Uthman Ibn Affan

Uthman was a kind person and as gentle as a dove. He also was good to his relatives. Those who did not know him believed that he showed nepotism to his relatives by appointing them to government positions. This misperception created jealousy among low-minded and malicious people. Uthman met with his governors in order to address the jealousies. They decided to send those who were dissatisfied with Uthman to Mecca for Hajj and meet with them in Medina after Hajj. It was hoped that by

doing so all of the issues could be resolved and the misunderstandings removed. Uthman explained that he was helping his son-in-law and his other relatives from his own wealth, but there were some people who did not find his explanations convincing. Blazes of mischief and unrest had not yet burned out. 

Several mischief-makers were stirring up trouble, as they did not see Abu Bakr and Umar acting in this manner when they were Caliphs. They sent Ali ibn Abi Talib as an envoy to Uthman to discuss these matters. Ali paid a visit to Caliph Uthman and conveyed to him what his opponents were saying. Uthman and Ali had heated discussions over the matters in dispute and a solution to the opponents’ complaints was not found. Uthman rushed to the Prophet’s Mosque to make a speech. In his speech, Uthman explained that those who were gossiping about him were doing wrong and that they were opposing him for things which they did not oppose during the Caliphate of Umar. He replied to those who accused him of nepotism by appointing hisrelatives as governors that Umar had worked with them

in the same capacity.

The head mischief-maker was Abdullah ibn Sab’a. He declared that he had become a Muslim, but he was travelling everywhere to stir up unrest. He believed that he would achieve his goal by causing strife among the people. Wherever he found a group of dissatisfied people, he encouraged them to make mischief. He confused the Muslims with baseless assertions, such as that like Jesus,

Prophet Muhammad will also resurrect after his death. Not able to stir up trouble in Damascus, Abdullah ibn Sab’a moved to Egypt.

He spread rumors in Egypt by saying that “the Prophet bequeathed Ali as the Caliph after him. Ali is his trustee,’’ in order to suggest that Uthman’s Caliphate was unjust. Uthman’s opponents were ready to exploit these false claims. Trivial matters became issues of monumental importance.

***

Towards the morning of the day in which he was martyred, Uthman saw God’s Messenger in a dream. The two previous Caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar, were next to him. Uthman was mentally and spiritually ready to be martyred. He had made ablution and was fasting that day. The

Messenger of God told him:

“O Uthman! Would you not like to break your fast with us today?”

Would it be possible for a Companion of Uthman’s caliber to say ‘no’ to such a proposal of the most beloved? “I do not want to tempt anyone,” said Uthman. If he had wished, Uthman could have made sure that none of the rebels survived the siege. There were people waiting to attack the rebels on the slightest sign of Uthman. One may wonder why Uthman did not order them to attack. Uthman presumably hoped that the rebels would eventually cease their siege, as he did not believe that a Muslim

would act in such hostility to a Companion of the Prophet. However, mischief-making and cursed souls had taken the stage.

When martyred, Uthman was reciting the Holy Qur’an.

***

A man named Abu Kilaba narrated an event he witnessed in Damascus:

“I travelled to Damascus with some of my friends. We heard the voice of a man whose hands and feet were chopped off by his wrists; his face was severely disfigured and he was blind.”

“What happened to you?” I asked the man.

He replied:

“I was one of those who entered the house of Uthman in that yawmud dar (the day in which Uthman’s house was sieged by the rebels). Uthman’s wife began screaming as I approached him and I violently slapped her face. When Uthman saw my slap, he said ‘Shame on you! May God chop your hands and feet off and make you blind. And your end be Hell.’ I cannot tell you how deeply shocked I was in that moment. And as you can see now, all Uthman wished has happened to me. My hands and feet are chopped off. And I don’t know what I shall do if I end up in Hell. That’s why I have been screaming and crying.”

“I too said to the man ‘Shame on you’ and left him,” Abu Kilaba concluded.

Uthman Ibn Affan

Uthman was a kind person and as gentle as a dove. He also was good to his relatives. Those who did not know him believed that he showed nepotism to his relatives by appointing them to government positions. This misperception created jealousy among low-minded and malicious people. Uthman met with his governors in order to address the jealousies. They decided to send those who were dissatisfied with Uthman to Mecca for Hajj and meet with them in Medina after Hajj. It was hoped that by

doing so all of the issues could be resolved and the misunderstandings removed. Uthman explained that he was helping his son-in-law and his other relatives from his own wealth, but there were some people who did not find his explanations convincing. Blazes of mischief and unrest had not yet burned out. 

Several mischief-makers were stirring up trouble, as they did not see Abu Bakr and Umar acting in this manner when they were Caliphs. They sent Ali ibn Abi Talib as an envoy to Uthman to discuss these matters. Ali paid a visit to Caliph Uthman and conveyed to him what his opponents were saying. Uthman and Ali had heated discussions over the matters in dispute and a solution to the opponents’ complaints was not found. Uthman rushed to the Prophet’s Mosque to make a speech. In his speech, Uthman explained that those who were gossiping about him were doing wrong and that they were opposing him for things which they did not oppose during the Caliphate of Umar. He replied to those who accused him of nepotism by appointing hisrelatives as governors that Umar had worked with them

in the same capacity.

The head mischief-maker was Abdullah ibn Sab’a. He declared that he had become a Muslim, but he was travelling everywhere to stir up unrest. He believed that he would achieve his goal by causing strife among the people. Wherever he found a group of dissatisfied people, he encouraged them to make mischief. He confused the Muslims with baseless assertions, such as that like Jesus,

Prophet Muhammad will also resurrect after his death. Not able to stir up trouble in Damascus, Abdullah ibn Sab’a moved to Egypt.

He spread rumors in Egypt by saying that “the Prophet bequeathed Ali as the Caliph after him. Ali is his trustee,’’ in order to suggest that Uthman’s Caliphate was unjust. Uthman’s opponents were ready to exploit these false claims. Trivial matters became issues of monumental importance.

***

Towards the morning of the day in which he was martyred, Uthman saw God’s Messenger in a dream. The two previous Caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar, were next to him. Uthman was mentally and spiritually ready to be martyred. He had made ablution and was fasting that day. The

Messenger of God told him:

“O Uthman! Would you not like to break your fast with us today?”

Would it be possible for a Companion of Uthman’s caliber to say ‘no’ to such a proposal of the most beloved? “I do not want to tempt anyone,” said Uthman. If he had wished, Uthman could have made sure that none of the rebels survived the siege. There were people waiting to attack the rebels on the slightest sign of Uthman. One may wonder why Uthman did not order them to attack. Uthman presumably hoped that the rebels would eventually cease their siege, as he did not believe that a Muslim

would act in such hostility to a Companion of the Prophet. However, mischief-making and cursed souls had taken the stage.

When martyred, Uthman was reciting the Holy Qur’an.

***

A man named Abu Kilaba narrated an event he witnessed in Damascus:

“I travelled to Damascus with some of my friends. We heard the voice of a man whose hands and feet were chopped off by his wrists; his face was severely disfigured and he was blind.”

“What happened to you?” I asked the man.

He replied:

“I was one of those who entered the house of Uthman in that yawmud dar (the day in which Uthman’s house was sieged by the rebels). Uthman’s wife began screaming as I approached him and I violently slapped her face. When Uthman saw my slap, he said ‘Shame on you! May God chop your hands and feet off and make you blind. And your end be Hell.’ I cannot tell you how deeply shocked I was in that moment. And as you can see now, all Uthman wished has happened to me. My hands and feet are chopped off. And I don’t know what I shall do if I end up in Hell. That’s why I have been screaming and crying.”

“I too said to the man ‘Shame on you’ and left him,” Abu Kilaba concluded.

