A Short Biography of Hazrat Usman Ghani

(R.A)
Hazrat Usman (R.A) was born in 573 A.D in a highly reputed family of “Umayyah” belonging to the
tribe of Qureysh in Makkah. Banu Umayyah enjoyed a great status among Qureyshi people as they
had the responsibility of keeping the Flag of the whole clan. His father was “Affan bin Abul-As” and
his mother was known as “Arwa”. His complete name was “Usman ibn Affan”. His familial history
also matched with that of the Holy Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. Hazrat Usman (R.A) was one of the few
inhabitants of Makkah who could both read and write besides Hazrat Umar (R.A). He started dealing
in the business of cloth in his youth, which earned him a lot of wealth. He was greatly respected for
his kind nature among the Makkans, as he used to help the poor and remove their troubles. That
and later services to Islam in the form of spending his capital earned him the title of “Al-Ghani” (the
Generous One). He was also well known for his truthfulness and honesty.
Acceptance of Islam
Hazrat Abu Bakr (R.A) and he were close friends from the start. When the former told him about the
Prophet Hood of Hazrat Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬, he readily believed in it. This was because of his
great insight of matters and clear conscious. At that time, the relationships between Banu Hashim
and Banu Umayyah had worsened, and when Hazrat Usman (R.A) accepted Islam, his own family
and Qureyshi natives who loved him, started to hate him. But he did not care about himself, and
stood firm on his decision.

Marrying Ruqayya (R.A) – the Daughter of Prophet PBUH

After the preaching of Allah`s Message, the daughter of Rasulullah ‫ﷺ‬, Ruqayya (R.A),
who was married to Abu Lahb`s (a strict enemy of Islam) son Utbah at that time, was forcefully
divorced. Then, Hazrat Usman (R.A) married her, which got him great honor of being the Son in Law
of the Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬of God.

Emigration from Makkah to Abyssinia

Soon after Hazrat Usman (R.A) made his firm belief in the Prophet Hood of Hazrat Muhammad
‫ ﷺ‬as public, he was not only detested by the disbelievers, but also was subjected to
torture and physical sufferings. Therefore, he asked the permission of the Holy Prophet
‫ ﷺ‬of leaving Makkah, which was approved. Then, he and his wife along with some other
Muslims migrated to Abyssinia and became the very first Muhajireen (leaving hometown for sake of
Allah) in the history of Islam. That stay did not last long, as he came back to Makkah after short
period of just two months when he was wrongly informed about Qureysh`s acceptance of the
Religion of Peace.

 Getting the title of “Dhun-Nurain”

During the battle of “Badr”, Ruqayya (R.A) got seriously ill, which lead to Hazrat Usman`s (R.A)
exclusion from this Ghazwa (clash in which the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬participated Himself). He
remained in Madina to take care of her wife, who could not live longer and died. This gave him a
great grief as was no longer the Son in Law of Rasulullah ‫ﷺ‬. Upon this, the Apostle
‫ ﷺ‬of God married His other Daughter, Umm Kulthum (R.A) to Hazrat Usman (R.A). Thus
He got the title of “Dhun-Nurain” (the possessor of the two lights) by having the great respect of
marrying two of the daughters of the Holy Prophet ‫ﷺ‬.
 Great Services to Islam
Hazrat Usman (R.A) committed his entire life in the way of Allah and His Messenger ‫ﷺ‬
that is why he accepted Islam in the times when his family was in command of Qureysh, yet he
chose the Right Path opposed to their wishes.
He served the Religion of Peace in many ways such as:

1. Participated in nearly every battle against disbelievers along with Rasulullah ‫ﷺ‬
except in Badr
2. Bought a well named “bi’r-i-Rumah” from a Madinan Jew for 20,000 Dirhams and made it
free to use for Muhajireen e Makkah, who had no water to drink at that time
3. Also purchased a portion of land in order to increase the capacity of Masjid e Nabawi
4. He was a Leading Person in “Sulah e Hudaibiya” (the Peace Treaty of Hudaibiya) in the
6th year of Migration. When false news came out that he was martyred by Makkans, the Holy
Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬took an oath to take Usman Ghani`s (R.A) revenge. Such was his great
rank near the Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬of Allah that He (PBUH) considered His left hand as
that of Usman`s (R.A) and combined it with His right hand and took a promise known as known
as“Bai’at al-Ridwan” (the Pledge of Ridwan) in front of remaining companions.
5. Helped in strengthening of the Muslim Army at the expedition of Tabuk by giving gold coins,
horses and camels, which earned him the great respect of the Holy Prophet ‫ﷺ‬,
Who said:
“From this day on nothing will harm ‘Uthman regardless of what he does.” (Tirmidhi)
It means Rasulullah ‫ ﷺ‬had declared Hazrat Usman (R.A) as one the upright Muslims
because of his selflessness and great service to Islam.

Being Third Caliphate in the History of Islam[p-

At the time of death of Hazrat Umar (R.A), the second Caliph of Muslims, he appointed a committee
of 6 of the most blessed companions of the Holy Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and gave them task of
selecting 3rd Caliph after him. Eventually, Hazrat Umar (R.A) was chosen as the next Ameer (the
leader) of the followers of Islam.
Some of the milestones that he achieved during his reign are:

1. Continuation of the tradition of Hazrat Umar (R.A) and expanding the Islamic state to far off
non Arab countries
2. Formation of Naval Muslim forces leading to more effective outreach to distant regions of the
world
3. Winning an emphatic naval battle against Byzantine Empire consisting of 500 ships
4. Ultimate glorification of Islamic State through victories over Byzantine and Roman realms
and capturing the North African territories
Throughout his time in power, he kept his tradition of kindness and generosity to fellow Muslims
and \never raised a war against own people despite stubborn and unjust opposition of a few group of
so called Muslims.

Compilation of the complete Holy Quran

At the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr (R.A), Furqan e Hameed was assembled together in written form and
was kept with His daughter Hasfa (R.A), the spouse of the Holy Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. But due to
expansion of the Islamic state to other corners of the words, it was felt by Hazrat Usman (R.A)
noticed differences in the recitation of the Holy Quran. So, he directed Hazrat Zaid bin Saabit (R.A)
to make multiple copies of the same Quran he had written in the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr (R.A) to
help save the Quranic text from any possible editions and bring people to common way of recital
process. For this, he is known as “Jami’ul-Qur’an” (The compiler of the Qur’an).
The Martyrdom of Hazrat Usman (R.A)
Despite of apparent conspiracies against his Caliphate, Hazrat Usman (R.A) kept on believing in the
notion that he should never use force against Muslims. He always remained kind hearted to his
opponents and thought of convincing them with reason than using strength. Due to their hate for
Usman (R.A), one day they entered his house when he (R.A) was reading the Holy Quran. They
brutally martyred him in his house. In this way, Hazrat Usman (R.A) was assassinated on Friday,
17th of Dhul Hijjah, 35 A.H when he was 84 years old.
Ibn Umar (R.A) reported that Allah’s Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬mentioned a fitnah (trial) by saying:

“This innocent one will be killed in that, reffering to Uthman bin Affan.” (Tirimdhi)
Prophet`s PBUH Promise of Jannah to Usman R.A
Hazrat Usman (R.A) was among the very few most rightful companions of the Apostle ‫ﷺ‬
of God, who were congratulated of being awarded paradise by Allah SWT even in their lives.
Narrated by Abu Musa (R.A):

While I was with the Prophet in one of the gardens of Medina, a man came and asked me
to open the gate. The Prophet said to me, “Open the gate for him and give him the glad
tidings that he will enter Paradise.” I opened (the gate) for him, and behold! It was Abu
Bakr. I informed him of the glad tidings the Prophet had said, and he praised Allah. Then
another man came and asked me to open the gate. The Prophet said to me “Open (the gate)
and give him the glad tidings of entering Paradise.” I opened (the gate) for him, and
behold! It was ‘Umar. I informed him of what the Prophet had said, and he praised Allah.
Then another man came and asked me to open the gate. The Prophet said to me. “Open
(the gate) for him and inform him of the glad tidings, of entering Paradise with a calamity
which will befall him.” Behold! It was ‘Uthman, I informed him of what Allah’s Apostle
had said. He praised Allah and said, “I seek Allah’s Aid.” (Bukhari)
It means Rasulullah ‫ ﷺ‬had already given the great news of Jannah to His finest escorts
including Hazrat Usman Ghani (R.A) because of their highly revered personalities and services to
the Religion of Islam.
So, to conclude, Hazrat Usman (R.A) was highly kind, generous and affectionate Muslim, who
always helped the needy people. He was very close to the Holy Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬throughout
his life and was among very few of His rightful companions.

Achievements of third Caliph Hazrat Usman

Ghani (RA).
The third caliph Hazrat Usman (RA) was the very talented and good administrator. He organized the
Muslims tactfully after the death of Hazrat Umar Farooq (RA). The third caliph made many reforms for
betterment of Muslims. Some of his achievements are as under:-
1)      Collection and Editing of Holy Quran
There were different accents of Arabic language in the Arab world. The Holy 

Quran was also read in different accents according to local languages. Hazrat Usman Ghani (RA) thought
that these accents can cause wrong pronunciation of Holy Quran in future. Therefore, he collected all
copies of holy Quran, which were prepared in the era of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (RA). He destroyed all
these copies of Holy Quran and made a fresh copy of Holy Quran in the presence of Muslim scholars.
Hazrat Usman Ghani (RA) ordered to read the Holy Quran in one accent. He sent fresh copies to all
provincial governments.
2)      Economic Reforms
The third caliph Hazrat Usman Ghani (RA) made many reforms in the economic system of Muslims and
strengthened their economy. He further prolonged the government treasury programme of Hazrat Umar
Farooq (RA). Hazrat Usman Ghani (RA) worked day and night for the success of this programme without
any salary. Dutiful and well reputed officers were deputed on this programme for betterment of his people.
He donated his salary and other income for the welfare of his people.
3)      Reforms in Defence Sector.
Hazrat Usman Ghani (RA) brought important reforms in defence sector. He constructed many
cantonments for defence force all across the states of his dynasty.  Usman Ghani (RA) considerably
increased the monthly salary and other allowances of soldiers. He enrolled soldiers from all tribes of far
flung areas and provided high quality horses to them.
4)      Provision of First Naval Ship.
Hazrat Usman Ghani (RA) provided the first naval ship to Governor of Syria on request of Hazrat Ameer
Mavia. In this way, the Muslim army acquired naval superiority at first time in the history. The Muslim
army defeated Syrian army with the help of these sea war tactics. The third caliph established the
factories of ships in the coastal areas of Egypt and Syria.
5)      Religious Services.

Hazrat Usman Ghani (RA) constructed many mosques in the country and provided water to these
mosques. He deputed a Moazzan for offering Azan in these mosques. Moreover, he extended Masjid-e-
Nabvi and Masjid-e-Haram and decorated these mosques with colorful and precious stones.
6)      Welfare Projects.
Hazrat Usman Ghani (RA) launched many welfare projects in his period, which inculude constructed
buildings, roads, bridges, well and Inns.

Battle Victories
The third caliph achieved many battle victories in his first six years of government. He extended the
borders of his country to China, Iran and Subcontinent. Usman Bin Affan (RA) also conquered Tarabulus
(Tripoli), Tunas, Marrakesh and Aljazeera in Northern Africa countries during his period. The island of
Cyprus, Kabul and Ghazni (presently in Afghanistan) also came under the Muslim government in his
period. Some famous battle victories have been described in the succeeding paragraphs:-
1)      Occupation of Skandaria (Place) Durbar.A large number
of Romans were living in Skandaria (place) but they were suppressed from Hazrat Umar Farooq (RA).
When Hazrat Umar (RA) passed away, the Qaiser-e-Rome incited these Romans against the government
of third Caliph Hazrat Usman Ghani (RA). These Romans created mutiny in the country. However, the
commander of third caliph Hazrat Umro Bin Abi Waqas defeated them and occupied again the Skandaria.
The Romans got heavy losses in this war because the tribal did not support them in this war.
2)      Rise of Mutiny in Northern Provinces.
Some people in the provinces of Armenia and Azerbaijan created mutiny against government after the
death of Hazrat Umar (RA). When Hazrat Usman Ghani (RA) came to know, he sent Hazrat Waleed Bin
Uqba (RA) to tackle the mutiny. Hazrat Waleed Bin Uqba (RA) tactfully tackled the situation there and
ensured peace in these provinces.
3)      Occupation on Tarabulus (Tripoli).
Hazrat Usman Ghani (RA) deputed Abdullah Bin Sarah as governor of Egypt in place of Hazrat Umar Bin
Alghas (RA). Abdullah Bin Sarah was young, intelligent and bravo general. He attacked on northern
Africa. Hazrat Usman Ghani (RA) sent Hazrat Ibn-e-Zubair towards northern Africa for support of
Abdullah there. They carried out multiple attacks on Tripoli. The king of Tripoli Zarbeer did not defend his
country and surrendered to Abdullah (RA). He made a peace treaty with Abdullah and promised for
paying of twenty five hundred Dhamam annually to Abdullah (RA).
4)      Occupation on Island of Qabrus (Cyprus).
The Island of Qabrus (Cyprus) is situated on the bank of Syria. Hazrat Umar Farooq (RA) was against the
sea warfare, therefore, he did not allow battle against the rebels of Cyprus in his period. When Ameer
Mavia (RA) deputed governor of Syria after the death of Hazrat Umar (RA). He sought permission of
battle against these rebels from Hazrat Usman Ghani (RA). Hazrat Usman Ghani (RA) permitted Ameer
Mavia to fight against the rebels of Cyprus.
Ameer Mavia prepared a strong ship and attacked on rebels and defeated them. The rebels made a
peace treaty with Ameer Mavia and promised for paying seven hundred Dhamam. Later on, the people of
Cyprus broke this treaty and refused to pay the amount to Ameer Mavia. When Ameer Mavia came to
know about the violation of treaty, he again attacked on them and occupied the island of Cyprus. Then, he
attacked on Iran and Paris and occupied these countries.
Abdullah Bin Amir attacked on Neharistan and Kerman and defeated these countries. In this way, he
advanced towards Ghazni and Kabul (now in Afghanistan) and occupied these countries. The Muslim
conquerors reached to the borders of Hindustan (India) in those days.

Introduction

Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) belonged to a noble family of Quraish in Makkah. His ancestral lineage joins

with that of Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in the fifth generation. He was from the Umayyah family of

Quraish, which was a well reputed and honourable family of Makkah during the pre-Islamic days.

Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) was born in 573 A.C. His father's name was Affan bin Abul-As and he himself

was known by the name Usman ibn ‘Affan.

Hazrat Usman was one of the few persons of Makkah who knew how to read and write. When he grew up, he started business in

clothing which made him very rich. He used his money in good and charitable ways and always helped the poor. Hazrat Usman (,

may Allah be pleased with him.) was a soft natured and kind hearted man. He did not hesitate to spend any amount of money on

seeing a man in trouble in order to remove his misery. For his noble qualities the Makkans had great respect for him.

Hazrat Usman's acceptance of Islam

Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) accepted Islam when Hazrat Abu Bakr (, may Allah be pleased with him.)

preached to him. He was one of those Muslims who accepted Islam in its very early days.

