Muawiyah ibn Hudayj

Mu'awiyah ibn Hudayj al-Kindi (died approximately 52 AH / 672 CE) was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and a military commander of the early Islamic conquests, particularly in North Africa. He was among the Sahabah who settled in Egypt following its conquest and played a leading role in the expansion of Islam westward into the Maghrib.

Mu'awiyah ibn Hudayj participated in the first Muslim expedition to North Africa under 'Abd Allah ibn Abi Sarh during the caliphate of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, which resulted in the conquest of much of the territory that had been under Byzantine control. He continued to lead and participate in raids deep into what is now Tunisia and Libya, extending the reach of the Islamic polity far beyond Egypt. His military campaigns are recorded in the early sources as significant contributions to the establishment of Muslim presence in the Maghrib region.

During the First Fitna, he sided with Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan in the conflict with 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, reflecting the alignment of the Egyptian-based commanders with the Umayyad camp. He served as governor of Egypt for a period under Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan after the latter became caliph. His legacy in Islamic history is primarily that of a pioneering military commander who extended the frontiers of the early caliphate into North Africa, laying the groundwork for the eventual complete Islamization of the region. He died during the caliphate of Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan.