The Beginning of the Umayyad Caliphate

This is the early period of the Umayyad Caliphate. Although this caliphate lasted for nearly 70 years and half of that duration had already passed, we call it the beginning in the sense that only three kings had ruled so far, and the fourth was about to ascend the throne.
It was the year 96 AH, which corresponds to 714 CE. By this time, the Muslim conquerors had spread across the four corners of the world. In the eastern regions, Qutaiba bin Muslim Bahili advanced, conquering Turkmenistan and the lands beyond the river (Transoxiana), reaching the borders of China and beginning to receive tribute from there.
In the same direction but further south, Muhammad bin Qasim Thaqafi was soaring ahead and had reached far into India.
In the west, Musa bin Nusayr and Tariq bin Ziyad were active, planting the flags of their victories across North Africa and reaching as far as Spain, now setting their sights on Europe and Turkey.
The northern regions were largely conquered, or they did not contain a civilized world.
In the south were all the Muslim lands such as Makkah, Madinah, Taif, and Yemen. Thus, it could be said that the Muslim conquerors were raising their banners of victory in all four directions when suddenly Sulaiman bin Abdul Malik became king.
And as soon as he came to power, he strangled all conquests.
He made all the conquerors a lesson of warning.
And all eastern and western victories came to a complete halt.
After all, he was a man fond of food and luxury; what did he care for conquests?
Almost this same or similar account is recorded in many common books of history, and based on this, people say things about Sulaiman bin Abdul Malik that are beyond belief.

The Question, What is the Truth?

So, what is the truth?
Did he not kill the conqueror of Sindh, Muhammad bin Qasim?
Did he not instigate rebellion against Qutaiba bin Muslim Bahili, the conqueror of Turkmenistan, and have him killed?
Did he not accuse Musa bin Nusayr to the point of forcing him to beg?
And was he not the reason for Tariq bin Ziyad’s disappearance?
My claim is that no, he did not.
This mistreatment of Muslim conquerors was not done by Sulaiman Umayyad.

The Dispute of Succession

Let us understand this matter in detail. It begins with the dispute over the succession of Sulaiman bin Abdul Malik.
The former caliph, Walid bin Abdul Malik, wanted to depose his brother Sulaiman from the position of heir apparent. Qutaiba bin Muslim, Muhammad bin Qasim, Musa bin Nusayr, and others shared this opinion.
However, fate took such a turn that Walid suddenly died, and according to their father’s will, Sulaiman automatically became the king.
Qutaiba bin Muslim was a seasoned commander. He knew well how kings behave; they cannot tolerate a single word spoken against them. And he himself had questioned Sulaiman’s succession.
He feared that Sulaiman would now take revenge on him. Therefore, he wrote first to Caliph Sulaiman Umayyad, saying, “You became king against my will, but do not provoke me.”
Sulaiman Umayyad replied softly, but the thought remained in Qutaiba’s heart, which later took the shape of a full rebellion, and Qutaiba was killed in it.

The Tragedy of Muhammad bin Qasim

Far from the center of the caliphate, beyond the reach of Sulaiman Umayyad, how could he be blamed for that?
However, he did learn from the experience that such things could happen, so he became cautious with other conquerors as well.
During these circumstances, one of Raja Dahir’s captured daughters took full advantage and spread the rumor that the conqueror of Sindh, Muhammad bin Qasim, had violated her honor.
Sulaiman was the caliph. When this complaint about his commander reached his palace, he became furious and, in his anger, ordered the arrest of Muhammad bin Qasim.
But Sulaiman’s agents went beyond the command; they not only arrested Muhammad bin Qasim but also tortured him and eventually killed him.
When Sulaiman Umayyad received this news, he was enraged, but what could be done now?
The arrow had already left the bow.
And to make matters worse, during this time, Raja Dahir’s daughter revealed the truth that the incident of dishonor was a drama she herself had staged just to get Muhammad bin Qasim killed.
She said she had lied so she could avenge her Sindh and her father, Raja Dahir.
Hearing this, Sulaiman lost his sleep at night, but what could be done now? The birds had already eaten the grain from the field.

The Outcome and the Truth

Similarly, Qutaiba bin Muslim remained like a minister and advisor to Sulaiman till the end.
In his last days, he expressed his wish to die in Makkah. Thus, he went with Sulaiman’s army to Makkah and stayed there on the way back.
This incident, in fact, raises Sulaiman’s stature even higher.
So how did the blame come upon him?
It seems that to create dislike for Islamic history or personalities, the character of Sulaiman Umayyad has been tarnished, and this is done in such a way that, by glorifying Muslim conquerors as heroes, Sulaiman is painted as a villain.
However, our research and the study of authentic historical books show that Sulaiman had no direct hand in their deaths or misfortunes.
Yes, it is true that all this happened during his reign, but dear reader, even in your time many bad things happen.
Are you ready to take responsibility for all of them?
If not, and surely not, then do not blame Caliph Sulaiman bin Abdul Malik Umayyad either.
Or in simpler words, do not disguise the truth just to tarnish our history.