Compilation and Duplication of the Holy Qur’an

During the early years of Islam, controversies arose because Muslims belonged to various Arab tribes other than Quraysh, and they read the Qur’an in seven ahruf until they became familiar with the Quraysh dialect. Likewise and for similar reasons, in the beginning of Uthman’s Caliphate the newly converted non-Arab Muslims also experienced difficulties in correctly reading the Qur’an. One Qur’an teacher taught the qira’at of a particular imam, another teacher taught the qira’at of another imam. Differences of opinion arose when students of these teachers came together and their teachers then accused each other when they learned of the differences. The final straw came when the Iraqi and Syrian soldiers who participated at the battles in Armenia and Azerbaijan argued over the reading of the Qur’an. The time had long come for the duplication and distribution of the master copy of the Mushaf (the manuscript bound between two boards) in accordance with the way it was written, compiled, and memorized during the age of bliss and tranquility in which the Messenger of God lived and the way it was bound as a book between two boards during the time of Abu Bakr’s Caliphate – efforts specifically intended to prevent differences in the reading and recitation of the Qur’an. In an event narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari, Hudhayfa ibn al-Yamani, the commander of the army that participated at the battles in Armenia and Azarbaijan, was terrified when he saw the controversies between the Iraqi and the Syrian soldiers arising over the reading of the Qur’an. Upon returning to Medina from the battle, he immediately found Uthman, even before stopping by his own house, and told him:

“O Commander of the Faithful! Come to the rescue of this ummah before they fall into a dispute over the Qur’an, as had the People of the Book (Christians and Jews) once fell into dispute over their Books.”

When Uthman heard this, he sent a message to our mother, Hafsa, asking her to send him the master copy of the Mus’haf (codex) which had been compiled and entrusted to her by Abu Bakr. Uthman also told her that they would duplicate the Mus’haf and give back the original to her. Hafsa sent him the Mus’haf that was in her possession.

For the task of copying the Mus’haf, Uthman assigned Abdullah ibn Zubayr, Said ibn al-As, and Abdur Rahman ibn Harith ibn Hisham under the leadership of Zayd ibn

Thabit. He instructed them: “In case you fall into any dispute with Zayd ibn Thabit over the Qur’an, write it in accordance with the Quraysh dialect, as it was revealed in that dialect.”

The master copy of the Qur’an that was entrusted to Hafsa was referred to as the Imam Mus’haf. This committee assigned to copy the Qur’an followed Uthman’s intructions precisely. Uthman returned the Imam Mus’haf to Hafsa and sent the various copies to several Islamic centers. He also ordered the burning of all of the other versions and pages of the Qur’an and private mus’hafs.

The actual number of these copies is a matter of dispute. It has been widely accepted that at least four, and at the most eight, exist. One of the copies was kept in Medina, the capital city of the Caliphate, while other copies were sent to such prominent Islamic centers as Kufa, Basra, Damascus, Mecca,

Egypt, Yemen, and Bahrain. It should also be noted thatUthman did not make or implement the decision of burning the different versions by himself. In fact, he made this important decision only after consulting with and receiving support from leading Companions. Ali’s words below against

those who criticized Uthman’s decision are illustrative:

“O people! Beware of God and refrain from rushing into extremes about Uthman and saying that he is the burner of the mus’hafs. By God, he certainly did this with the consent of the Companions of the Prophet.”

Ali later added that if he were Uthman, he too would have done the same thing.

One of Your Dogs

The Messenger of God married Khadija, the mother of the believers, and they had six children, Qasim, Zaynab, Ruqayya, Umm Kulthum, Fatima, and Abdullah. Upon reaching marriageable age, the Prophet married Zaynab to Abu al-As ibn ur-Rabi, the son of Khadija’s aunt. Ruqayya and Umm Kulthum were married to Utba and Utayba, respectively, both of whom were sons of Abu Lahab, the uncle of the Messenger of God. When the Prophet began publically conveying God’s message in Mecca, Abu Lahab and some of his family members became increasingly hostile to God’s Messenger. And after the revelation of Tabbat (the Qur’anic chapter which foretells the perishing of Abu Lahab and his wife) Abu Lahab, his wife Umm Jamil, and other notables of the Quraysh disccused it among themselves and then told Utba and Utayba:

“Divorce the daughters of Muhammad and send them back to their father’s home. If you do so, we will marry you to the most beautiful girls in Mecca.”

