Ruling on calling one’s son Mu’aawiyah and mention of some who bore this name
Question

                My wife is a Muslim Saudi woman. She is originally from Persia. Some of her relatives do not feel very good towards the believers’ uncle ‘Mu’awiya Ben Abi Sufian’, may Allah be pleased with him. She and I agreed to give the name “Mu’awiya” to our expected son in his defense. So that they may love our son, hence they may love the believers’ uncle may Allah be pleased with him. Some of her relatives in the lands of Persia have some hateful Shiitic tendencies, so they slander Mu’awiya. As for her mother and father, they do not have an opinion. What is the ruling on giving the name Mu’awiya?.
Praise be to Allah.
    Firstly: 

    We appreciate the love that you and your wife have for the 
    noble Sahaabi Mu’aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) 
    and we appreciate your efforts to convey this love to others who have been 
    influenced by the Raafidi propaganda about him. 

    It was the way of the Prophet  (peace and blessings of 
    Allaah be upon him) to change bad names to good ones and Mu’aawiyah was one 
    of the scribes who wrote down the Revelation. If his name has been bad, the 
    Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would have changed 
    it. Based on that, there is nothing wrong with calling your son Mu’aawiyah, 
    especially since your intention is to make this Sahaabi beloved to some of 
    your wife’s relatives. Perhaps it is appropriate for you to learn about the 
    life of this noble Sahaabi and to read what the ahl al-sunnah have written 
    about his virtues and in defence of him, so that you will be able to 
    confront the critics and spread news of the virtues of this noble Sahaabi. 

    The Raafidis – the Shi’ah – fabricate lies about sharee’ah, 
    history and even the Arabic language. They make fun of the name of the noble 
    Sahaabi Mu’aawiyah and take it as a joke, and they claim that what is meant 
    by this name is “bitch”. 

    The response to that is as follows: 

    1. 

    Even if the meaning was “bitch”, the Arabs used to give 
    people the names of animals based on their attributes, not because they were 
    dumb beasts. So they used the names Jahsh (young donkey), Saqar (falcon), 
    Dhi’b (wolf) and so on. The name Kalb (dog) was often given to their sons, 
    tribes and settlements. 

    2.

    They are lying when they claim that the name Mu’awiyah means 
    “bitch”, because it is the word al-mu’awiyah with the definite article that 
    means “bitch”. As for the word mu’aawiyah without the definite article, it 
    means strength of the arm, and abu’l-mu’aawiyah means the lynx. This also 
    invalidates their slander against his father Abu Sufyaan (may Allaah be 
    pleased with him). 

    Ibn al-Manzoor (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

    If the word ‘awaa (the root of mu’aawiyah) is used of a man, 
    it means that he has reached his thirties and his arm has become strong and 
    he is able to twist (‘awaa) the arm of another.  

    Lisaan al-‘Arab (15/107). 

    Al-Fayroozabaadi said: 

    Al-mu’aawiyah means bitch or fox cub. Without the definite 
    article it is the name of the son of Abu Sufyaan the Sahaabi. Abu mu’aawiyah 
    means a lynx. 

    Al-Qamoos al-Muheet (p. 1967). 

    Secondly: 

    With regard to giving him the name “maternal uncle of the 
    believers” – as his sister Umm Habeebah was the Mother of the Believers – 
    this is proven from some of the imams of Ahl al-Sunnah, chiefly Imam Ahmad 
    ibn Hanbal (may Allaah have mercy on him). 

    It was narrated from Abu Taalib that he asked Abu ‘Abd-Allaah 
    – Ahmad ibn Hanbal – about saying “Mu’aawiyah the maternal uncle of the 
    believers” or “Ibn ‘Umar the maternal uncle of the believers”. He said: Yes, 
    Mu’aawiyah was the brother of Umm Habeebah bint Abi Sufyaan, the wife of the 
    Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him and may Allaah have 
    mercy on her), and Ibn ‘Umar was the brother of Hafsah the wife of the 
    Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him and may Allaah have 
    mercy on her). I said: Can I say Mu’aawiyah the maternal uncle of the 
    believers? He said: Yes. 

    Al-Sunnah by al-Khallaal 
    (2/433), Dar al-Raayah edition. 