Though Banu Hashim (Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,'s family) was rival to Banu Umayyah (Hazrat

Usman's family), and the latter was in power at that time,Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) did not hesitate to

acknowledge the Prophethood of Rasulallah , peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

This was one of the reasons why Quraish leaders belonging to Banu Umayyah (like Abu Sufyan) were opposing
Rasulallah , peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Thus, the acceptance of Islam in such a position shows the clear-

mindedness of Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.). When he accepted Islam, the Quraish who once loved Hazrat

Usman became his enemies. Even his relatives (like Hakam, one of his uncles) began to rebuke him and chastised him severely.

One of the daughters of Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,, Hazrat Ruqayyah (, may Allah be pleased with

him.) was married to one of the sons of Abu Lahab, a bitter enemy of Islam. When Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be

upon him, started to preach Islam, she divorced Abu Lahab's son. Then Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon

him, married her to Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.)

Migration to Abyssinia

When life in Makkah became difficult for the Muslims, he went to Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and

sought permission to take refuge in Abyssinia along with other Muslims. The permission was granted. Hazrat Usman and his

wife crossed the Red Sea with other Muslims and migrated to Abyssinia.

At the time of his migration Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, remarked: "Usman is the first man of my

Ummah to migrate with his family for the sake of Allah." He stayed there for a couple of months and returned to Makkah when

he was wrongly informed by somebody that the Quraish had accepted Islam.

Hazrat Usman gets title of Dhun Nurain

Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) migrated for the second time with other Muslims to Madinah.

He could not participate in the first battle of Islam against non-believers of Makkah at Badr, because his wife was very ill. She

died before the Muslims returned from Badr after the victory. Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, gave him

glad tidings that he would be rewarded as though he had participated in the battle.

After the death of Hadrat Ruqayyah (, may Allah be pleased with him.), Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon

him, married his next daughter, Umm Kulthum, to Hazrat Usman and so he was given the title of Dhun Nurain i.e., the man with

two lights.

Hazrat Usman's services to Islam before Caliphate

He was a very prominent Muslim to serve Islam by all means. He participated in almost all the battles against the non-believers

in which Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had also taken part, except the Battle of Badr.

At the time of the Treaty of Hudaibiya, he was sent to Makkah to negotiate with the non-believers. Shortly after, the Muslims

were wrongly informed that he was murdered by the Kuffar of Makkah. It is for this reason that Rasulallah, peace and blessings

of Allah be upon him, sought a pledge by the Muslims to fight with the non-believers in revenge of his murder. That pledge is

known as Bai'at al-Ridwan (the Pledge of Ridwan). For Hazrat Usman’s pledge, Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be

upon him, put his left hand (representing Hazrat Usman's hand) on his right hand.

When the Muhajirin (emigrants) from Makkah came to Madinah, they had great difficulty in getting drinking water. Hazrat

Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) bought a well named bi’r-i-Rumah from a Jew for twenty thousand dirhams for free

use for the Muslims.

That was the first trust ever made in the history of Islam. Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, gave him the

glad tidings of Paradise for this act.

When the number of Muslims increased, Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,'s mosque became too small to

accommodate the increasing population. It was Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) who responded to

Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,'s call and bought land for its extension.

When Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, went to the expedition of Tabuk, Hazrat Usman bore the expenses

for one third of the Islamic army (about 10,000 men). He also gave one thousand camels, fifty horses and one thousand Dinars

(gold coins) to support the rest of the army.

On this, Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, remarked, "Nothing will do any harm to Usman from this day,

whatever he does."

Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) was one of the scribes of the Wahi (revelation) and also used to write other

documents (letters and messages etc.) for Rasulallah , peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

At the time of the election of Hazrat Abu Bakr (, may Allah be pleased with him.), Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with

him.) was present in the Assembly Hall of Madinah. During the caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat Umar, he was a

member of the Shura (Advisory Council). He occupied a prominent position in the affairs of the Islamic State during that time.

Hazrat Usman Ghani - the third Khalifa of Islam

Before his death, Hazrat Umar (, may Allah be pleased with him.) appointed a panel of six men to select a Khalifah from amongst
themselves and then sought his approval through Bai'at (Pledge of loyalty) by the Muslim public. He also instructed them to

make the nomination within three days. The panel included Hazrat Usman, Ali, Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas, Talha, Zubair and Abdur

Rahman bin 'Auf (Ridwanullahi Alaihim) as the members.

The panel could not arrive at any decision even after long meetings. Then, Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin 'Auf proposed somebody to

withdraw his name in order to decide the matter. When he got no response, he withdrew his own name.

The remaining members agreed that he could take a decision. He consulted each member individually except Hazrat Talha (, may

Allah be pleased with him.) who was not present in Madinah at this time. It so happened that Hazrat Usman proposed Hazrat

Ali's name and Hazrat Ali proposed Hazrat Usman's name for the post of Khalifah. But Hazrat Zubair and Sa'd (, may Allah be

pleased with him.) were more in favour of Hazrat Usman than Hazrat Ali.

After more consultations with other companions and careful consideration during the third night, Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin ‘Auf

(, may Allah be pleased with him.) gave his decision in the morning of the fourth day, in favour of Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be

pleased with him.).

First of all, Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin ‘Auf (, may Allah be pleased with him.) took Bai'at at the hands of Hazrat Usman and then

all the Muslims present in the Mosque followed suit and took Bai'at (pledge of loyalty) at the hands of Hazrat Usman (, may

Allah be pleased with him.). In this way, Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) was declared to be the third Khalifah.

When Hazrat Talha (, may Allah be pleased with him.) returned to Madinah, Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.)

requested him either to accept the post of Khalifah (as he was one of the people proposed by Hazrat Umar for the post) or to

acknowledge him as Khalifah by taking Bai'at. Hazrat Talha declined to be the Khalifah and took pledge of loyalty at his hand,

saying "How can I object to your being the Khalifah when all the Muslims have agreed upon you."

The conquests during Hazrat Usman’s caliphate

During the caliphate of Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.), the Muslims conquered a number of new areas.

They took over Antalya and Asia Minor in the west including Cyprus. Afghanistan, Samarkand, Tashkent, Turkmenistan,

Khurasan and Tabrastan in the East and North East; and Libya, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco in North Africa.

In this way Muslims were ruling over a vast part of Asia and Africa viz. Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Persia or Iran,

Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and of course

Arabia and Yemen including the Gulf states.

All these countries and places were under one flag, and the Islamic state was far bigger than any of the past mighty Byzantine or
Persian Empires had ever been. Islam as a religion was also prevailing in Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) and in some parts of East and

Central Africa though these places were not under the direct control of the Caliphate.

Internal issues of Hazrat Usman's caliphate

The first half of Hazrat Usman's caliphate was very peaceful. During this time, the Muslims gained many victories as described

above, and the caliphate extended to a vast area of the then known world.

But the later part of Hazrat Usman's caliphate was marred by a terrible civil war which ultimately led to the murder of the Caliph

himself. Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) was a very gentle and soft-hearted person. The people who wanted to

create chaos among the Muslims took advantage of his soft nature. Hazrat Umar's stern hand had kept away the undemocratic and

non-Islamic customs, and the practices that prevailed in the courts of Persian and Byzantine Empires. But Hazrat Usman (, may

Allah be pleased with him.) sometimes overlooked the faults of the governors and other officers in various provinces, though he

himself totally and completely followed the ways of Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and the first two

Caliphs.

His compassionate nature made the provincial governors bold, as a result of which unrest in the provincial capitals grew and

ultimately it engulfed the whole Islamic State.

The enemies of Islam were in search of a suitable occasion to work against Islam and the Muslims. They finally found the desired

opportunity for this and sent out their men to disturb the peace and to spread false news. Only the main events that happened

during that time will be discussed in the following lines.

Conspiracy of Abdullah bin Saba

Abdullah bin Saba was a clever Yemenite Jew who had falsely accepted Islam; he pretended to accept Islam only for self-interest

and to destroy peace of the Islamic state. He took the leading part in the agitation against Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased

with him.). He had a number of followers who had accepted Islam only to create disharmony among the Muslims.

He invented quite a few beliefs and started to preach them. He based his beliefs upon the love of Rasulallah, peace and blessings

of Allah be upon him, and his family.

The main belief invented by Abdullah bin Saba was that every Prophet left a Wasi (administrator) behind him, and the Wasi was

his relative. For example, Hazrat Musa made Hazrat Harun his Wasi. Consequently, Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be

upon him, must have a Wasi, and his Wasi was Hazrat Ali (, may Allah be pleased with him.) Being the Wasi, Hazrat Ali (, may

Allah be pleased with him.) was the only rightful man to be the Khalifah.
He went to the extent of declaration that the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakr, Umar and Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.)

was unlawful. The only way to redress matters was to remove the then Caliph, Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.).

He started to give wrong commentaries of various verses of the Holy Qur'an and twisted their meaning in favour of his beliefs.

He preached his false self-coined beliefs secretly and selected the main headquarters of Muslim military power (Kufa, Basrah,

Syria and Egypt) as centres of his activities.

He picked up a number of newly converted Muslims who lent an easy ear to his preachings. Some simple Muslims who were

holdinghaving certain complaints against various governors also joined him.

It was the real cause of all the troubles.

First of all, he visited Madinah to note the internal conditions of the capital. He pretended to be a very pious Muslim but could

not get much followers over there. Then he went to Basrah and started to preach his beliefs and incite the public against Muslim

officers. At that time, Hazrat Abdullah bin Amir was the Governor. Hearing about his activities, he called him and made certain

enquiries of which Abdullah bin Saba became frightened and left Basrah leaving his followers and workers over there under the

supervision of Hakim bin Hublah, one of the opponents of the governor.

From Basrah, Abdullah bin Saba moved to Kufa and found it more suitable for his destructive activities. He pretended to be a

very pious Muslim and because of his show of piety, a number of simple Muslims started to respect him. Then he preached his

beliefs.

Soon the governor of Kufa, Hazrat Sad bin al-'As was informed about him. He called him and warned him against his false

beliefs and the damage he wanted to cause to the Muslim community. For this reason, he left Kufa as well but made Ashtar as his

deputy with instructions that the mission should be continued secretly. From there, he also went to Damascus but was not

successful because of the strict control of Hazrat Amir Mu'awiya (, may Allah be pleased with him.).

At last, he selected Egypt and went there. The governor of Egypt, Hazrat Abdullah bin Sarah was busy in the battles against

Byzantine forces in North Africa and could not pay much attention to Ibn Saba's activities. He continued correspondence with his

followers in Basrah, Kufa and other places from Egypt, and gave them directions for creating disorder and rivalry among the

Muslims.

His followers, most of whom were pretending to be Muslims, used various techniques to increase their strength. They made a

great show of piety and posed to be very pious worshippers. They incited people to forge complaints against the governors,

various officers and the Khalifah as well.

A new campaign against most of the officers was started by calling them irreligious, non-practical and bad Muslims. They sent

forged letters from place to place which talked of injustice and unrest in the place from where they were posted. Such letters were

usually sent to Sabaites (the followers of Abdullah bin Saba) who read them out to as many people as possible. These forged

letters also showed that Hazrat Ali, Talha, and Zubair (, may Allah be pleased with him.) had full sympathy for them and their

mission and they disliked the Khalifah, Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.).

These were the three leading Companions in Madinah at that time. Thus, the people of various places began to believe that there

was a widespread unrest and that the leading Companions wanted to remove the Khalifah, Hazrat Usman.

The Sabaites also worked throughout the state against various governors. They were the real cause of their removal from time to

time.

Sabaites were the main figures behind the removal of Hazrat Abu Musa Ash'ari from the governorship of Basrah at the time when

their mission was not so popular. They spread rumours against Hazrat Walid bin 'Uqbah, governor of Kufa, and wrongly accused

him of drinking liquor, and provided false witnesses against him because of which the Khalifah punished him.

When he was punished, they accused the Khalifah of punishing innocent Muslims. When Hazrat Abdullah bin Amir (, may Allah

be pleased with him.) was appointed as the governor of Basrah to replace Hazrat Abu Musa Ash'ari, they incited the public

against him and against the Khalifah, saying that he was given the governorship in his young age only because he was related to

Hazrat Usman.

On one side, they incited the people against the governors and on the other they accused the Khalifah. On the basis of complaints,

when Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) removed the governors they criticised him to be unduly kind to his

relatives by appointing them to big posts.

Allegations against Hazrat Usman

1. Hazrat Usman belonged to the Quraishi family of Banu Umayyah. Before Islam, there was rivalry between Banu Umayyah and

Banu Hashim (another Quraishi family to which Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and Hazrat Ali (, may

Allah be pleased with him) belonged). In Madinah, the Sabaites incited Banu Hashim against Banu Umayyah, actually against

Hazrat Usman, bysaying that he was removing Hashmites from the big offices in order to support Umayyads and that he was

unduly considerate to his family.

2. They alleged that Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) was extravagant and gave away money to his relatives,

thus squandered the Baitul Mal. The allegation was absolutely false. Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) was one

of the wealthiest merchants in Arabia due to which people gave him the title of Ghani (the rich man).
His liberal contributions towards the cause of Islam during the life of Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, have

been mentioned in the preceding pages. His generosity continued in the same way during his Caliphate. He spent his own money

to help the poor, and also his relatives but never took anything wrongfully from the Baitul Mal. Not only this, he did not accept

any allowance from the Baitul Mal for his services as Caliph.

Through his addresses and speeches, he clarified his position several times and gave satisfactory explanations to the false

accusations against him. Once he promised to give one fifth of the booty of Tripoli, the state share, to Hazrat Abdullah bin Sarah,

the then Governor of Egypt, for his invaluable services and the bravery he showed in the battles that took place between the

Muslims and the Byzantine forces in North African territories. But because the general public disapproved his view, he asked

Abdullah to return that share.

3. One of the allegations, levelled by Sabaites against Hazrat Usman, was that he had burnt some copies of the Holy Qur'an. The

fact was that Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) sent copies of the Holy Qur'an, written by Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit

by the order of Hadrat Abu Bakr during his caliphate, to various places of the state and asked the governors and other officers to

burn all those copies of the Holy Qur'an which were incomplete and were not in accordance with the Holy Qur'an compiled by

Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit.

This was done in order to avoid confusion between the Muslims because there were some copies of the Holy Qur'an at that time

in which the order of the Surahs (chapters) was not like that which was proposed by the Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah

be upon him, in accordance to Hazrat Jibrail's instructions as commanded by Allah. Moreover, some of the copies existing at that

time at various places other than Madinah were lacking in some chapters, and were incomplete. For this reason, Hazrat Usman (,

may Allah be pleased with him.) got copies made of the standard Book which was compiled during the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr

(, may Allah be pleased with him.) and sent them to various places. Differences had also arisen due to differences in handwritings

so he also standardised the way of writing the Holy Qur'an.

This has been considered as one of the greatest services of Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) rendered to Islam

for which he has been given the title of Jami'ul-Qur'an (the Compiler of the Qur'an) although the Holy Qur'an was compiled in a

book form by Hazrat Abu Bakr (, may Allah be pleased with him.) on the insistence of Hazrat Umar (, may Allah be pleased with

him.).

4. At this point, I would like to mention something about Hazrat Abu Zarr Ghafari (, may Allah be pleased with him.) because

this allegation is concerned with him. He was a well-known and pious Companion of Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be

upon him,, who always kept aloof from the world and its riches. He was not in favour of accumulation of money and saving it.

