Firstly, people disagreed on the companionship of Hijr bin Uday. Al-Bukhari and others counted him as a follower (Tabi'i) and some others as a companion.
Secondly, Mu'awiyah did not kill Hijr because he refrained from insulting Ali and this is calumniation. What the historians mentioned about the reason behind the killing of Hijr bin Uday was that Ziyad, the ruler of Al-Kufah appointed by Mu'awiyah, once gave a prolonged speech. Hijr bin Uday interrupted and called for the prayer but Ziyad went along with his speech. Hijr and his group threw stones at Ziyad. Ziyad wrote Mu'awiyah telling him what Hijr did and claiming it as corruption on earth. Hijr used to do this with the governor of Al-Kufah who preceded Ziyad. Mu'awiyah ordered Hijr be sent to him.
When Hijr arrived, Mu'awiyah ordered he be killed. Mu'awiyah's severity in killing Hijr was because Hijr transgressed against the state and break the bond of the Muslims, an endeavor to corrupt the earth especially in Kufah where some groups of the affliction first appeared against Uthman. If Uthman were lenient in this matter, which ultimately lead to his death and lead the Islamic nation to the greatest affliction and caused blood to run like rivers, then Mu'awiyah wanted to cut this affliction from its roots by killing Hijr.
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