The statement identifies Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (ra) as the "first of the kings." While Sunni mainstream belief still holds high respect for Mu'awiyah (ra) as a Companion of the Prophet ﷺ and a statesman, this narration from a fellow Companion (Safinah) characterizes his rule as shifting the nature of Islamic governance from the consultative, pious leadership of the first four caliphs to a hereditary monarchy. 3. Reliability of Narrator
Scholars use narration 37157 to provide a nuanced view of the Umayyad period. While many Sunni works acknowledge the administrative and expansionist successes of the Umayyads, narrations like this from the Musannaf serve as a reminder of the early community's critical view regarding the loss of the prophetic model of leadership. musannaf ibn abi shaybah 37157
This key difference is crucial for anyone using the Musannaf . It is a , but it is an ocean that contains both pearls and rocks. It contains narrations from the Prophet Muhammad (marfu') as well as the statements and legal rulings of the Companions (mawquf) and the Successors (maqtu'). The statement identifies Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (ra)
Utilized this exact narration in his Muqaddimah to demonstrate the sociology of statecraft, explaining that the transition from a pure religious state to a secular dynastic model ( asabiyyah ) was an inevitable historical development. Role within the Structure of the Musannaf While many Sunni works acknowledge the administrative and