Regarding the Baitul Mal (public treasury), he held the view that all the money should be spent for the welfare of Muslims as

soon as it came through taxes etc. In Syria, he started to publicise his opinion and a number of people followed him. Seeing this,

Hazrat Amir Mu'awiya wrote to Hazrat Usman who recalled Hazrat Abu Dharr to Madinah and then he retired to a village named
Rabdhah near Madinah. Abdullah bin Saba tried to gain favour of Hazrat Abu Zarr (, may Allah be pleased with him.) when he

was in Syria but he rebuked Ibn Saba and told him that the beliefs he was preaching were foreign to Islam and that his aim was to

create chaos among the Muslims.

When Hazrat Abu Zarr (, may Allah be pleased with him.) had retired, they started accusing Hazrat Usman of forcing him to live

in a village. Not only this, but they also accused him of ill treatment of other recognised companions like Hazrat Ammar bin

Yasir and Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud (, may Allah be pleased with him.) But all of these accusations were false.

5. One of the allegations against Hazrat Usman was that he called Hakam bin As to Medina who was exiled by

Rasulallah , peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. However this step of Hazrat Usman was not too wise. Not only this, but

he also appointed Hakam's son Marwan as his chief secretary which was not liked by some prominent Companions and also by

the Muslim public.

The forthcoming discussion on this point would reveal that Marwan became the main cause of the insurgents' existence who

ultimately assassinated the Khalifah. It is alleged that he wrote to Egypt's governor, Hazrat Abdullah to kill Muhammad bin Abi

Bakr whom Hazrat Usman had appointed the governor of Egypt in place of Muhammad bin Abi Bakr when the insurgents

pressed Hazrat Usman to do so but this, too, was false. The letter was sheer forgery.

There are some other false allegations which were levelled by Sabaites to defame the Khalifah. Since most of them are purely

theological in nature and not political, they have not been mentioned here.

Conference of the Governors

When the unrest caused by Sabaites continued to grow in all parts of the State, the news began to pour into Madinah. The leading

companions asked Hazrat Usman to take steps against them. So, he called a conference of the governors in Madinah in the year

34 A.H., just after the Hajj.

All the governors attended the meeting. Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) enquired from them about the growing

unrest in the State. They told him that it was due to some mischief-mongers who wanted to overthrow the government. They

suggested that such persons must be punished and those who were the leaders must be put to sword. But Hazrat Usman disliked

the suggestion and told them that without just cause he would never shed even a single drop of Muslim blood. Hazrat Usman (,

may Allah be pleased with him.) was not willing to take stern action against such persons because he did not wish that hundreds

of men should be massacred for his interest. Instead, he sent a mission of four persons to tour the provinces: Muhammad bin

Muslimah, Usamah bin Zaid, Ammar bin Yasir and Abdullah bin Umar (, may Allah be pleased with him).
After the governors' conference was over Hazrat Amir Mu’awiya (, may Allah be pleased with him.) suggested that he should

leave Madinah and should pass some time in Damascus but he said, "I would not leave Madinah even if the people kill me. No

price can take me away from the land of the Holy Prophet , peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."

Then Hazrat Amir Mu'awiya (, may Allah be pleased with him.) requested Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) to

allow him to send an army to Madinah for his protection but Hazrat Usman did not even agree to that.

The mission sent by Hazrat Usman toured various places and talked with the people. Three of them returned to Madinah and

reported to Hazrat Usman that the conditions were normal. The fourth member of the mission Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir (, may

Allah be pleased with him.) did not return. He was sent to Egypt where Abdullah bin Saba and his followers coaxed him and he

started to live with them instead of returning to Madinah.

Saba gets friends

Abdullah bin Saba was in search of some important men who had influence over the Muslims. At last, he won over three

important figures. One amongst them was Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir, described above. The other two joined Ibn Saba before

Hazrat Ammar. They were Muhammad bin Abi Hudhaifah and Muhammad bin Abi Bakr.

Muhammad bin Abi Hudhaifah was an orphan and was brought up by Hazrat Usman along with some other orphans. When he

grew up he desired some big post. Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) did not consider him fit for that. So he left

Madinah and went to Egypt and ultimately joined Ibn Saba.

Muhammad bin Abi Bakr (, may Allah be pleased with him.) was in debt. The creditor complained to the Khalifah who decided

the case impartially in favour of the creditor as a result of which Muhammad bin Abi Bakr left Madinah, went to Egypt and

ultimately joined Ibn Saba.

Plan of the Sabaites

The Sabaites were planning to cause a general rising while the Governors were away attending the conference. However, the plot

could not be carried out.

Kufa was the main centre of the Sabaites besides their headquarters in Egypt. The hooligans of Kufa tried to carry out the plan

and did not allow the governor to enter the city when he returned from the conference. They demanded that Hazrat Musa Ash'ari
should be appointed as the governor in place of Sa'd bin As. Their request was granted and Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be

pleased with him.) sent Hazrat Musa Ash'ari to Kufa.

Then they chalked out another plan and decided that their ring leaders should meet at Madinah. This plan had to serve double

purpose. On the one hand, they wanted to study the situation for future course of action, and on the other hand they wanted to

show the public that they put their grievances before the Khalifah but he did not pay any attention to them.

According to the plan, three delegations came, one from Egypt, the second from Kufa and the third from Basrah. Hazrat Usman

was informed about their plan but he accepted it quietly. When these Sabaites entered Madinah, some Companions suggested to

Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) to kill them but he said that without sufficient legal grounds no man would be

executed, and that he would try to remove the misunderstandings. He told them, "I will be kind to them and if kindness fails to

work I would rather sacrifice myself for Allah's Will."

Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) listened to them and gave a long address in which he replied to all the charges

which were put against him. Some parts of his historical address are quoted here:

"I have been accused of loving my kinsmen and being unduly kind to them. It is not a sin to love one's relatives but I have never

been unjust to other people due to this. Whatever I give them is from my own pocket. I never spent anything on my relatives and

kinsmen from public funds."

"It has been said that I have appointed comparatively young men as officers. I did it only because I found them more able for the

cause of Islam. Nobody could deny their honesty and the work they rendered for the cause of Islam and the Muslims. The

appointment of Usamah as the commander of the army by Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is proof that

youth is no disqualification."

"It has been alleged that I gave the whole booty of North Africa as reward to the governor of Egypt. It is true but when I learnt

about the public objection to it, I took back the money from the governor and deposited it in the Baitul Mal."

"It is said that I have reserved the public pastures for my personal use. I swear by Allah that I never did it. In public pastures, only

those animals graze which are the property of the Baitul Mal (public treasury). All of you know that when I was entrusted with

this office (i.e. caliphate) I had more animals than anyone in the whole of Arabia but now I have only two camels that are to serve

me at the time of Hajj. How could I reserve the public pastures for my personal use?"
"I have sent authorized copies of the Holy Qur'an to every part of the empire. There are people who object to this. You all know

that the Holy Qur'an is only one book sent down by Allah. The Companions who wrote down this book, under the eyes of the

Holy Prophet, are still alive. It is they who compiled the copy which I have sent."

"It is said that I called Hakam to Madinah, who was exiled by Rasulallah , peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Actually

Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, exiled him from Makkah to Taif. Then Rasulallah, peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him, had allowed him to live at Madinah on my request. I only put into force the permission granted by

Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, himself."

In this way Hadrat Uthman gave satisfactory explanations to all the allegations put against him by the Sabaites. At the end of his

address, he said to the audience

"Tell me if all I have said is not correct."

But the aim of these ring leaders was to create mischief. They returned to their places and instead of telling the truth, they told

them that the Khalifah was not ready to set things right. Then they planned to send strong contingents from places like Basrah,

Kufa and Egypt for the forthcoming Hajj. The parties were to leave their places pretending to perform Hajj but their real aim was

to go to Madinah and decide the matter with the sword i.e. to change the Khalifah by force. Though the Khalifah, Hazrat Usman,

knew about this plan beforehand, he did not want to use force. He was determined to win over his enemies with love and

compassion.

Insurgent (Sabaites) enter Madinah

The time of Hajj in the year 35 A.H. (656 A.C.) came near, and they started to put their plans into action. In the month of

Shawwal 35 A.H., they started arriving in small groups from various places. In all, about three thousand Sabaites came, one

thousand from each place viz. Basrah, Kufa and Egypt. The groups from Basrah stayed at Dhi Khashab, and those from Kufa

stayed at Awas while the Egyptians stayed at Dhi Murwah. All three places are near Madinah. All of them wanted Hazrat Usman

to step down but there was some difference of opinion regarding the next Khalifah.

Because of Ibn Saba, the Egyptians wanted Hazrat Ali (, may Allah be pleased with him.), but Kufites preferred Hazrat Zubair

while Basrites were in favour of Hazrat Talha. The Egyptians came to Hazrat Ali and requested him to accept the Khilafat. Hazrat

Ali replied, "Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has told us that the parties of Dhi Khashab, Dhi Murwah and

Awas are cursed. Every pious Muslim knows it. I can't cooperate with you. Go back to your places."

The insurgents from Kufa made the same request to Hazrat Zubair who also gave the same reply. The Basrites approached Hazrat

Talha who also refused.

When Hazrat Usman heard about the insurgents, he sent some of the leading Companions including Hadrat Ali to them. Hazrat

Ali assured the insurgents that their complaints would be listened to. They put forward certain demands including the dismissal of

the governor of Egypt and appointment of Muhammad bin Abi Bakr as the new governor.

Hazrat Usman acceded to their demand without any question. Then he gave a short address in which he said, "By Allah, for the

cause of truth, I am ready to obey even a slave. I promise to fulfil your demands."

Saying this, tears rolled down the eyes of Hazrat Usman, and the audience also wept.

Hazrat Ali (, may Allah be pleased with him.) then again assured the insurgents and they seemed to be satisfied and started to

return from where they had come from. All the Muslims in Madinah thought that the trouble had ended.

The siege of Hazrat Usman's house

A few days later, the people of Madinah were surprised to hear shouts of "Revenge, revenge!" in the streets. Hearing the shouts,

Hazrat Ali came out to enquire about the matter. The insurgents showed a letter to him under the seal of the Khalifah and signed

by Marwan bin Hakam, the chief secretary of Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.). The letter was being carried to

the Governor of Egypt by a special messenger whom they intercepted on the way. The letter said; "Uqtul Muhammad bin Abu

Bakr" (Kill Muhammad bin Abu Bakr) instead of "lqbil Muhammad bin Abu Bakr" (i.e. Accept Muhammad bin Abu Bakr as

governor).

Note: It seems that the "Nuqtab" (dot) of Arabic letter "Ba" was wrongly placed at the top maing it similiar to another letter "Ta"

due to which the meaning was totally changed. But according to most of the historians the letter was intentionally written by

Marwan about which Hazrat Usman did not know. While some others say that it was a plot of the insurgents and they produced a

forged letter. For the reason given in the Glorious Caliphate by Athar Hussain, the conclusion is that the letter was clean forgery.

Hazrat Ali tried to pacify them but they did not listen to him and went straight to Hazrat Usman, saying: “We do not want Usman

(, may Allah be pleased with him.) to be the Khalifah. Allah has made his blood lawful for us. You should also help us." Hazrat

Ali said, "By Allah, I have nothing to do with you. It seems that you have hatched a plot and are trying to carry it out."

When the insurgents went to Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) he took a solemn oath that he knew nothing about

the letter. But they refused to believe him and said, "Whether you wrote it or not, you are unfit to be the Khalifah and you must

abdicate."

Then, they threatened to kill him to which Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) replied, "I do not fear death, but I do
not want to shed Muslim blood."

When Hazrat Ali saw that the insurgents were out of control and Hazrat Usman did not want to use force against them, he left for

Ahjar, a place a few miles away from Madinah, because his position was becoming difficult as the insurgents wanted to drag him

into the dispute.

Afterwards, the insurgents demanded Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) to give up the Khilafat. He rejected their

demand and said, "I can't take off the robe of honour with my own hands that Allah has bestowed upon me."

Consequently, the insurgents began a violent siege of his house and did not allow him to come out except for offering Salats in

the Masjid. But later on, they did not even allow him to leave his house even for the Salats. The siege went on for forty days.

During the last few days, they also stopped the supply of water. Some brave Muslim youths like Hazrat Hassan, Hussain,

Muhammad bin Talha, Abdullah bin Zubair (, may Allah be pleased with him.) were guarding the gate of the house so that

nobody among the insurgents could enter the house. Beside Hazrat Uthman and his wife, Nailah, Marwan bin Hakam was also in

the house. He did not allow any person to fight with the insurgents although a fight took place between Hazrat Hassan, Hussain

and Marwan and the insurgents when they did not allow Ummul Mu'minin Hazrat Habibah (, may Allah be pleased with him.) to

supply meals to Hazrat Usman. Hazrat Hassan received minor injuries but Marwan was seriously hurt. However, the insurgents

did not fight with Hazrat Hassan and Hussain because of the fear of Hashmites. During the siege, Hazrat Usman sent Abdullah

bin ’Abbas to Makkah to lead the Hajj and also to inform people about the insurgents. He also sent messengers to provincial

governors.

When hardship grew, some eminent companions like Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu'bah requested the Khalifah to take action against

the insurgents and said that all the people of Madinah were ready to fight for him but he did not agree to shedding of Muslim

blood. Then they proposed that he should leave the house through the back door and either go to Makkah or to Damascus where

he would be safer but he accepted neither of the proposals. Things got worse day by day, and at last the crisis heightened.

The Martyrdom of Hazrat Usman Ghani

The only weapons that were with Hazrat Usman was his kindness and soft nature. He addressed the insurgents several times from

the roof of his house and reminded them about his family relations with Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,,

and the services he had rendered to Islam but they never listened to him.

The insurgents were afraid that the Hajj was coming to an end and after the Hajj a number of supporters of the Khalifah would go

to Madinah. They decided therefore to assassinate him without delay. As stated before, they did not want to fight with Hashmites
like Hazrat Hassan, Hussain and Abdullah bin Zubair who were standing guard at the main gate of Hazrat Usman's big residence.

The reason not to fight with Hashmites was that they had incited a number of people against Banu Umayyah (Hazrat Usman’s

family) in favour of Banu Hashim (Hashmites). So the insurgents climbed the back walls of the house and entered the room

where Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) was reciting the Holy Qur'an.

On seeing Hazrat Usman, one of the insurgents hit his head with an axe while the next struck him with a sword. His wife, Hazrat

Nailah tried to shield her husband but she also got several wounds and her fingers were chopped off. Chronicles record that

Muhammad bin Abu Bakr was the leader of the assassins. He got hold of Hazrat Usman’s beard and pulled it. On this Hazrat

Usman remarked, "Oh my dear nephew if your father (Hazrat Abu Bakr) was alive you would never have done this."

The remarks of Hazrat Usman cut him and he turned back and did not take part in the assassination.

After giving severe injuries to Hazrat Usman, one of the insurgents, an Egyptian named Amr bin Hamq cut off the Khalifah's

blessed head.

Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him), one of Islam's greatest personalities, was assassinated on Friday, the 17th Dhul-

Hijjah, 35 A.H. (the 17th July, 656 A.D.).

A Great Martyr

Hazrat Usman was a great martyr as prophesied in the following Hadith quoted by Bukhari and others:

Hazrat Anas (, may Allah be pleased with him.) narrated that Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,, Hazrat Abu

Bakr, Umar, and Usman went up the Mount of Uhud (the mountain near Madinah) and when it quivered because of them,

Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, kicked it with his foot and said, "Keep steady, Oh Uhud, for on you stands

a Prophet, a Siddiq and two martyrs."

