The Authentication of the Letter of the Second Caliph to Muʿāwiya ibn Abī Sufyān

In some sources, such as Biḥār al-Anwār a long narrative has been related, according to which Abdullah ibn ʿUmar started a protest movement against Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiya after the martyrdom of Imam Ḥusayn (a.s.). As a response to ibn ʿUmar, Yazīd showed the letter that the Second Caliph had sent to Muʿāwiya ibn Abī Sufyān. In this letter many events of the Early Islam have been described, especially the actions of the hypocrites to usurp the caliphate, and there has been some recommendations for Muʿāwiya. In this report, there are many historical and literary errors. In this article, by conducting a thorough search and examining the Isnad and the text of the narrative, it has been proved that al-Ḥusayn ibn Ḥamdān al-Khaṣībī is the main accused of falsifying this narration. Although his name has not been mentioned in the Isnad. Furthermore, based on manuscripts, another version of the story has been presented, which may have been unrelated to al-Khaṣībī's version and based on an earlier source. In this research, other topics such as the related account attributed to al-Balādhurī have also been discussed.