Abstract:

Many al-awāil reports are attributed to the Umayyads because they were a newly formed state. This study analyzes alawāil reports attributed to the Umayyads specific to al-awāil works that are among the oldest extant al-awāil books. This study aims to determine whether the Umayyads were really the first ones in the fields as they are said to be and whether they continued the practices from the period of the Prophet and the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs. Additionally, this study researches the possible reasons why the Umayyads were attributed with being al-awāil reports in certain aspects and how al-awāil reports affected the perceptions toward the Umayyads. When analyzing al-awāil reports attributed to the Umayyads with regard to the political, religious and cultural fields, the reports about the Umayyads are understood to have been specifically included in al-awāil literature because reports wanted the founders of the Umayyads to be regarded as the ancestors of the state and to contribute to the Umayyad efforts to become a state. The study had concluded that the main purpose of most of al-awāils reported in many fields that considered the Umayyads to be the first-time (al-awwal) despite not really being the first had been to create a negative image for the Umayyads. In fact, these reports negatively affected the perceptions toward the Umayyads. As for certain practices that were especially claimed to be in contradiction with the Prophet’s practices, the Umayyads were determined to have actually continued the Prophet’s practices.

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