In the above Hadith, Hazrat Abu Bakr had been mentioned as the Siddiq (truthful friend) while Hazrat Umar and Hazrat Usman (,

may Allah be pleased with him.) had been prophesied as the martyrs.

The news of martyrdom

The news of Hazrat Usman's cruel assassination shocked everybody. Hazrat Ali (, may Allah be pleased with him.) received the

news when he was returning from Ahjar to see Hazrat Usman. He was stunned on hearing about the assassination of Hazrat
Usman and exclaimed, "Oh Allah, You know it, I am free from any blame."

He rebuked his sons Hazrat Hassan and Hussain (, may Allah be pleased with him.) and others who had stood guard at the gate

for not being more alert.

After assassinating the Khalifah, the insurgents virtually took over charge of Madinah. They also looted the Baitul Mal. The

people of Madinah were afraid of them and did not come out of their houses. The body of the Khalifah could not be buried for

two days.

At last, some Muslims in succeeded in getting into the house and carried out the burial service. There were only 17 Muslims who

participated in the burial prayers due to the circumstances at the time. Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) was 82

years old at the time of his assassination and remained in the office of Khilafat for about 12 years.

His words "I do not want to spill Muslim blood to save my own neck", will be remembered for ever in the history of Islam. He

sacrificed his life to save the blood of Muslims.

Consequences of assassination

The assassination of Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) was unparalled in Islamic history and it had far reaching

effects. Hazrat Hudhaifah (, may Allah be pleased with him), the secret keeper of Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be

upon him,'s prophecies made the following remark when he heard of the assassination of Hazrat Usman:

"Ah, the assassination of Usman has divided the Muslims till resurrection, they will never be united again."

It proved to be true because just after the assassination, civil war started and continued up to the tragedy of Karbala. At that time,

the Muslim community was divided into four groups:

1. Uthmanis: The Syrians and Basrites were in favour of capital punishment of the assassins. Syrians thought Hazrat Amir

Mu'awiyah was the most suitable person to punish the assassins, while the Basrites wanted the Khalifah from any of these two;

Talha or Zubair, as they were included in the panel appointed by Hazrat Umar to select the Khalifah.

2. Shia: These people did not think Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) fit for Khilafat and called themselves as the

"Shi‘an e Ali" i.e., the friends of Ali. Kufans and some Egyptians were in this group. According to Sunni historians, the assassins

were from amongst this group.

3. Murhabah: These were those people who were busy in Jihad (holy wars) at the time when Hazrat Usman was assassinated.
They said: "Neither are we with Uthmanis nor with Shi'as. We want to keep aloof from their differences."

4. Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaat: These were the bulk of the Companions and the Muslims of various parts of the Islamic state

including Makkah, Madinah and other parts of Arabia.

They said, "We love both Hazrat Usman and Hazrat Ali and consider them as righteous and pious Companions. We do not curse

any of the Companions & the righteous Muslims. If any of the Companions committed a mistake it was due to his Ijtihad (his

disciplined verdict based upon the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet) and he will not be questioned for it. We follow

the Sunnah of Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and the Sunnah (ways) of his righteous jama'ah (the group

of all the Companions)."

The first and the third group, ie. Usmanis and Murhabah proved to be temporary political groups but the other two ie. Shias and

the Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaat (Sunnis) took the shape of permanent theological groups and still exist.

Hearing the news of Hazrat Usman's assassination, Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas (, may Allah be pleased with him.), a prominent

commentator of the Holy Qur'an remarked, "Allah may have stoned us as He stoned the people of Lot, if the majority of Muslims

had supported the assassination of Hazrat Usman."

Hazrat Thamamah bin 'Adi (, may Allah be pleased with him.) the governor of Yemen started to cry and weep hearing the news

of the assassination of Hazrat Usman. Hazrat Abdullah bin Salam (, may Allah be pleased with him.), well versed in the past

scriptures, said: "By Allah, the power of the Arabs has finished now."

Hazrat Aisha (, may Allah be pleased with him.), the most beloved wife of Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon

him,, said, "Ah, Usman has been assassinated most cruelly. His record of deeds is shining like a well washed cloth."

Hearing the news of the assassination, Hazrat Abu Hurairah and Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit (, may Allah be pleased with him.)

started to weep continuously and their tears did not stop for a long time.

The shirt of Hazrat Usman, which was marked with his blood, and the cut fingers of his wife, Hazrat Nailah, were carried to

Hazrat Amir Mu'awiyah (, may Allah be pleased with him.), the Governor of Syria, in Damascus.

When they were shown to the Muslim public, the whole gathering started to cry and shouted, "Revenge, revenge!".

Mr. Joseph Hell, a Western historian says: "The assassination of Usman was a signal for civil war."

Mr. Wellhausen, a German historian says, "The murder of Usman was more epoch-making than, almost any other event of
Islamic history."

Philip Hitti has remarked: "With Usman's death the political unity of Islam came to an end. Soon Islam's religious unity was

divided. Islamic society entered upon a period punctuated with schism and civil strife that has not yet ended."

A Muslim historian, Prof. K. Ali, writes, "Unity of Islam which was maintained by the first two Khalifah was lost and serious

dissensions arose among the Muslims."

The assassination of Hazrat Usman was followed by great civil wars and battles between the Muslims, the details of which will

be discussed later. The system of centralised government initiated by Hazrat Umar and developed by Hazrat Usman was shattered

and a number of internal movements started, of which the Kharijite's movement was the most serious.

Victories

Hazrat Usman’s reign constituted a glorious period in the history of Islam. The territories of Islamic state (caliphate) were

immensely extended. Though the conquests during his time were not so much in number as during the time of Hazrat Umar,

nevertheless they were not few in number either. He ruled over a vast part of the then known world, right from Kabul

(Afghanistan) to Morocco. He put down the rebellions with an iron hand.

During Hazrat Usman’s period of caliphate, the Muslim naval force was developed and Muslims began naval victories. The

victory over the huge naval force of the Byzantine Empire comprising 500 ships has been termed as the Grand Victory.

After the capture of North African territories by Muslims and gaining full control over Mediterranean, the mighty power of

Byzantine and Roman Empires had collapsed. Actually Islam was at the zenith of its glory during the period of Hazrat Usman.

Official Manuscript of the Holy Quran

One of the magnificent services to Islam done by Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) was to safeguard any possible

change in the codex of the Holy Qur'an.

After the conquests by the Muslims, hundreds of thousands of non-Arabs, whose mother tongue was not Arabic, accepted Islam

because of its teachings.

Hazrat Hudhaifah (, may Allah be pleased with him.), one of the prominent Companions of Rasulallah, peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him,, went for Jihad during that time and noticed many differences in the manner of recitation of the Holy Qur'an.

The Syrians recited in a way different from that of Kufis while the Kufis differed from the Basris and so on. As a matter of fact,
these differences were due to the differences in the way of writing Arabic.

Seeing this condition, Hazrat Hudhaifah reported the matter to the Khalifah on his return from Jihad, and suggested that the

Madinah codex should be regarded as authentic, i.e. the Holy Qur'an, which was written and compiled in book form during the

time of Hazrat Abu Bakr (, may Allah be pleased with him.) and was kept with Ummul Mumineen Hazrat Hafsah (, may Allah be

pleased with him.).

Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) took that Book from Hazrat Hafsah(, may Allah be pleased with him.) and

canonised the Madinah codex. He asked Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit (, may Allah be pleased with him.), the person who wrote it

during the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr, to make copies of the same with the help of some other Companions like Abdullah bin

Zubair and Sa'd bin 'As etc.

Then he ordered all other copies, beside the Madinah codex, to be burnt and destroyed throughout the State. Those people who

earned their living in the provinces as the receptacles and expositors of the sacred text were not pleased with this act.

It has been discussed before that such persons criticised Hazrat Usman for burning unauthentic texts. However, for this great

service Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) is famous as the Jami'ul Qur'an (the compiler of the Qur'an), and for

this act, the Muslim world will forever be indebted to him.

Hazrat Usman; the great scholar

Hazrat Usman had beautiful handwriting, and for this reason Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, appointed

him as one of the scribes of the Wahi (revelation).

His style of writing was well recognised among the Companions. Arabic knowing persons can recognise the fluency of his

writings especially of the letters and the orders he sent to various officers during his Khilafat.

Though he was not an orator but his way of lecturing was very powerful and effective. His addresses and lectures can be viewed

in many history books.

Hazrat Usman was a great scholar of the Holy Qur'an and was a Hafiz (one who commits the whole Holy Book to memory). He

was well versed in Shan-i-Nuzul, which is the chronology of the revelation of various verses and chapters of the Holy Qur'an, and

was considered an authority in this respect.

He was one of the few Companions who excelled in deriving laws from the verses of the Holy Qur'an.

Although his jurisdiction was not of the standards of Hazrat Umar and Hazrat Ali (, may Allah be pleased with him.),

nevertheless he was well qualified in this respect. His verdicts and judgements have been mentioned in many books.
He was also considered an authority on the laws of Hajj. Even Hazrat Umar (, may Allah be pleased with him.) used to ask

Hazrat Usman regarding Hajj during his time.

Character and Piety

Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be pleased with him.) was a very pious Companion and a man of high character. He was the most

modest of all the Companions.

Once, Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was sitting with some of his Companions and the shin of his

mubarak leg was not covered. In the meantime, somebody informed him about the arrival of Hazrat Usman (, may Allah be

pleased with him.). Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, immediately covered it and remarked, "Even the

angels have regard for the modesty of Usman."

He was a strict follower of the Sunnah of Rasulallah , peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Somebody asked him the reason

for smiling after wudu. He replied that he had seen Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, smiling after making

wudu, so he smiled in order to follow him. Once, he demonstrated to the Muslims the correct way of making wudu according to

the Sunnah of Rasulallah , peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

He used to fear Allah very much. Tears used to roll down his face due to Allah's fear. Whenever the consequences to be faced in

the grave were described before him, he used to weep so much that his beard would moisten with tears. Sometimes he wept and

cried seeing a corpse or a grave due to his fear of Allah.

He used to say, "The grave is the first stage of all the stages of the Hereafter. If a person is successful there, he would be

successful on the Day of Judgement too. If a person faces difficulty in the grave, other stages will also be difficult for him."

He used to carry out household work although he was one of the wealthiest persons in the whole of Arabia. He would not wake

his slave to take any help from him when he got up to perform Tahajjud Salat.

Hazrat Usman was very soft spoken. If any person talked to him in a harsh tone he always replied gently. Once when he was

delivering the Jummah Khutba, a person shouted during the Sermon: "Oh Usman, repent for Allah’s sake and keep away from

going wrong." He immediately turned his face towards the Qiblah and exclaimed, "Oh Allah, I am the first to repent before Thee

and to turn towards Thee."

He never took any allowance from the Baitul Mal for his services as a Khalifah. Hazrat Umar recieved 5,000 Dirhams annually as
an allowance from the public treasury, thus Hazrat Usman contributed 60,000 Dirhams after his 12 years service, towards the

Public Fund.

Examples of his generosity have already been given. He was the most generous among all the wealthy Companions and never

hesitated to spend his money for the cause of Islam and Muslims. His house was one of the biggest in Madinah which he built

near the mosque of Rasulallah , peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

He established a library in the back of his house for the education of the Muslims.

Wives and children

Hazrat Usman was first married to Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,'s daughter, Hazrat Ruqayyah (, may

Allah be pleased with him.) who died in Madinah while Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was away on the

expedition of Badr. Then he was married to the younger daughter of Rasulallah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon

him, whose name was Hazrat Umme Kulthum. She also died in the year 9 A.H.

His first wife, Hazrat Ruqayyah, bore him a son called Abdullah, who died at an early age. He had no child from Umme Kulthum

(, may Allah be pleased with him.).

After the death of his second wife Hazrat Umme Kulthum, he married the following ladies at different times: Fakhtah bint Walid;

Umme Amr bint Jundah; Fatimah bint Shaibah; Umme Banin bint Uwainah; Ramlah bint Shaibah; Aishah; Umme Aban; and

Nailah bint Farafsah, his last wife whose fingers were chopped by the insurgents.

Eleven sons were born to him from different wives. Some of them died at an early age. One of his sons, Aban became famous

and held high positions during the Umayyads. He had six or seven daughters.

Death of Uthman(ra)
07-02-07, 05:11 PM
Martyrdom of Hadrath Uthman
Deepening of the crisis

With the departure of the pilgrims from Madina to Makkah, the hands of the rebels were further strengthened, and as a consequence the crisis deepened
further. The rebels apprehended that after the Hajj, thc Muslims gathered at Makkah from all parts of the Muslim world might march to Madina to the relief
of the Caliph. They therefore decided to take action against Uthman before the pilgrimage was over.

Mugheera b Shu'ba

It is related that during the course of the siege, Mugheera b Shu'ba went to Uthman, and placed three courses of action before him, firstly to go forth and
fight against the refuels; secondly to mount a camel and go to Makkah; and thirdly to betake himself to Syria. Uthman rejected all the three proposals He
rejected the first proposal saying that he did not want to be the first Caliph during whose time blood in shed. He turned down the second proposal to escape
to Makkah on the ground that he had heard from the Holy Prophet that a man of the Quraish would be buried in Makkah on whom whom would be half the
chastisement of the world, and he did not want to be that person. He rejected the third proposal on the ground that he could not forsake the city of the Holv
Prophet.

Ten distinctions

It is recorded on the authority of Abu Thaur al Fahami that he visited Uthman when he was besieged, and Uthman referred to his ten distinctions vis-a-vis
Islam, namely:
1. He was one of the first four converts to Islam.
2. He had the distinction of marrying two daughters of the Holy Prophet.
3. He had not applied his hand to worldly use since he had offered allegiance to the Holy Prophet.
4. He liberated a slave every week.
5. He never committed fornication.
6. He never committed a sin.
7. He preserved the text of the Holy Quran.
8. He was one of the ten persons who were given the tidings of paradise during their lifetime.
9. He freely spent his wealth in the way of Allah.
10. The Holy Prophet, Abu Bakr and Umar were happy with him.

Abdullah b Salam

Abdullah b Salam, a companion visited the house of Uthman and he is reported to have addressed the besiegers as follows:
"Slay him not, for by Allah not a man among you shall slay him, but he shall meet the Lord mutilated without a hand, and verily the sword of God has
continued sheathed, but surely by Allah if you slay him the Lord will indeed draw it, and will never sheath it from you. Never was a Prophet slain, but there
were slain on account of him,70,000 persons, and never was a Caliph slain. but 35,000 Persons were killed on his account.

Nayyar b Ayyad

A companion Nayyar b Ayyad Aslami who joined the rebels exhorted them to enter the house and assassinate Uthman. When the rebels under the
leadership of Nayyar b Ayyad advanced to rush into the house, Kathir b Salat Kundi a supporter of Uthman shot an arrow which killed Nayyar. That
infuriated the rebels. They demanded that Kathir b Salat Kundi the man who had killed Nayyar should be handed over to them. Uthman said that he could
not thus betray a person who had shot an arrow in his defense. That precipitated the matters. Uthman had the gates of the house shut. The gate was guarded
by Hasan, Hussain, Abdullah b Zubair, Marwan and a few other persons. Open fighting now began between the rebels and the supporters of Uthman. There
were some casualties among the rebels. Among the supporters of Uthman Hasan, Marwan and some other persons were wounded.

