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Practice these MCQs in the appQuick fact: Muawiya (R.A) launched the first Muslim navy in the Mediterranean Sea during the caliphate of Usman (R.A).
Muawiya (R.A), as the governor of Syria during the caliphate of Usman (R.A), recognized the strategic importance of naval power to counter Byzantine dominance in the Mediterranean. He sought and obtained permission from Caliph Usman (R.A) to build the first Muslim naval fleet. This initiative led to the historic Battle of Dhat al-Sawari (Battle of the Masts) in 655 CE, where the Muslim navy achieved a decisive victory against the Byzantine fleet, marking the emergence of Muslims as a formidable naval power in the Mediterranean.
Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan (R.A) was appointed governor of Syria by Caliph Umar (R.A) and continued in this role under Caliph Usman (R.A). The Mediterranean Sea was dominated by the Byzantine Empire at that time, and their naval superiority posed a constant threat to the newly conquered coastal regions of the Islamic state. The establishment of the first Muslim navy was a significant military development that later enabled the expansion of Islamic rule into Cyprus, Rhodes, and other Mediterranean islands during the Umayyad period.
