5
~Empire of the
Umayyads
40-120 AH
661-737 CE0
F couRsE, MU' AWIYA did not present himself as the man who ended
the religious era. He titled himselfkhalifa and said he was continuing
the same great mission as his predecessors. Toward the end of his life, how-
ever, he convened a council of Arab tribal leaders to discuss who his succes-
sor would be, a meeting that had the outward form of a shura, a
consultative committee like the one Omar established. The chieftains
thought their opinions were sincerely being solicited and began discussing
the merits of this and that candidate. Suddenly one of the khalifa's hench-
men jumped to his feet and glowered around the circle. "Right now," he
scowled, "this is the commander of the faithful." He pointed to Mu'awiya.
''After he dies, it's this one." He pointed to Yazid, the emperor's eldest son.
''And if any of you object, it's this one!" He pulled out his sword."^1
The chiefs got the point. They went on through all the proper Muslim-
democratic forms and made all the appropriate noises and gestures, but in
the end they dutifully chose Yazid to be their next khalifa, and when they
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