born 0441; 602, Mecca, Arabian Peninsula
died April/May 680, Damascus, Syria
First caliph (661680) of the Umayyad dynasty .
Born into a clan that initially rejected Muhammad 's preaching, he accepted Islam only after Muhammad had conquered Mecca. As governor of Damascus he built up the Syrian army until it was strong enough to resist attacks of the Byzantine Empire . He opposed the leadership of Al 012B; , the fourth caliph, and eventually took the field against him. He claimed the caliphate after 02BD; Al 012B; 's death. To win the loyalty of non-Syrian Arabs, he introduced methods by which the tribes could keep the caliph informed of their interests. He channeled tribal aggressiveness into anti-Byzantine campaigns and in North Africa sent forces that captured Tripolitania and Ifr 012B; qiyyah. To administer his large empire, he adopted Roman and Byzantine procedures, employing Christian bureaucrats whose families had served in Byzantine governments. By securing his son as his successor, he established hereditary rule. Though disparaged by later Muslim historians for deviating from Muhammad's leadership style and by Sh 012B; 02BD; ites for his role in usurping the authority of 02BD; Al 012B; and his family, he is often portrayed in the Arabic literary tradition as the ideal ruler.