And 'Abd al-Malik ibn 'Abd al-Hamid al-Maymuni informed me, saying: I said to Ahmad ibn Hanbal: 'Did the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) not say: "Every marriage-tie and lineage will be severed except for my marriage-tie and my lineage"?' He replied: 'Yes.' I said: 'And does this apply to Mu'awiyah?' He replied: 'Yes, he has a marriage-tie and a lineage.' He [al-Maymuni] said: And I heard Ibn Hanbal saying: 'What do they want with Mu'awiyah? We ask Allah for safety.'