Assassination of Uthman

The rebels increased their pressure, and reaching the door of the house of Uthman set it on fire. Some rebels led by Muhammad b Abu Bakr climbed the
houses of the neighbors and then jumped into the house of Uthman. It was the seventeenth day of July in the year 856 C.E. uthman was keeping the fast
that day. The previous night he had seen the Holy Prophet in a dream. The Holy Prophet had said, "Uthman, break your fast with us this evening. We will
welcome you". That made Uthman feel that it was his last day of life. He prepared himself for death. He sat reading the Holy, Quran, and his wife Naila sat
by his side. Some rebels entered the room of Uthman, but they could not dare murder the Caliph. Then Muhammad b Abu Bakr entered the room and held
the beard of Uthman. Uthman said that he was like a nephew to him, and he would be false to the memory of his father Abu Bakr if he contemplated any
violence against him. That made Muhammad b Abu Bakr waver in his resolve, and he walked out of the room. Seeing this some of the rebels entered the
room, and struck blows at the head of Uthman. Naila threw herself on the body of Uthman to protect him. She was pushed aside, and further blows were
struck on Uthman till he was dead. From God he had come and to God he returned. He died while keeping the fast, and true to his dream he broke the fast
in the company of the Holy Prophet that evening.
Some slaves of Uthman fell on the person whose blows had killed Uthman and killed him. There was some fighting between the rebels and the supporters
of Uthman. There were casualties on both the sides. Rowdyism prevailed for some time, and the rebels looted the house. When the women raised loud
lamentations over the dead body of Uthman, the rebels left the house.

The Funeral of Hadrath Uthman

The vengeance of the rioters

Even after the gruesome murder of Uthman, the rioters did not feel satisfied that they had taken the full revenge. They wanted to mutilate the dead body of
Uthman. They were also keen that the dead body was denied burial. When some of the rioters came forward to mutilate the dead body of Uthman, his two
widows covered the dead body, and raised loud lamentations which deterred the rioters from pursuing their nefarious design. Thereafter the rioters hovered
round the house with a view to preventing the dead body being carried to the graveyard.

The funeral

The dead body of Uthman lay in the house for three days. Naila the wife of Uthman approached some of the supporters of Uthman to help in the burial of
Uthman. Only about a dozen persons responded to the call. These included Marwan b Hakam, Zaid b Thabit,'Huwatib b Alfarah, Jabir b Muta'am, Abu
Jahm b Hudaifa, Hakim b Hazam and Niyar b Mukarram. The dead body was lifted at dusk. In view of the blockade no coffin could be procured. The dead
body was not washed as water was not available. Uthman was carried to the graveyard in the clothes that he was wearing at the time of his assassination.
According to one account permission was obtained from Ali to bury the dead body. According to another account, no permission was obtained, and the
dead body was carried to the graveyard in secret. According to another account when the rioters came to know that the dead body was being carried to the
graveyard they gathered to stone the funeral, but Ali forbade them to resort to any such act, and they withdrew. According to one account Ali attended the
funeral. There is however overwhelming evidence to the effect that Ali did not attend the funeral. Naila the widow of Uthman followed the funeral with a
lamp, but in order to maintain secrecy the lamp had to be extinguished. Naila was accompanied by some women including Ayesha a daughter of Uthman.

The burial

The dead body was carried to "Baqi' al Farqad", the graveyard of Muslims. It appears that some persons gathered there, and they resisted the burial of
Uthman in the graveyard of the Muslims. The supporters of Uthman insisted that the dead body would be buried in the graveyard of the Muslims. Those
who were opposed to such burial grew in strength, and fearing lest such opposition might take a more ominous turn. the dead body of Uthman was taken to
the neighboring graveyard of the Jews "Hush Kaukab", and buried there in a hurry. The funeral prayers were led by Jabir b Muta'am, and the dead body
was lowered in the grave without much of ceremony. After burial, Naila the widow of Uthman and Ayesha the daughter of Uthman wanted to speak, but
they were advised to remain quiet as danger was apprehended from the rioters.

Assessment of the accounts about the burial of Uthman

When we reflect at the accounts that have come down to us about the funeral of Uthman we cannot help but grieve at the hapless state of affairs to which
the Muslim polity had become a victim. What a pity that the Caliph of the Muslims could not be given even a decent burial. No tragedy could be more
tragic than that. It is not understood Wily the people of Madina had become so callous that they could not attend the funeral of the Caliph who had looked
after their interests for twelve years, and who had done so much for the promotion of their interest. It is most ironical that he who had been the Caliph of
the Muslims was denied burial in the graveyard of the Muslims and had to find a resting place in the graveyard of the Jews who had worked for the
subversion of Islam. When Muawiyah came to power he had the wall between the Muslim graveyard and "Hush Kaukab" demolished. More Muslims were
buried around the grave of Uthman, and this part of "Hush Kaukab" became a part of "Baqi' al Farqad; the graveyard of the Muslims.

Funeral Oration
Funeral oration of Ayesha b Uthman

When the dead body of Uthman left the house, Ayesha the daughter of Uthman gave a funeral address in the following terms:
"I bitterly mourn the death of my father Uthman. He was not a father to me alone, he was a father to the entire Muslim community. Alas, those whom he
regarded as his sons have murdered him.
O ye murderers of Uthman bear in mind that we all are the creatures of God, and all of us have to return to Him. How deplorable that in the sacred city of
the Holy Prophet, a person so close and dear to the Holy Prophet was murdered in cold blood. Even after his assassination, the murderers created
difficulties in the burial of his dead body.
O God, if the murdered Caliph had chosen to exercise his authority many persons would have arisen to defend him. Truth and justice were on his side, and
God fearing people would have certainly taken up cudgels on his behalf. In that case the rioters would have been shot at, their heads would have been cut
off, and there would have been lot of bloodshed. But that was not the way of Uthman. What you considered right he held it to be wrong. He was against
any bloodshed. He preferred to give up his own life rather than resort to measures which were likely to promote civil war.
O ye murderers, as Muslims you had to be loyal and faithful to your Caliph at whose hands you had taken the oath of allegiance. By murdering your Caliph
you have betrayed Islam; you have proved false even to yourself. You let loose a flood of false propaganda against him, and made allegations against him
which were groundless. He refuted all such allegations in categorical terms, but you persisted in your evil design. You have murdered an innocent man, and
his blood cries for vengeance.
Father, may Allah have mercy on you. You resigned yourself to the will of God as a true Muslim. In the midst of trials and tribulations you exhibited
patience, and bore all hardships without complaint. You met your death with a smiling face. You are martyr in the cause of Allah. In the heavens your place
is now in the company of the Holy Prophet.
Now dissension have broken up among your enemies, and they are quarrelling among themselves. Mischief is abroad, and tyrannies of your enemies are
now becoming manifest. Now the veil of their hypocrisy is being turn, and they have begun to indulge in conspiracies against one another.
O the murderers of Uthman, how cruel and unjust you have been. You were actuated by extraneous considerations, and you raised preposterous demands.
Uthman merely followed in the footsteps of his predecessor. Why did you not raise any demand in the time of Umar. He was harsh, and you did not raise a
voice against him as you were afraid of him. On the contrary Uthman treated you kindly. You took undue advantage of his kindness, and instead of
appreciating his kindness and mildness you indulged in a vilification campaign against him. That was ingratitude of the worst type. Ingratitude is a great
crime before man and God. Ungrateful persons have never prospered. Know that history would never forgive you for your betrayal and ingratitude. Also
know that in the world to come severe punishment awaits those who are unjust. Hell will be their abode.
You may recall that the caliphate of Umar was a period of great trial for you. You lived in an atmosphere of awe and fear. He imposed restrictions on your
movements. He curtailed your liberties. You submitted to him without raising any protest. You could not dare speak before him, you could not criticize
him. He was the Caliph who always carried a whip in his hand. He treated you as dumb cattle and you submitted to this fate. Uthman treated you as men.
He allowed you full liberties. He removed all the restrictions on your movements. He increased your stipends, and looked after your welfare in every way.
You have recompensed him by murdering him. That is very strange. You have falsified all Islamic values. You have repaid good with evil. Today the
Grace of God has been estranged from you. You have been guilty of a great crime. Know that evil cannot hold for long. Ultimately truth will triumph, you
will be called to account for your misdeeds. I have perfect faith in God, and I am sure God will duly avenge the murder of Uthman. May the soul of
Uthman rest in eternal peace in the heaven! He has been the victim of grave injustice in this world, I am sure Allah will duly compensate him in the next
world."

Funeral oration of Naila the widow of Uthman

On the occasion of the funeral of Uthman, Naila the widow of Uthman, addressed the people of Madina in the following terms:
"O brethren of Islam do not be surprised at my standing before you and giving expression to what is in my heart. Do not regard my talk as vain or
superfluous. I am most aggrieved and distressed. The shock of the assassination of my dear husband before me is too deep to be expressed in words. I have
wept bitterly, and now the tears have frozen in my eyes. A great calamity has befallen. I have suffered irreparable bereavement. But in such matters we
human beings are helpless. What cannot be cured has to be endured From God he came and to God he has returned. I mourn his death. His death is not a
personal tragedy for me, his assassination is a great tragedy for the entire Muslim community.
Uthman was a close companion of the Holy Prophet. Uthman had the unique honor of marrying two daughters of the Holy Prophet one after the other. For
this he won the title of "shun Nurain" the possessor of two luminaries. He was a counselor of the Holy Prophet. After the Holy Prophet, Abu Bakr and
Umar held him in great esteem, and consulted him in important affairs of the State. In qualities of head and heart he was second to none. He was most
noble, most modest, most generous, most magnanimous, most gentle, and most kind. He promoted good and suppressed evil. His generosity knew no
bounds. He supported many orphans and widows. He was always active in affording relief to those in distress. His beneficent acts are fully known and too
numerous to be cited.
He ruled as Caliph for twelve years. His period of caliphate was longer than the period of the caliphate of his predecessors. His rule was historically
memorable. In his rule extensive conquests were made. Under him the Muslims became the masters of the sea for the first time.
Uthman was a beneficent ruler. He increased your stipends. Under his rule the country became prosperous. When he became the Caliph Madina was not a
large town, under him Madina grew into metropolitan dimensions. He embellished Madina with many works of public character. He enlarged and
embellished the Prophet's mosque. He constructed numerous wells to provide adequate supply of water to you. In the time of famines he distributed large
stocks of grain purchased by him out of his own money, in the way of Allah.
Uthman was the first citizen of your city. He did much for you, but, you did little for him. He was assassinated by rioters in front of you, but you remained
confined to your houses. Every murder is heinous, but the murder of Uthman is the most heinous and most grievous of ail murders in history. The murder
of their Caliph by the people is a betrayal of Islam. He was assassinated in the sacred city of Madina and that was a great sacrilege. He was murdered
during the sacred month of the Hajj, and thereby the sanctity of the sacred month was violated.
Islam came as a great blessing to mankind. Islam stood for a complete break with the age of ignorance. The brutal murder of Uthman amounts to the
revival of the age of ignorance. His murder has opened the door of dissension among the Muslims. With his death the process of our conquests will come to
standstill. Henceforward the Muslims instead of fighting against the non-Muslims will fight among themselves. I see dark days ahead for the Muslims. May
God have mercy on us! May He have mercy on Uthman and assign him a fitting abode in the paradise!"

ELECTION
Before he passed away, Sayyiduna Umar (radi Allahu anhu) appointed a six-man Committee to elect his
successor from among themselves. After long discussions and consultation, they elected Sayyiduna 'Uthman
bin Affan  (radi Allahu anhu)  as the third Caliph of Islam.

EARLY LIFE
Sayyiduna 'Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) belonged to the Ummayah tribe of the Quraish. He was a very rich
cloth merchant. He was known as "Al Ghani" or "The Generous." His father's name was Affan and his
mother was Urwa.

He accepted Islam at the invitation of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) and migrated to Abyssinia with
his wife, Sayyadah Ruqayyah (radi Allahu anha), who was also the daughter of Sayyiduna Rasulullah  (sallal
laahu alaihi wasallam).

After she passed away, he married Sayyadah Umme Kulthum  (radi Allahu anha), another daughter of
Sayyiduna Rasulullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). Because of this, he earned the title "Zun
Noorain"  or "Possessor of Two Lights." He took part in all the battles with Sayyiduna Rasulullah  (sallal
laahu alaihi wasallam) except the Battle of Badr.

CONQUESTS
During the Khilaafat of Sayyiduna 'Uthman  (radi Allahu anhu), the rebellion in Azerbhaijaan and Armenia
was silenced.

Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (radi Allahu anhu),  with the help of Sayyiduna Abi Sarah (radi Allahu anhu), captured
Cyprus by naval attack and brought it under Islamic rule. Vast areas of North Africa including Tripoli, Tunisia
and Morocco were also brought under the Islamic rule.

The Romans, although defeated several times by the Muslims in the past, made another attempt, during the
Khilaafat of Sayyiduna 'Uthman (radi Allahu anhu), to recapture the lands they had already lost.
Constantine, the Emperor of Rome, made great preparations and attacked Alexandria with a naval fleet five
to six thousand strong. But, the Romans were defeated by the Muslim naval forces under the command of
Sayyiduna Abi Sarah and Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (radi Allahu anhuma).

REBELLION
The Governors of the provinces, appointed by Sayyiduna Umar (radi Allahu anhu), were removed and
replaced by members of the new Caliph's clan. The majority of the new governors were inspired by worldly
means rather than by piety and interests of their subjects. People started to demand the removal of these
Governors, but the Caliph did not respond to their appeals. Delegates mainly from Iraq and Egypt,
submitted their demands to the Caliph. The situation, however got out of control.
ASSASSINATION
In the turmoil, Sayyiduna 'Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) himself was made Shaheed by rebels while he was
reading the Holy Quran inside his house. This happened on Friday, the 17th of Zil Hajj in 35 A.H.. He was 84
years old.

CHARACTER
Sayyiduna 'Uthman (radi Allah anhu) was a very simple and very kind person. His simplicity and kindness
did not alow him to take strong action against the trouble makers and rioters. Above all, because of his
simple-mindedness, his administration was not as disciplined as it had been during the Khilaafat of
Sayyiduna Umar (radi Allahu anhu).

Sayyiduna 'Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) was a generous man. He used to spend a lot of money for Islam and
to free the slaves. He was a great and pious man who feared and loved Almighty Allah and Sayyiduna
Rasulullah  (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)  above everything else. Although he was very rich, his living was
very simple. He did not indulge in luxury. He was ever mindful of death. Major parts of the night were spent
in Salaah. He also fasted every second or third day.

THE HOLY QURAN

A major achievement of Sayyiduna 'Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) was the duplication of the Holy Quran from
the records kept by Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu), who handed it to Sayyiduna Umar (radi Allahu
anhu), who then handed it to his daughter, Sayyadah Hafsa (radi Allahu anha), the wife of Sayyiduna
Rasulullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).

Sayyiduna 'Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) made copies of the Holy Quran from the original and sent it to
capitals such as Kufa, Damascus, Makkatul Mukarramah and Basrah, each accompanied by a Sahabi for the
guidance of the readers.

We are categorizing this article. We are sorry for any inconvinence.

