▁Sim t ▁alongside ▁the ▁Q ur ay sh ite ▁command ers ▁al - D ah h ak ▁ibn ▁Q ays ▁al - F ih ri ▁and ▁Abd ▁al - R ah man , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁the ▁prominent ▁general ▁K hal id ▁ibn ▁al - W al id , ▁to ▁guarantee ▁the ▁loyal ty ▁of ▁the ▁key ▁military ▁components ▁of ▁Sy ria . ▁Mu ' aw i ya ▁pre occup ied ▁his ▁core ▁Sy rian ▁troops ▁in ▁nearly ▁annual ▁or ▁bi - ann ual ▁land ▁and ▁sea ▁ra ids ▁against ▁By z ant ium , ▁which ▁provided ▁them ▁with ▁battle field ▁experience ▁and ▁war ▁spo ils , ▁but ▁secured ▁no ▁permanent ▁territorial ▁g ains . ▁Tow ard ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁reign ▁the ▁cal i ph ▁entered ▁a ▁thirty - year ▁tr uce ▁with ▁By z antine ▁em peror ▁Const antine ▁IV ▁( ), ▁oblig ing ▁the ▁Um ay y ads ▁to ▁pay ▁the ▁Empire ▁an ▁annual ▁t ribute ▁of ▁gold , ▁horses ▁and ▁slaves . ▁ ▁Mu ' aw i ya ' s ▁principal ▁challenge ▁was ▁re est ab lish ing ▁the ▁unity ▁of ▁the ▁Muslim ▁community ▁and ▁as ser ting ▁the ▁cred ibility ▁of ▁the ▁C ali ph ate ▁and ▁his ▁own ▁power ▁across ▁the ▁provinces ▁amid ▁the ▁political ▁and ▁social ▁dis integration ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁F it na . ▁There ▁remained ▁significant ▁opposition ▁to ▁his ▁assumption ▁of ▁the ▁cal i ph ate ▁and ▁a ▁strong ▁central ▁government ▁in ▁general . ▁The ▁g arrison ▁towns ▁of ▁K uf a ▁and ▁Bas