An analysis of the Hadith of Constantinople

In which siege did Yazid participate?   To find out whether Yazid is included in the glad tidings of forgiveness given in the Hadith, it should be found in which attack of Constantinople did Yazid participate and in which year?   There are 4 opinions in this regard.   He participated in the battle of Rome in 49 A.H. and he reached Constantinople as given in Bidayah wan Nihayah, Vol 8, Pg. No. 34, Translation: In 49 A.H. Yazid bin Mu'awiyah attacked the kingdom of Rome and reached Constantinople.   Yazid participated in the attack of 50 A.H., as given in Umdatul Qari, Vol 5, Pg No. 558, Translation: Muslims reached Constantinople in this attack and laid siege to it and Yazid was the commander on the behalf of his father."   Yazid participated in the attack of 52 A.H.  Imam Badruddin 'Aini Hanafi (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) preferred this opinion and said that this opinion is to be preferred that Yazid participated in the 52 A.H. attack of Constantinople, as given in Umdatul Qari, Vol 10, Kitab ul Jihad, Pg No. 244.   Hadhrat Mu'awiyah (May Allah be well pleased with him) sent Yazid in 55 A.H. to attack Constantinople, as given in Al Isabaa fi marifati Sahabah.   Whichever opinion is preferred, it does not prove that Yazid participated in the first siege of Constantinople, because Constantinople had been attacked multiple times before it.   About the opinions of Yazid's participation, the first one according to chronological order is 49 A.H, when before this in 32 A.H. Hadhrat Ameer Mu'awiyah (May Allah be well pleased with him) and after him in 43 A.H. Hadhrat Basar bin Artaah (May Allah be well pleased with him), then in 44 or 46 A.H., Hadhrat Abdur Rahman bin Khalid bin Walid (May Allah be well pleased with him), had all attacked Constantinople.  Neither the books of Hadith nor the books of Rijal mention Yazid's participation in any of these attacks nor has any historian mentioned it.  Therefore saying that yazid participated under the Hadhrat Abdur Rahman bin Khalid bin Walid (May Allah be well pleased with them) and is therefore forgiven is not supported by any of the books of Rijal or history.  Instead by reconciling the books of Rijal and history, we come to know that this is a fabrication.  Believing in this without any support from the canons of history is akin to changing the history of Islam.   A Doubt And Its Answer   There can be a question about the Hadith of Sunan Abu Dawood that Hadhrat Abu Ayyub Ansari (May Allah be well pleased with him) passed away in the battle which had been fought under Yazid, as given in Sahih Bukhari, Vol 1, Pg No. 158   Translation of Hadith: Mahmood bin Rabe'e says that I described this to the people, in which the Sahabi Hadhrat Abu Ayyub Ansari (May Allah be well pleased with him) was present on the occasion of this battle.  He passed away in this battle and Yazid bin Mu'awiyah was the commander of this army in Rome.   In the Hadith of Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadhrat Abdur Rahman bin Khalid bin Walid (May Allah be well pleased with him) is mentioned.  It is also mentioned in the same Hadith that Hadhrat Abu Ayyub Ansari (May Allah be well pleased with him) performed Jihad continuously to the extent that he passed away.   It may seem that Yazid was present in the army of Hadhrat Abdur Rahman bin Khalid bin Walid, but this is incorrect because Hadhrat Abu Ayyub Ansari (May Allah be well pleased with him) did not pass away when he was under the command of Abdur Rahman bin Khalid bin Walid (May Allah be well pleased with him).  Hadhrat Abdur Rahman bin Khalid bin Walid (May Allah be well pleased with him) led the attack on Constantinople in 44 or 46 A.H. and he passed away in 46 or 47 A.H.  Constantinople has been attacked after that, in 49 A.H. under the command of Hadhrat Sufyan bin 'Auf (May Allah be well pleased with him) and in 52 under the command of Yazid bin Mu'awiyah.   Hadhrat Abu Ayyub (May Allah be well pleased with him) participated in both the battles that took place after the passing away of Hadhrat Abdur Rahman bin Khalid bin Walid (May Allah be well pleased with him).  In the attack of 52 A.H., he passed away and this is the army, which has been mentioned in Sahih Bukhari.   According to the Hadith of Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadhrat Abdur Rahman bin Khalid bin Walid's (May Allah be well pleased with him) commanding the army and his passing away in 46 or 47 A.H., Hadhrat Abu Ayyub Ansari (May Allah be well pleased with him) participation in the battles of 49 and 52 A.H. and his passing away in 52 A.H. and Yazid's participation in this particular battle, all this prove that Yazid did not participate in the battle that was fought under the command of Hadhrat Abdur Rahman bin Khalid bin Walid (May Allah be well pleased with him).  It has also been proved that the siege in which Yazid participated, was not the first siege, but before this in 32, 43 and 46 A.H., Constantinople had been attacked.  When Yazid did not participate in the first siege of Constantinople, he is not included in the forgiveness referred to in the Hadith, because the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) never said that all the armies which attack Constantinople are forgiven, but He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said that only the first army to attack Constantinople is forgiven.

Dr. Mufti Syed Ziauddin Naqshbandi Mujaddidi Qadri

Shaykh Ul Fiqh, Jamia Nizamia; Founder - Director

Mufti Maulana Syed Zia Uddin Naqshbandi Quadri

Shaik-ul-Fiqh - Jamia Nizamia

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An analysis of the Hadith of Constantinople