Life Before acceptance of Islam

Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) belonged to a noble family of Quraish in Mecca. His ancestral pedigree joins with
that of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) in the fifth generation. He was from the "Umayyah"
family of Quraish, which was a well reputed and honourable family of Mecca during the pre-Islamic days.
In the famous battle of "Fajar" the Commander-in-Chief of the Quraish army, Harb bin Umayyah was from
the same family. The descendants of this family are known as "Banu Umayyah" or "Umawwin".

Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) was born in 573 A.C. His patronymic name was "Abu Amr" and father's name was
"Affan bin Abul-As". He was known by the name "Uthman ibn ‘Affan". Hadrat Uthman was one of the few
persons of Mecca who knew reading and writing. When he grew up, he started business in cloth which
made him very rich. He used his money in good ways and always helped the poor. Uthman (R.A.) was a
soft natured and kind hearted man. He did not hesitate to spend any amount of money on seeing a man
in trouble in order to remove his misery. For his noble qualities the Meccans had great respect for him.

Acceptance of Islam

Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) accepted Islam when Abu Bakr (R.A.) preached to him. He was one of those
Muslims who accepted Islam in its very early days. Though "Banu Hashim" (the Holy Prophet's family)
was rival to "Banu Umayyah" (Hadrat Uthman's family), and the latter was in power at that time, yet
Uthman (R.A.) did not hesitate to acknowledge the prophethood of Hadrat Muhammad (Sallallahu 'alaihi
wa Sallam) which meant authority and supremacy over "Banu Hashim". This was one of the reasons why
Quraish leaders, belonging to Banu Umayyah (like Abu Sufyan) were opposing the Holy
Prophet(Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam). Thus acceptance of Islam in such a position shows the clear-
mindedness of Hadrat Uthman (R.A.). When he accepted Islam, the Quraish who once loved Uthman
became his enemies. Even his relatives like Hakam (one of his uncles) began to rebuke him and
chastised him severely.

One of the daughters of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam), Hadrat Ruqayyah (R.A.) was
married to one of the sons of Abu Lahb (an arch-enemy of Islam). When the Holy Prophet(Sallallahu
'alaihi wa Sallam) started to preach Islam, Abu Lahb asked his son ‘Utbah to divorce her. Then the Holy
Prophet married her to Hadrat Uthman (R.A.)

Emigration to Abyssinia

When life in Mecca became hard for the Muslims, he went to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu'alaihi wa
Sallam) and sought permission to take refuge in Abyssinia along with other Muslims. The permission was
granted. Hadrat Uthman and his wife crossed the Red Sea with other Muslims and migrated to Abyssinia.
At the time of his migration the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu'alaihi wa Sallam) remarked: "Uthman is the first
man of my Ummah to migrate (for sake of Allah) with his family." He stayed there for a couple of months
and came back to Mecca when he was wrongly informed by somebody that the Quraish had accepted
Islam.

Uthman (R.A.) gets the title of "Dhun-nurain"

Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) migrated second time with other Muslims to Medina. He could not participate in the
first battle of Islam against non-believers of Mecca at Badr, because his wife was very ill. She died before
the Muslims returned from Badr after the victory. The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) gave him
glad tidings that he would get the same reward as though he had participated in the battle. After the death
of Hadrat Ruqayyah (R.A.), the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) married his next daughter,
"Umm Kulthum" with him and he was given the title of "Dhun-nurain" i.e., the man with two lights.

His other services for the cause of Islam before caliphate

He was a very prominent Muslim to serve Islam by all means. He participated in almost all the battles with
the non-believers in which the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) had also taken part, except
"Badr". At the time of the "Treaty of Hudaibiya" he was sent to Mecca to negotiate with the non-believers.
Then the Muslims were wrongly informed about his murder by the non-believers of Mecca. It is for this
reason that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) sought a pledge by the Muslims to fight with
the non-believers in revenge of his murder. That pledge is known as "Bai'at al-Ridwan" (the Pledge of
Ridwan). For Uthman’s pledge, the Holy Prophet(Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) put his left hand
(representing Uthman's hand) on his right hand.

When the Muhajirin (Emigrants) from Mecca came to Medina, they had great difficulty in getting drinking
water. Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) bought a well named "bi’r-i-Rumah” from a Jew for twenty thousand dirhams
for free use of Muslims. That was the first trust ever made in the history of Islam. The Holy Prophet
(Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) gave him the glad tidings of Paradise for this act.

When the number of Muslims increased, the Prophet's mosque became too small to accommodate the
increasing population, it was Uthman (R.A.) who responded to the Prophet's call and bought land for its
extension. When the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) went to the expedition of Tabuk, Hadrat
Uthman bore the expenses for one third Islamic army (i.e., about 10,000 men). He also gave one
thousand camels, fifty horses and one thousand Dinars (gold coins) to support the rest of the army. The
Holy Prophet (Sallallahu'alaihi wa Sallam) remarked on this, "Nothing will do any harm to Uthman from
this day, whatever he does."

Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) was one of the scribes of the “Wahy" (Revelation) and also used to write other
documents (letters and messages etc.) of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam).

At the time of the election of Hadrat Abu Bakr (R.A.) Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) was present in the Assembly
Hall of Medina. During the caliphate of Abu Bakr and 'Umar (R.A.), he was a member of the "Shura"
(Advisory Council). He occupied a prominent position in the affairs of the Islamic State during that time.

Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) elected as the third Khalifah (Caliph)

Before his death, Hadrat ‘Umar (R.A.) appointed a panel of six men to select a "Khalifah" from amongst
themselves and then sought his approval through Bai'at (Pledge of loyalty) by Muslim Public. He also
instructed them to make the nomination within three days. The panel included Uthman,'Ali, Sa'd bin Abi
Waqqas, Talha, Zubair and 'Abdur Rahman bin 'Auf (Ridwanullah-i-'Alaihim) as the members.

The panel could not arrive at any decision even after long meetings. Then, Hadrat 'Abdur Rahman bin
'Auf proposed somebody to withdraw his name in order to decide the matter. When he got no response,
he withdrew his own name. The remaining members agreed that he could take a decision. He consulted
each member individually except Hadrat Talha (R.A.) who was not present at Medina. It so happened that
Hadrat Uthman proposed 'Ali's name and Hadrat 'Ali proposed Uthman's name for the post of Khalifah.
But Zubair and Sa'd (R.A.) were more in favour of Hadrat Uthman than Hadrat ‘Ali. After more
consultations with other companions and thinking over the problem during the third night, Hadrat ‘Abdur
Rahman bin ‘Auf(R.A.) gave his decision in the morning of the fourth day in favour of Hadrat Uthman
(R.A.).

First of all Hadrat ‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Auf(R.A.) took Bai'at at the hands of Hadrat Uthman and then all
the Muslims present in the Mosque followed suit and took Bai'at (pledge of loyalty) at the hands of Hadrat
Uthman(R.A.). In this way, Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) was declared to be the third Khalifah. When Hadrat
Talha (R.A.) returned to Medina, Uthman (R.A.) requested him either to accept the post of "Khalifah" (as
he was among the persons proposed by Hadrat ‘Umar for the post) or to acknowledge him as Khalifah by
taking Bai'at. Hadrat Talha declined to be the Khalifah and took pledge of loyalty at his hand, saying "How
can I object to your being the Khalifah when all the Muslims have agreed upon you."

A brief review of the conquests during Hadrat Uthman’s caliphate

Thus we see that during the caliphate of Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) the Muslims conquered a number of new
areas. They took over Antalya and Asia Minor in the west including Cyprus. Afghanistan, Samarkand,
Tashkent, Trukmennistan, Khurasan and Tabrastan in the East and North East; and Libya, Algeria,
Tunisia and Morocco in North Africa. In this way Muslims were ruling over a vast part of Asia and Africa
viz. Afghanistan, Turkmennistan, Uzbekistan, Persia or Iran, Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Cyprus,
Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and of course Arabia (now Saudi
Arabia) and Yemen including the Gulf states. All these countries and places were under one flag, and the
Islamic state was far bigger than any one of the past mighty Byzantine or Persian Empires. Islam as a
religion was also prevailing in Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) and in some parts of East and Central Africa
though these places were not under the direct control of the Caliphate.

Internal Disorder: Introductory Note

The first half of Hadrat Uthman's caliphate was very peaceful. During this time the Muslims gained many
victories as described above, and the caliphate extended to a vast area of the then known world. But the
later part of Hadrat Uthman's caliphate was marred by a terrible civil war which ultimately led to the
murder of the caliph himself. Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) was a very gentle and soft-hearted person. The
people who wanted to create chaos among the Muslims took advantage of his soft nature. Hadrat 'Umar's
stern hand had kept away the undemocratic and non-Islamic customs, and the practices that prevailed in
the courts of Persian and Byzantine Empires. But HadrAt Uthman (R.A.) sometimes overlooked the faults
of the governors and other officers in various provinces, though he himself totally and completely followed
the ways of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) and the first two caliphs. His compassionate
nature made the provincial governors bold as a result of which unrest in the provincial capitals grew and
ultimately it engulfed the whole Islamic State.

The enemies of Islam were in search of a suitable occasion to work against Islam and the Muslims. They
got the desired opportunity for this and sent out their men to disturb the peace and to spread false news.
Only the main events that happened during that time would be discussed in the following lines.

Conspiracy of 'Abdullah bin Saba

'Abdullah bin Saba, a clever Yemenite Jew who had accepted Islam only for self-interest and to destroy
peace of the Islamic state, took the leading part in the agitation against Hadrat Uthman (R.A.). He was
having a number of followers who had accepted Islam only to create disharmony among the Muslims.
He invented quite a few beliefs and started to preach them. He based his beliefs upon the love of the Holy
Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) and his family (Ahli-Bait). Some of the beliefs invented by Abdullah
bin Saba were

(1) Every prophet left a "Wasi" (administrator) behind him, and the "Wasi" was his relative. For example
Prophet Musa (Moses) made Harun his "Wasi" (administrator). Consequently the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu
'alaihi wa Sallam) must have a "Wasi", and his "Wasi" was Hadrat 'Ali (R.A.) Being the "Wasi", Hadrat 'Ali
(R.A.) was the only rightful man to be the "Khalifah". He went to the extent of declaration that the
"Khilafat" (caliphate) of Hadrat Abu Bakr,'Umar and Uthman (R.A.) was unlawful. The only way to redress
matters was to remove the then Caliph, Hadrat Uthman(R.A.).

(2) He said that it was strange for the Muslims to believe that Jesus ('Alaihis Salam) would descend from
the heaven to follow Islam and to fight for Muslims against non-believers, and not to believe that the Holy
Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) would not come back. So he believed that the Holy Prophet
(Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) being superior to Jesus as the Last Prophet and the Leader of all prophets,
would also come back.

(3) He started to give wrong commentaries of various verses of the Holy Qur'an and twisted their meaning
in favour of his beliefs.

He preached his false self-coined beliefs secretly and selected the main headquarters of Muslim military
power, Kufa, Basrah, Syria and Egypt as centres of his activities. He picked up a number of newly
converted Muslims who lent an easy ear to what he said. Some simple Muslims who were having certain
complaints against various governors also joined him. It was the real cause of all the troubles.

First of all he visited Medina to note the internal conditions of the capital. He pretended to be a very pious
Muslim but could not get much followers over there. Then he came to Basrah and started to preach his
beliefs and incite the public against Muslim officers. At that time Hadrat'Abdullah bin 'Amir was the
Governor. Hearing about his activities, he called him and made certain enquiries because of which he
was frightened and left Basrah leaving his followers and workers over there under the supervision of
Hakim bin Hublah, one of the opponents of the governor.

From Basrah 'Abdullah bin Saba moved to Kufa and found it more suitable for his destructive activities.
He pretended to be a very pious Muslim and because of his show of piety, a number of simple Muslims
started to respect him. Then he preached his beliefs. Soon the governor of Kufa, Hadrat Sa'd bin al-'As
was informed about him. He called him and warned him against his false beliefs and the damage he
wanted to cause to the Muslim community. For this reason he left Kufa as well but made Ashtar as his
deputy with instructions that the mission should be carried on secretly. From there he also went to
Damascus but was not successful because of the strict control of Amir Mu'awiya (R.A.).

At last he selected Egypt and went there. The governor of Egypt, Hadrat'Abdullah bin Sarah was busy in
the battles against Byzantine forces in North Africa and could not pay much attention to Ibn Saba's
activities. He continued correspondence with his followers in Basrah, Kufa and other places from Egypt,
and gave them directions for creating disorder and rivalry among the Muslims.

His followers, most of whom were pretending to be Muslims, used various techniques to increase their
strength. They made a great show of piety and posed to be very pious worshippers. They incited people
to forge complaints against the governors, various officers and the Khalifah as well. A new campaign
against most of the officers was started by calling them irreligious, non-practical and bad Muslims. They
sent forged letters from place to place which talked of injustice and unrest in the place from where they
were posted. Such letters were usually sent to Sabaites (the followers of ‘Abdullah bin Saba) who read
them out to as many people as possible. These forged letters also showed that Hadrat'Ali, Talha, and
Zubair (Rid. A.) had full sympathy with them and with their mission and they disliked the "Khalifah",
Hadrat Uthman (R.A.). These were the three leading Companions in Medina at that time. Thus the people
of various places began to believe that there was a widespread unrest and that the leading Companions
wanted to remove the "Khalifah".

The Sabaites also worked throughout the state against various governors. They were the real cause of
their removal from time to time. Sabaites were the main figures behind the removal of Hadrat Abu Musa
Ash'ari from the governorship of Basrah at the time when their mission was not so popular. They spread
rumours against Hadrat Walid bin 'Uqbah, governor of Kufa, and wrongly accused him of drinking liquor,
and provided false witnesses against him because of which the "Khalifah" punished him. When he was
punished they accused the "Khalifah" of punishing innocent Muslims. When Hadrat 'Abdullah bin'Amir
(R.A.) was appointed as the governor of Basrah to replace Hadrat Abu Musa Ash'ari they incited the
public against him and against the Khalifah that he was related to the Khalifah because of which he was
given the governorship in his young age.

On one side they incited the people against the governors and on the other they accused the Khalifah. On
the basis of complaints when Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) removed the governors they criticised him to be
unduly kind to his relatives by appointing them to big posts.

Allegations against Hadrat Uthman

(1) Hadrat Uthman belonged to the family Banu Umayyah of Quraish. Before Islam there was rivalry
between Banu Umayyah and Banu Hashim, the family of the Quraish to which the Holy Prophet
(Sallallahu'alaihi wa Sallam) and Hadrat 'Ali (Allah be pleased with him) belonged. In Medina the Sabaites
incited Banu Hashim against Banu Umayyah, actually against Hadrat Uthman, by saying that he was
removing Hashmites from the big offices in order to support Umayyads and that he was unduly
considerate to his family.

(2) They alleged that Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) was extravagant and gave away money to his relatives, thus
squandered the "Baitul Mal". The allegation was absolutely false. Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) was one of the
wealthiest merchants in Arabia due to which people called him "Ghani" (The Richman). His liberal
contributions towards the cause of Islam during the life of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu'alaihi wa Sallam)
have been mentioned in the preceding pages. His generosity continued in the same way during his
caliphate. He spent his own money to help the poor, and also his relatives but never took anything
wrongfully from the "Baitul Mal". Not only this he did not accept any allowance from the "Baitul Mal" for his
services as Caliph. Through his addresses and speeches he clarified his position several times and gave
satisfactorily explanations to the false accusations against him. Once he promised to give one fifth of the
booty of Tripoli, the state share, to Hadrat'Abdullah bin Sarah, the then Governor of Egypt, for his
invaluable services and the bravery he showed in the battles that took place between the Muslims and the
Byzantine forces in North African territories. But the general public disapproved his view and he asked
‘Abdullah to return that share.

