Yazid’s Appointment as Heir Apparent

Question

What is the reason that Amir Mu‘awiya ﵁, during his lifetime, seated his unworthy son, the wicked Yazid, upon the throne, and, having seated him on the throne, sent an order to every city announcing that he had been made heir apparent, so that the people would know of it — whereas he was a debauchee, a constant wine-drinker, of evil conduct, a tyrant, an adulterer, a drunkard, a fasiq, a sinner, a perpetrator of what is forbidden?

Answer

These [misdeeds of Yazid] were not before him [Mu‘awiya] at the time, as stated in “Fatawa Rashidiyya”, p. 10, vol. 2; although in terms of piety (wara‘) and abstinence (zuhd) many other people at that time were better than him, and he [Yazid] did indeed commit certain reprehensible acts (munkarat), but his condition became worse later.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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