The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1585 page)

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MUEZZIN
.

 
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(d. 680 (AH 80)).
Founder of the
Umayyad dynasty
. He was a late convert to Islam, but was immediately appointed as ‘personal secretary’ by the Prophet
Mu
ammad
. Upon ‘Uthm
n's murder, he politically outmanœuvred ‘Al
. After ‘Al
's death in 661 (AH 61), Mu‘
wiyya easily persuaded
Hasan
, the Prophet's eldest grandson, with a grant of a large sum, to step down in his favour.
As khal
fa, Mu‘
wiyya pursued a policy of pragmatism. In politics he insisted on rapprochement. His approach to dissidents was through persuasion and monetary gifts. It was Mu‘
wiyya who changed the character of the Caliphate to one of hereditary monarchy (
mulk
).
On the question of succession Mu‘
wiyya tried to secure a peaceful transfer of power to his son Yaz
d. Upon his death, however, these plans backfired and led to the beginning of the Second Civil War in Islam.