(3) One of the allegations, levelled by Sabaites against Hadrat Uthman was that he had burnt some
copies of the Holy Qur'an. The fact was that Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) sent copies of the Holy Qur'an, written
by Hadrat Zaid bin Thabit by the order of Hadrat Abu Bakr during his caliphate, to various places of the
state and asked the governors and other officers to burn all those copies of the Holy Qur'an which were
incomplete and were not in accordance with the Holy Qur'an compiled by Hadrat Zaid bin Thabit. This
was done in order to avoid confusion between the Muslims because there were some copies of the Holy
Qur'an at that time in which the order of the Surahs (Chapters) was not like that which was proposed by
the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) in accordance to Hadrat Gabriel instructions as
commanded by Allah. Moreover, some of the copies existing at that time at various places other than
Medina were lacking in some chapters, and were incomplete. For this reason Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) got
copies made from the standard Book compiled during the time of Abu Bakr (R.A.) and sent them to
various places. Differences had also arisen due to differences in handwritings so he also standardised the
way of writing the Holy Qur'an. This has been considered as one of the greatest services of Hadrat
Uthman (R.A.) rendered to Islam for which he has been given the title of "Jami'ul-Qur'an" (The Compiler
of the Qur'an) although the Holy Qur'an was compiled in a book form by Hadrat Abu Bakr (R.A.) on the
insistence of Hadrat 'Umar (R.A.).

(4) At this place I would like to mention something about Hadrat Abu Dharr Ghifari(R.A.) because this
allegation is concerned with him. He was a well-known and pious Companion of the Holy Prophet
(Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) who always kept aloof from the world and its riches. He was not in favour of
accumulation of money and saving it. As regards the "Baitul Mal"(Public Treasury), he held the view that
all the money should be spent for the welfare of Muslims as soon as it came through taxes etc. In Syria
he started to publicise his opinion and a number of people followed him. Seeing this Hadrat Amir
Mu'awiya wrote to Hadrat Uthman who recalled Hadrat Abu Dharr to Medina and then he retired to a
village named Rabdhah near Medina.'Abdullah bin Saba tried to gain favour of Hadrat Abu Dharr(R.A.)
when he was in Syria but he rebuked Ibn Saba and told him that the beliefs she was preaching were
foreign to Islam and that his aim was to create chaos among the Muslims.

When Hadrat Abu Dhar (R.A.) had retired they started accusing Hadrat Uthman that he forced him to live
in a village. Not only this but they also accused him of ill treatment of other recognised Companions like
Hadrat 'Ammar bin Yasir and Hadrat 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud (R.A.) But all of these accusations were false.

(5) One of the allegations against Hadrat Uthman was that he called Hakam bin'As to Medina who was
exiled by the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu'alaihi wa Sallam). However this step of Hadrat Uthman was not too
wise. Not only this but he also appointed Hakam's son Marwan as his chief secretary which was not liked
by some prominent Companions and also by the Muslim Public.

The forthcoming discussion on this point would reveal that Marwan became the main cause of insurgents'
existent who ultimately assassinated the Khalifah. It is alleged that he wrote to Egypt's governor Hadrat
'Abdullah to kill Muhammad bin Abi Bakr whom Hadrat Uthman had appointed the governor of Egypt in
place of Muhammad bin Abi Bakr when the insurgents pressed Hadrat Uthman to do so but this, too, was
false. The letter was sheer forgery.

There are some other false allegations which were levelled by Sabaites to defame the Khalifah. Since
most of them are purely theological in nature and not political, they are not been mentioned here.
Conference of the Governors

When the unrest caused by Sabaites went on growing in all parts of the State, the news began to pour in
Medina. The leading Companions asked Hadrat Uthman to take steps against them. So he called a
conference of the governors in Medina in the year 34 A.H., just after the Hajj. All the governors attended
the meeting. Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) enquired from them about the growing unrest in the State. They told
him that it was due to some mischief-mongers who wanted to overthrow the government. They suggested
that such persons must be punished and those who were the leaders must be put to sword. But Hadrat
Uthman disliked the suggestion and told them that without just cause he would never shed even a single
drop of Muslim blood. Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) was not willing to take stern action against such persons
because he did not want that hundreds of men should be massacred for his interest. Instead, he sent a
mission of four persons: Muhammad bin Muslimah, Usamah bin Zaid,'Ammar bin Yasir and 'Abdullah bin
'Umar(Rad. A .)to tour the provinces.

After the governors' conference was over Hadrat Amir Mu’awiya (R.A.) suggested that he should leave
Medina and should pass some time in Damascus but he said, "I would not leave Medina even though
people kill me." Then Amir Mu'awiya (R.A.) requested Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) to allow him to send an army
to Medina for his protection but Hadrat Uthman did not agree to even that.

Tour of the Mission

The mission sent by Hadrat Uthman toured various places and talked with the people. Three of them
returned to Medina and reported to Hadrat Uthman that the conditions were normal. The fourth member
of the mission Hadrat 'Ammar bin Yasir (R.A.) did not return. He was sent to Egypt where 'Abdullah bin
Saba and his followers coaxed him and he started to live with them instead of returning to Medina.

Saba gets friends

'Abdullah bin Saba was in search of some important men who were having some influence over the
Muslims. At last he won over three important figures. One among them was Hadrat 'Ammar bin Yasir,
described above. The other two joined Ibn Saba before Hadrat 'Ammar. They were Muhammad bin Abi
Hudhaifah and Muhammad bin Abi Bakr. Muhammad bin Abi Hudhaifah was an orphan and was brought
up by Hadrat Uthman along with some other orphans. When he grew up he desired some big post.
Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) did not consider him fit for that. So he left Medina and went to Egypt and ultimately
joined Ibn Saba. Muhammad bin Abi Bakr(R.A.) was in debt. The creditor complained to the "Khalifah"
who decided the case impartially in favour of the creditor as a result of which Muhammad bin Abi Bakr left
Medina and came to Egypt and ultimately joined Ibn Saba.

Plan of the Sabaites

The Sabaites were planning to cause a general rising when the Governors were away to attend the
conference. However the plot could not be carried out.

Kufa was the main centre of the Sabaites besides their headquarters in Egypt. The hooligans of Kufa tried
to carry out the plan and did not allow the governor to enter the city when he returned from the
conference. They demanded that Hadrat Musa Ash'ari should be appointed as the governor in place of
Sa'd bin'As. Their request was granted and Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) sent Hadrat Musa Ash'ari to Kufa.

Then they chalked out another plan and decided that their ring leaders should meet at Medina. This plan
had to serve double purpose. On the one hand they wanted to study the situation for future course of
action, and on the other hand they wanted to show to the public that they put their grievances before the
"Khalifah" but he did not pay any attention to them.

According to the plan three delegations came, one from Egypt, the second from Kufa and the third from
Basrah. Hadrat Uthman was informed about their plan but he accepted it quietly. When these Sabaites
entered Medina some Companions suggested to Uthman (R.A.) to kill them but he told that without
sufficient legal grounds no man can be executed, and that he would try to remove the misunderstandings.
He told them, "I would be kind to them and if kindness failed to work I would rather sacrifice myself for
Allah's Will."

Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) listened to them and gave a long address in which he replied to all the charges
which were put against him. Some parts of his historical address are quoted here

"I have been accused of loving my kinsmen and to be unduly kind to them. It is not a sin to love one's
relatives but I have never been unjust to other people because of my love of my relatives. Whatever I give
them that is from my own pocket. I never spent anything on my relatives and kinsmen from public
funds ......"

"It has been said that I have appointed comparatively young men as officers. I did it only because I found
them abler for the cause of Islam. Nobody could deny their honesty and the work they rendered for the
cause of Islam and the Muslims. The appointment of Usamah as the commander of the army by the Holy
Prophet is proof that youth is no disqualification."

".... It has been alleged that I gave the whole booty of North Africa as reward to the governor of Egypt. It
is true but when I learnt the public objection to it, I took back the money from the governor and deposited
it in the "Baitul Mal"....."

"It is said that I have reserved the public pastures for my personal use. I swear by Allah that I never did it.
In public pastures only those animals graze which are the property of the "Baitul Mal" (Public Treasury).
All of you know that when I was entrusted with this office (i.e. caliphate) I had more animals than any one
in the whole of Arabia but now I have only two camels that are to serve me at the time of Hajj. How could I
reserve the public pastures for my personal use?......"

"People accuse me of sending copies of the Holy Qur'an. The Holy Qur'an is Allah's book sent down to
His Prophet. The Companions who wrote it under the direct supervision of the Holy Prophet are still alive.
I have sent only that copy of the Holy Qur'an which was compiled by those Companions.."

"It is said that I called Hakam to Medina who was exiled by the Holy Prophet. Actually the Holy Prophet
exiled him from Mecca to Taif. Then the Holy Prophet had allowed him to live at Medina on my request. I
only put into force the permission granted by the Holy Prophet himself...."

In this way Hadrat Uthman gave satisfactory explanation to all the allegations put against him by the
Sabaites. In the end of his address he asked the audience
"Tell me if all what I have said is not correct."

But the aim of these ring leaders was to create mischief. They returned to their places and instead of
telling the truth told them that the "Khalifah" was not ready to set things right. Then they planned to send
strong contingents from places like Basrah, Kufa and Egypt for the forthcoming Hajj. The parties were to
leave their places pretending to perform Hajj but there aim was to go to Medina and decide the matter
with the sword i.e. to change the "Khalifah" by force. Though the "Khalifah" knew about this plan from
before hand but he did not want to use force. He was determined to win over his enemies with love and
compassion.

Martyrdom: Insurgents (Sabaites) enter Medina

As the time of Hajj in the year 35 A.H. (656 A.C.) came near they started to put their plans into action. In
the month of Shawwal 35 A.H. they started coming in small groups from various places. In all about three
thousand Sabaites came, one thousand from each place viz. Basrah, Kufa and Egypt. The groups from
Basrah stayed at DhiKhashab, and those from Kufa stayed at A'was while the Egyptians stayed at Dhi-
Murwah. All the three places are near Medina. All of them wanted Hadrat Uthman to step down but there
was some difference of opinion regarding the next "Khalifah". Because of Ibn Saba, the Egyptians wanted
Hadrat 'Ali (R.A.), but Kufites preferred Hadrat Zubair while Basrites were in favour of Hadrat Talha. The
Egyptians came to Hadrat 'Ali and requested him to accept the "Khilafat". Hadrat 'Ali replied, "The Holy
Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) has told us that the parties of Dhi-Khashab, Dhi-Murwah and A'was
are cursed. Every pious Muslim knows about it. I can't co-operate with you. Go back to your places." The
insurgents from Kufa made the same request to Hadrat Zubair who also gave the same reply. The
Basrites approached Hadrat Talha who also refused.

When Hadrat Uthman heard about the insurgents he sent some of the leading Companions including
Hadrat 'Ali to them. Hadrat 'Ali assured the insurgents that their complaints would be listened to. They put
certain demands including the dismissal of the governor of Egypt and appointment of Muhammad bin Abi
Bakr as the new governor. Hadrat Uthman acceded to their demand without any question. Then he gave
a short address in which he said, "By Allah, for the cause of truth, 1 am ready to obey even a slave. I
promise to fulfil your demands." Saying this tears rolled down the eyes of Hadrat Uthman, and the
audience also wept.

Hadrat 'Ali (R.A.) then again assured the insurgents and they seemed to be satisfied and started to go
back. All the Muslims at Medina thought that the trouble had ended.

The siege of Khalifah's house

A few days later the Medinites were surprised to hear shouts of "Revenge", "Revenge" in the streets of
Medina. Hearing the shouts Hadrat ’Ali came out to enquire about the matter. The insurgents showed a
letter to him under the seal of "Khalifah" and signed by Marwan bin Hakm, the chief secretary of Hadrat
Uthman (R.A.). The letter was being carried to the Governor of Egypt by a special messenger whom they
intercepted on the way. The letter said; "Uqtul Muhammad bin Abu Bakr" (i.e. Kill Muhammad bin Abu
Bakr) instead of "lqbil Muhammad bin Abu Bakr" (i.e. Accept Muhammad bin Abu Bakr as governor).

Note: It seems that the "Nuqtab "(dot) of Arabic letter "Ba" was wrongly placed    at the top giving it a
letter similar to another letter "Ta" due to which the    meaning was totally changed. But according to most
of the historians the letter was intentionally written by Marwan about which Hadrat Uthman did not know.
While some others say that was a plot of insurgents and they produced a forget letter. For the reason
given in the Glorious Caliphate by Athar Husain the letter was a clean forgery.

Hadrat'Ali tried to pacify them but they did not listen to him and went straight to Uthman, saying: “We do
not want Uthman (R.A.) to be the Khalifah. Allah has made his blood lawful for us. You should also help
us." Hadrat 'Ali said, "By Allah, I have nothing to do with you. It seems that you have hated a plot and are
trying to carry it out."

When the insurgents went to Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) he took a solemn oath that he knew nothing about the
letter. But they did not believe him and said, "Whether you wrote it or not, you are unfit to be the Khalifah
and you must abdicate." They threatened to kill him on which Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) replied, "I do not fear
death, but I do not want to shed Muslim blood."

When Hadrat'Ali saw that the insurgents were not in control and Hadrat Uthman did not want to use force
against them, he left for Ahjar, a place few miles away from Medina, because his position was becoming
difficult as the insurgents wanted to drag him in the dispute.
Afterwards the insurgents demanded Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) to give up the "Khilafat". He rejected their
demand and said, "I can't take off the robe of honour with my own hands that Allah has bestowed upon
me." Consequently the insurgents laid a siege to his house and did not allow him to come out except for
offering Salats in the Masjid. But later on they did not allow him to come out even for the Salats. The
siege went on for forty days. During the last few days they also stopped supply of water. Some brave
Muslim youths like Hadrat Hasan, Husain, Muhammad bin Talha, 'Abdullah bin Zubair (R.A.) were
guarding the gate of the house so that nobody among the insurgents could enter the house. Beside
Hadrat Uthman and his wife, Nailah, Marwan bin Hakam was also in the house. He did not allow any
person to fight with the insurgents although a fight took place between Hadrat Hasan, Husain and
Marwan and the insurgents when they did not allow Umm-ul-mu'minin Hadrat Habibah (R.A.) to supply
meals to Hadrat Uthman. Hadrat Hasan received minor injuries but Marwan was seriously hurt. However
the insurgents did not fight with Hadrat Hasan and Husain because of the fear of Hashmites. During the
siege Hadrat Uthman sent Abdullah bin ’Abbas to Mecca to lead the Hajj and also to inform people about
the insurgents. He also sent messengers to provincial governors.

When hardship grew, some eminent Companions like Hadrat Mughirah bin Shu'bah requested the
"Khalifah" to take action against the insurgents and said that all the people of Medina were ready to fight
for him but he did not agree to shedding of blood of Muslims. Then they proposed that he should leave
the house through the back door and either go to Mecca or to Damascus where he would be safer but he
accepted neither of the proposals. The things got worse day by day, and at last the crisis arrived.

