'if you are weary of rule, retire and bring your son — whom would we obey if we pledged you both?'. Muawiya then announced from the minbar that the three had 'heard, obeyed and pledged' — which the crowd affirmed and they denied.