▁seven ▁heads ▁of ▁the ▁drag on ▁are ▁symbol ic ▁of ▁the ▁seven ▁provinces ▁of ▁the ▁lands ▁domin ated ▁by ▁the ▁Um ay y ads : ▁Dam asc us , ▁Pers ia , ▁Arab ia , ▁Egypt , ▁Africa , ▁And alus ia , ▁and ▁Trans ox iana . ▁The ▁ten ▁horn s ▁represent ▁the ▁ten ▁names ▁of ▁the ▁leaders ▁of ▁the ▁Um ay y ad ▁dynast y : ▁Ab u ▁S uf yan , ▁Mu aw i ya , ▁Y az id , ▁Mar wan , ▁Abd ▁al - Mal ik , ▁Wal id , ▁Sul ay man , ▁U mar , ▁H ish am , ▁and ▁I bra him . ▁Some ▁names ▁were ▁re - used , ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁Y az id ▁II ▁and ▁Y az id ▁III , ▁which ▁were ▁not ▁account ed ▁for ▁in ▁this ▁interpretation . ▁ ▁Early ▁literature ▁The ▁book ▁Al ▁M uw atta , ▁by ▁Im am ▁Mal ik , ▁was ▁written ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁Abb as id ▁period ▁in ▁Med ina . ▁It ▁does ▁not ▁contain ▁any ▁anti - U may y ad ▁content ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁more ▁concerned ▁with ▁what ▁the ▁Q ur an ▁and ▁what ▁Muhammad ▁said ▁and ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁history ▁book ▁on ▁the ▁Um ay y ads . ▁ ▁Even ▁the ▁earliest ▁pro - Sh ia ▁accounts ▁of ▁al - M as udi ▁are ▁more ▁bal anced . ▁Al - M as udi ' s ▁I bn ▁H ish am ▁is ▁the ▁earliest ▁Sh ia ▁account ▁of ▁Mu aw