    It was narrated from Haroon ibn ‘Abd-Allaah that he said to 
    Abu ‘Abd-Allaah –Ahmad ibn Hanbal - : A letter came to me from al-Raqqah 
    saying that some people say: We do not say that Mu’aawiyah was the maternal 
    uncle of the believers. He got angry and said: Why are they objecting to 
    this matter? They should be shunned until they repent.  

    Al-Sunnah by al-Khallaal 
    (2/434). 

    It was narrated from Muhammad ibn Abi Haroon and Muhammad ibn 
    Abi Ja’far that Abu’l-Haarith told them: We sent a note to Abu ‘Abd-Allaah – 
    Ahmad ibn Hanbal – saying: What do you say, may Allaah have mercy on you, 
    about that who say: I will not say that Mu’aawiyah was the scribe of the 
    revelation and I will not say that he was the maternal uncle of the 
    believers, because he took the caliphate by the sword and by force? Abu 
    ‘Abd-Allaah said: These are bad words and these people should be avoided and 
    shunned, and we should warn the people about them. 

    Al-Sunnah by al-Khallaal 
    (2/434) 

    It was narrated that Abu Bakr al-Marwadhi said: I said to Abu 
    ‘Abd-Allaah – Ahmad ibn Hanbal – Who is better, Mu’aawiyah or ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd 
    al-‘Azeez? He said: Mu’aawiyah is better; we do not compare the companions 
    of the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) 
    to anyone. The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) 
    said: “The best of mankind are my generation among whom I was sent.” 

    Al-Sunnah by al-Khallaal 
    (2/434). 

    All the isnaads of these reports are saheeh as you will see 
    in the examination of the book by Dr. ‘Atiyah al-Zahraani. 

    Thirdly: 

    There follows a list of other Sahaabah who were called 
    Mu’aawiyah from the book al-Isaabah fi Tamyeez al-Sahaabah, which 
    indicates that this name was well known and commonly used. 

    Mu’aawiyah ibn Anas al-Sulami, Mu’aawiyah ibn Thawr ibn 
    ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Bakka’ al-‘Aamiri al-Bakkaa’i, Mu’aawiyah ibn Jaahimah ibn 
    al-‘Abbaas ibn Mardaas al-Sulami, Mu’aawiyah ibn al-Haarith ibn al-Muttalib 
    ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, Mu’aawiyah ibn Hudayj, Mu’aawiyah ibn Hazn 
    al-Qushayri, Mu’aawiyah ibn al-Hakam al-Sulami, Mu’aawiyah ibn Haydah ibn 
    Mu’aawiyah ibn Qushayr ibn Ka’b ibn Rabee’ah ibn ‘Aamir ibn Sa’sa’ah 
    al-Qushayri, Mu’aawiyah ibn Abi Rabee’ah al-Jarami, Mu’aawiyah ibn Sufyaan 
    ibn ‘Abd al-Asad, Mu’aawiyah ibn Suwayd ibn Muqrin al-Muzani, Mu’aawiyah ibn 
    Sa’sa’ah al-Tameemi, Mu’aawiyah ibn ‘Ubaadah ibn ‘Aqeel, Mu’aawiyah ibn 
    ‘Abd-Allaah, Mu’aawiyah ibn ‘Urwah al-Du’ali, Mu’aawiyah ibn ‘Afeef 
    al-Muzani, Mu’aawiyah ibn ‘Amr, Mu’aawiyah ibn Qarmal, Mu’aawiyah ibn Muhsan 
    ibn ‘Alas, Mu’aawiyah ibn Mardaas ibn Abi ‘Aamir, Mu’aawiyah ibn Mu’aawiyah 
    al-Muzani, Mu’aawiyah ibn al-Mugheerah ibn Abi’l-‘Aas ibn Umayyah al-Umawi, 
    Mu’aawiyah ibn Muqrin al-Muzani, Mu’aawiyah ibn Nafee’, Mu’aawiyah 
    al-Thaqafi, Mu’aawiyah al-‘Adhari, Mu’aawiyah al-Laythi and Mu’aawiyah 
    al-Hudhali. 

    Al-Isaabah by al-Haafiz Ibn 
    Hajar (6/145-146).  

    In Siyar A’laam al-Nubala’ there is a list of Taabi’een and 
    others of the salaf who were also called Mu’aawiyah. See the index of 
    al-Siyar (25/448). 

    And Allaah knows best.