Martyrdom of Hadrat Uthman (R.A.)

The only weapon with Hadrat Uthman was his kindness and soft nature. He addressed several times the
insurgents from the roof of his house and reminded them about his family relations with the Holy Prophet
(Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam), and the services he had rendered to Islam but they never listened to him.

The insurgents were afraid that the Hajj was coming to an end and after the Hajj a number of supporters
of the "Khalifah" would come to Medina. They decided therefore to assassinate him without delay. As
stated before, they did not want to fight with Hashmites like Hadrat Hasan, Husain and 'Abdullah bin
Zubair who were standing guard at the main gate of Hadrat Uthman's big residence. The reason not to
fight with Hashmites was that they had incited a number of people against Banu Umayyah (Hadrat
Uthman’s family) in favour of Banu Hashim (Hashmites). So the insurgents climbed the back walls of the
house and entered the room where Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) was reciting the Holy Qur'an.

On seeing Hadrat Uthman, one of the insurgents hit his head with an axe while the next struck him with a
sword. His wife, Nailah tried to shield her husband but she also got several wounds and her fingers were
chopped off. Chronicles record that Muhammad bin Abu Bakr was the leader of the assassins. He got
hold of Hadrat Uthman’s beard and pulled it. On this Hadrat Uthman remarked, "0 my dear nephew if your
father (Abu Bakr) were alive you would not have done this." The remarks of Hadrat Uthman cut him to the
quick and he turned back and did not take part in the assassination.

After giving severe injuries to Hadrat Uthman, one af insurgents, an Egyptian named 'Amr bin Hamq cut
off Khalifah's head.

Hadrat Uthman (Radiallahu 'Anhu) was assassinated on Friday, the 17th Dhul-Hijjah, 35 A.H. (the 17th
July, 656 A.D.).

A great Martyr

Hadrat Uthman was a great martyr as prophesied in the following Hadith quoted by Bukhari and others
Hadrat Anas (R.A.) narrated that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam), Abu Bakr,'Umar, and
Uthman went up Uhud (the mountain near Medina) and when it quivered because of them the Holy
Prophet kicked it with his foot and said, "Keep steady, 0 Uhud, for there are a prophet, a Siddiq and two
martyrs on you."

In the above Hadith, Hadrat Abu Bakr had been said as the Siddiq (friend) while 'Umar and Uthman (R.A.)
had been prophesied as the martyrs.

The news of martyrdom

The news of Hadrat Uthman's cruel assassination shocked everybody. Hadrat'Ali (R.A.) received the
news when he was returning from Ahjar to see Hadrat Uthman. He was stunned on hearing the
assassination of Hadrat Uthman and exclaimed, "0 Allah, You know it, I am free from any blame." He
rebuked his sons Hasan and Husain (R.A.) and others who had stood guard at the gate for not being
more alert.

After assassinating the Khalifah, the insurgents virtually took over charge of Medina. They also looted the
"Baitul Mal". Medinites were afraid of them and did not come out of their houses. The corpse of the
"Khalifah" could not be buried for two days. At last some Muslims in succeeded getting into the house and
carried out the burial service. There were only 17 Muslims who participated in the 'Burial Prayers". Hadrat
Uthman (R.A.) was 82 years old at the time of his assassination and remained in the office of "Khilafas"
for about 12 years. His words "I do not want to spill Muslim blood to save my own neck", will be
remembered for ever in the history of Islam. He sacrificed his life to save Muslim blood.

Consequences of assassination

The assassination of Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) was unparalled in Islamic history and it had far reaching
effects. Hadrat Hudhaifah (Rad.A) the secret keeper of Holy Prophet's prophecies remarked on hearing
the assassination of Hadrat Uthman, "Ah, the assassination of Uthman has divided the Muslims till
resurrection, they would never be united again." It proved to be true because just after the assassination
civil war started and continued up to the tragedy of Karbala. At that time the Muslim community was
divided into four groups

(i) Uthmanis: The Syrians and Basrites were in favour of capital punishment of the assassins. Syrians
thought Hadrat Mu'awiyah the most suitable person to punish the assassins while the Basrites wanted the
Khalifah from any of these two Talha or Zubair, as they were included in the panel appointed by Hadrat
Umar to select the Khalifah.

(ii) Shi'an-i-'Ali: These people did not think Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) fit for "Khilafat" and called themselves
as the "Shi ‘an-i-'Ali" i.e., the friends of ‘Ali. Kufans and some Egyptians were in this group. According to
Sunni historians, the assassins were from amongst this group.

(iii) Murhibah: These were those people who were busy in "Jihad" (Holy Wars) at the time when Hadrat
Uthman was assassinated. They said: "Neither we are with Uthmanis nor with Shi'as. We want to keep
aloof from their differences."

(iv) Ahl-i-Sunnah wal Jama'ah: These were the bulk of the Companions and the Muslims of various parts
of the Islamic state including Mecca, Medina and other parts of Arabia. They said, "We love both Uthman
and 'Ali and consider them as righteous and pious Companions. We do not curse any of the Companions
and the righteous Muslims. If any of the Companions committed a mistake it was due to his "Ijtihad" (his
disciplined verdict based upon the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet) and he would not be
questioned for it. We follow the Sunnah (ways) of the Holy Prophet and the Sunnah (ways) of his
righteous jama'ah (i.e. the group of ail the Companions).

The first and the third viz. Uthmanis and Murhibah proved to be temporary political groups but the other
two viz. "Shi'as" and "Ahli Sunnah wal Jama'ah" or Sunnis took the shape of permanent theological
groups and still exist.

Hearing the news of Hadrat Uthman's assassination Hadrat 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas (R.A.), a prominent
commentator of the Holy Qur'an remarked "Allah might have stoned us as He stoned the people of Lot if
majority of the Muslims supported the assassinations of Hadrat Uthman."

Thamamah bin 'Adi (R.A.) the governor of Yemen started to cry and weep hearing the news of the
assassination of Hadrat Uthman. Hadrat 'Abdullah bin Salam (R.A.), well versed in the past scriptures,
said: "By Allah, the power of the Arabs has finished now." Hadrat 'Aisha (R.A.), the most beloved wife of
the Holy Prophet, said, "Ah, Uthman has been assassinated most cruelly. His record of deeds is shining
like a well washed cloth."

Hearing the news of the assassination Hadrat Abu Hurairah and Hadrat Zaid bin Thabit (R.A.) started to
weep continuously and their tears did not stop for a long time.

The shirt of Hadrat Uthman, which was spotted with his blood, and the cut fingers of his wife, Nailah, were
carried to Hadrat Amir Mu'awiyah (R.A.), the Governor of Syria, in Damascus. When they were shown to
the Muslim public the whole gathering started to cry and shouted, "Revenge", "Revenge".

Mr. Joseph Hell, a Western historian says: "The assassination of Uthman was a signal for civil war." Mr.
Wellhausen, a German historian says, "The murder of Uthman was more epoch-making than, almost any
other event of Islamic history." Philip Hitti has remarked: "With Uthman's death the political unity of Islam
came to an end. Soon Islam's religious unity was divided. Islamic society entered upon a period
punctuated with schism and civil strife that has not yet ended." A Muslim historian, Prof. K. Ali, writes,
"Unity of Islam which was maintained by the first two "Khalifahs" was lost and serious dissensions arose
among the Muslims."
.   
The assassination of Hadrat Uthman was followed by great civil wars and battles between the Muslims,
the details of which would come later. The system of centralised government initiated by Hadrat ‘Umar
and developed by Hadrat Uthman was shattered and a number of internal movements started of which
the Kharijite's movement was the most serious.

Victories

Hadrat Uthman’s reign constituted a glorious period in the history of Islam. The territories of Islamic state
(caliphate) were immensely extended. Though the conquests during his time were not so much in number
as during the time of ‘Umar, nevertheless they were not few. He ruled over a vast part of the then known
world, right from Kabul (Afghanistan) to Morocco. He put down the rebellions with an iron hand.

During Hadrat Uthman’s period Muslim naval force was developed and Muslims started naval victories.
The victory over the huge naval force of Byzantine Empire comprising 500 ships has been termed as the
Grand Victory.

After the capture of North African territories by Muslims and gaining full control over Mediterranean, the
mighty power of Byzantine and Roman Empire had collapsed. Actually Islam was at the zenith of its glory
during the period of Hadrat Uthman.
Official manuscript of the Holy Qur'an

One of the magnificent services to Islam done by Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) was to safeguard any possible
change in the codex of the Holy Qur'an. After the conquests by the Muslims hundreds of thousands of
non-Arabs, whose mother tongue was not Arabic, accepted Islam because of its teachings. Hadrat
Hudhaifah (R.A.), one of the prominent Companions of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam),
went for "Jihad" (Holy War) during that time and noticed many differences in the manner of recitation
(Qira't) of the Holy Qur'an. The Syrians recited in a way different from that of Kufis while the Kufis differed
from Basris and so on. As a matter of fact these differences were due to the differences in the way of
writing Arabic. Seeing this condition Hadrat Hudhaifah reported the matter to the Khalifah on his return
from the "Jihad" and suggested that the Medinese codex should be regarded as authentic, i.e. the Holy
Qur'an, which was written and compiled in Book form during the time of Hadrat Abu Bakr (R.A.) and was
kept with Ummul-mumminin Hadrat Hafsah (R.A.). Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) took that Book from Hadrat
Hafsah(R.A.) and canonised the Medinese codex. He asked Hadrat Zaid bin Thabit (R.A.), the person
who wrote it during the time of Hadrat Abu Bakr, to make copies of the same with the help of some other
Companions like Abdullah bin Zubair and Sa'd bin 'As etc. Then he ordered all other copies, beside the
Medinese codex, to be burnt and destroyed throughout the State. Those people who earned their living in
the provinces as the receptacles and expositors of the sacred text were not pleased with this act. It has
been discussed before that such persons criticised Uthman for burning unauthentic texts. However for
this great service Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) is famous as the "Jami'ul-Qur'an" (The compiler of the Qur'an).

Uthman (R.A.) as a great Scholar

Hadrat Uthman had a beautiful handwriting because of which the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa
Sallam) appointed him as one of the scribes of the "Wahy" (Revelation).

His style of writing was well recognised among the Companions. Arabic knowing persons can recognise
the fluency of his writings specially of the letters and the orders he sent to various officers during his
Khilafat. Though he was not an orator but his way of lecturing was very effective. His addresses and
lectures can be seen in history books.

Hadrat Uthman was a great scholar of the Holy Qur'an and was a "Hafiz"(i.e. the one who commits the
whole Holy Book to memory). He was well versed in "Shan-i-Nuzul"i.e. the chronology of revelation of
various verses and the chapters of the Holy Qur'an, and was considered an authority in this respect. He
was one of the few Companions who excelled in deriving laws from the verses of the Holy Qur'an.

Although he was not a great jurist like ‘Umar and 'Ali (R.A.) nevertheless he was well qualified in this
respect. His verdicts and judgements have been mentioned in books. He was considered an authority on
the laws of Hajj. Even ‘Umar (R.A.) asked Uthman about that during his time.

Character and Piety

Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) was a very pious Companion and a man of high character. He was the most
modest of all the Companions. Once the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam) was sitting with some
of his Companions and the shin of this leg was not covered. In the meantime somebody informed him
about the arrival of Hadrat Uthman (R.A.). The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu'Alaihi wa Sallam) immediately
covered it and remarked: "Even the angels have regard for the modesty of Uthman"

He was a strict follower of the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam). Somebody
asked him the reason for smiling after wudu. He replied he had seen the Holy Prophet smiling after
making wudu, so he smiled to follow him. Once he demonstrated to Muslims the correct way of making
wudu according to the sunnah of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam).
He used to fear Allah very much. Tears used to roll down his face because of Allah's fear. Whenever the
consequences to be faced in the grave were described before him, he used to weep so much that his
beard could get wet with tears. Sometimes he wept and cried seeing a corpse or a grave because of fear
of Allah. He used to say, "Grave is the first stage among all the stages of the Hereafter. If a person is
successful there, he would be successful on the Day of Judgement too. If a person faces difficulty in the
grave, other stages would also be difficult for him."

He used to do household work although he was one of the wealthiest persons in the whole of Arabia. He
would not wake his slave to take any help from him when he got up to perform "Tahajjud" Salat.

Hadrat Uthman was very soft spoken. If any person talked to him in a harsh tone he always replied gently.
Once he was delivering "Khutbah" of Jumu'a Salat, a person shouted during the Sermon: "O Uthman,
repent for Allah’s sake and keep away from going wrong." He immediately turned his face towards the
Qiblah and exclaimed, "0 Allah, I am the first to repent before Thee and to turn towards Thee."

He never took any allowance from the "Bait ul-Mal" for his services as a Khalifah. Hadrat ‘Umar got 5,000
darhams annually as an allowance from the Public Treasury, thus Hadrat Uthman contributed 60,000
Drahms after his 12 years service, towards the Public Fund.

Examples of his generosity have already been given. He was the most generous among all the wealthy
Companions and never hesitated to spend his money for the cause of Islam and Muslims. His house was
one of the biggest in Medina which he built near the mosque of the Holy Prophet. He established a library
in the back of his house for the education of the Muslims.

Wives and Children

Hadrat Uthman was first married to the Holy Prophet's daughter, Hadrat Ruqayyah (R.A.) who died in
Medina while the Holy Prophet was away on the expedition of Badr. Then he was married to the younger
daughter of the Holy Prophet whose name was Hadrat Umm-i-Kulthum. She also died in the year 9 A.H.
His first wife, Hadrat Ruqayyah bore him a son, Abdullah, who died at an early age. He had no child from
Umm-i-Kulthum (R.A.).

After the death of his second wife Hadrat Umm-i-Kulthum, he married, the following ladies from time to
time: Fakhtah bint Walid; Umm-i-'Amr bint Jundah; Fatimah bint Shaibah; Umm-i-Banin bint'Uwainah;
Ramlah bint Shaibah; 'Aishah; Umm-i-Aban; and Nailah bint Farafsah, his last wife whose fingers were
chopped by the insurgents.

Eleven sons were born to him from different wives. Some of them died at an early age. One of his sons,
Aban became famous and held high positions during the Umayyads. He had six or seven daughters.

No use of Force against Civilians

Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) showed an exemplary tolerance against the insurgents. By not using force against
the civil public, he set the first example of the highest democratic rule in human civilisation. If studied from
this point of view, it would be noted that Uthman (R.A.) was at the peak of modern democratic principles.
It is unfortunate that the masses at that time were not trained for that highest form of democracy. They
have had experienced in the past of the tyranny of Persian and Roman Emperors and their officers.
However the base elements took advantage of the Islamic democratic principles and incited some of the
Muslim population against the Khalifah. Hadrat Uthman used all the democratic principles, now prevailing
in the modern society, to satisfy the insurgents. He gave before the public, full explanation of all the
allegations brought against him, and the public was fully satisfied with his explanation. He acceded to the
demands of the insurgents by appointing Muhammad bin Abi Bakr as the Governor of Egypt. But he did
not resign because the majority of the Muslims were in his favour and only a few were the mischief-
mongers. His words: "I do not want to spill Muslim blood to save my own neck" would be remembered for
ever.