“We will promptly divorce them,” replied Utba and Utayba.

Not satisfied with the impact of his decision, Utayba went to Messenger of God and told him:

“O Muhammad! I do not love you and do not accept the religion you say you propagate. I also divorce your daughter. There will no longer be a son-in-law and fatherin-law relationship between you and me. I no longer love and respect you, and you also do not love me anymore.”

Utayba’s words hurt the Prophet very much. In addition to his verbal assault, Utayba lunged at him.

“O my Lord! Scourge him with one of your dogs,” prayed the Messenger of God.

Not long after this incident, Utayba went to Damascus to trade. When he and his associates rested at a place named Zarqa, a lion appeared and started roaming around them. Utayba instantly recalled the words of God’s Messenger and yelled:

“Oh my God, this lion will dismember me. Ibn Abi Kabsha (implying the Messenger of God) is in Mecca. However, everybody should know that he is my murderer.”

After a while, the lion disappeared. However, when everyone was sleeping, it returned and attacked Utayba, dismembering him.

Bearer of Two Pure Lights

• Uthman was a tenderhearted, sweet-faced, and goodtempered person of a medium height. His face had slight traces of smallpox. His hair fell to his shoulders and he occasionally applied henna to his beard, which was quite large, bushy and brownish. He was a big-boned person with broad shoulders.

• Uthman had a twin sister named Amina bint Affan. She was a hairdresser during the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliya). She and her mother did not convert to Islam until the conquest of Mecca, finally embarking on the savior ship captained by the Prophet. The rest of Uthman’s brothers and sisters converted to Islam after them.

• The people of Quraysh loved Uthman who stood out as a monument of modesty and civility among them. His social status, wealth, and good temper, in addition to his virtuous character captivated them. This love of the People of Quraysh towards him would manifest itself on the day of Hudaybiya. Years later, a Quraysh woman composing poems for her child could not help praising him: 

I swear I love you my son,
Just like the Quraysh loves Uthman.

• Uthman led an exemplary life, never committing any shameful deed or crime. In a time when people consumed alcohol like water, when alcohol flowed through the veins like blood, and when houses were converted into wine cellars, he did not even drink one drop of alcohol. It was as if God was guarding and preparing him for the future. Even during the period of the Age of Ignorance, he warned about the dangers of alcohol consumption:

“Alcohol wipes out reason which is the most beautiful blessing that God has bestowed on a human being, so, it befits a human being to use his reason for taking wings and ascending towards the heights of humanity.”

• It was the sixth year of the Hijra and Uthman made the decision of transforming the coastal town of Jeddah into a port, instead of the Sha’biya, a port town for Mecca during the Age of Ignorance. Uthman traveled to Jeddah and personally participated in the transformation project. This new port opened up a new route for both merchants and pilgrims, heading to Mecca by sea. Today, Jeddah is still serving as a port city and is an excellent example for Uthman’s vision of urbanization.

• “May God reward with His paradise the person who behaves soft when buying or selling something, when paying a debt or asking for its payment.”(Hadith)

• Uthman was a tenderhearted and tearful person. Whenever he stopped by a graveyard, he would begin to cry, so much so that his tears wet his blessed beard. The people who did not know the reason for his crying asked him:“O Uthman! You don’t cry even when you speak about Paradise and Hell. But you cry whenever you visit a graveyard. Are you that fearful of the grave?” Uthman replied:

“I heard the Messenger of God say:‘The grave is indeed the first stage in one’s journey in the Hereafter. If a deceased one is saved from torments of the grave, the next stages will be more relaxing. If one is not saved from torments of the grave, the coming stages will be more trying and troublesome.’” Uthman added that the Messenger of God concluded by saying:
“I have not seen any scene as grievous as the grave.”

• I advised my daughters to read chapter Waqi’ah every night. I heard the Messenger of God saying, ‘Whoever reads the chapter Waqi’ah never faces poverty’.”