He married two daughters of the Prophet (PBUH). He donated 900 camels, 100 horses, and five kilograms of gold in a single act. He financed the expansion of Masjid al-Nabawi. He standardised the Qur’an into a single written text. His twelve-year Caliphate ended with rebels stabbing him as he recited Allah’s words. His blood fell upon the divine promise: “So Allah will suffice for you against them.” His legacy endures in every copy of the Qur’an, every expansion of Masjid al-Nabawi and every prayed offered there. May Allah be pleased with him.
Raqif Makhdoomi
Hazrat Uthman ibn Affan (RA) was the third Caliph of the Muslims. Born in 573 or 576 CE in Hejaz, Arabia, his Caliphate lasted for twelve years, from 644 to 656 CE—the longest among the rightly guided Caliphs. His Caliphate ended with his assassination in 656 CE.
Abdullah ibn Saba, a Jewish Persian slave, played a major role in the assassination of Hazrat Uthman (RA). He took cover under Islam to incite rebellion against the Caliph and ultimately orchestrated his martyrdom.
The Martyrdom
On 17 June 656 CE, rebels found the gate of Uthman’s house strongly guarded by his supporters. Some of the rebels scaled the neighbouring houses and jumped into Uthman’s house. One rebel approached Uthman, grabbed and shook his beard. Uthman prayed to God for protection from being killed. The rebel then stabbed him in the head, and others followed suit.
According to a narration (regarded by some scholars as legendary), Uthman’s wives threw themselves on his body to shield him. Na’ila bint al-Furafisa, one of his wives, extended her hand to block a blade. Her fingers were severed, and she was shoved aside. The following strike killed Uthman. A few of Uthman’s slaves retaliated, and one succeeded in killing one of the assassins before being murdered by the rebels.
When the attackers finally struck Hazrat Uthman (RA), he was reciting the Qur’an. At the moment of his martyrdom, his blood fell upon the verse of Surah Al-Baqarah (2:137), which reads:Â “So Allah will suffice for you against them. And He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.”
His Election as Caliph
Hazrat Uthman (RA) assumed the Caliphate after the passing of Hazrat Umar (RA). His election was conducted by a committee known as the Shura. While on his deathbed, Hazrat Umar (RA) formed a committee consisting of six prominent companions: Hazrat Ali (RA), Hazrat Uthman (RA), Hazrat Abd al-Rahman (RA), Hazrat Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas (RA), Hazrat Zubayr ibn al-Awwam (RA), and Hazrat Talha ibn Ubayd Allah (RA)—all of whom were Muhajirun (early Meccan converts).
Hazrat Uthman (RA) was the second cousin of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and a notable companion. He participated in all major battles of early Islam, except Badr, and that was because the Prophet (PBUH) commanded him to stay back and tend to his unwell wife. Regarding this, the Prophet (PBUH) said: “You (Uthman) will have the reward and the share of booty of a man who was present at Badr.” During the campaigns of Ghatafan and Dhat al-Riqa, the Prophet (PBUH) left Uthman (PBUH) in charge of Madinah when the Muslim army ventured out.
Hazrat Uthman (RA) was married to two daughters of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH): Hazrat Ruqayyah (RA) and, after her death, Hazrat Umm Kulthum (RA). For this honour, he is known as Dhun-Noorayn (the possessor of two lights).
A Humble Perspective on the Caliphs
Narrated Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiya: “I asked my father (Ali ibn Abi Talib), ‘Who are the best people after Allah’s Messenger (PBUH)?’ He said, ‘Abu Bakr.’ I asked, ‘Who then?’ He said, ‘Then Umar.’ I was afraid he would say ‘Uthman’, so I said, ‘Then you?’ He said, ‘I am only an ordinary person.'”
Hazrat Uthman (RA) was between 68 and 71 years old when he assumed the Caliphate.
The Martyr of Oppression
Hazrat Uthman (RA) is known as Shaheed-e-Mazloom (the martyred oppressed one). After his assassination, his body lay in the house, and no one was initially willing to assist in his burial. Only after his wife, Hazrat Na’ila (RA), went out to request help did about a dozen people respond. His body was lifted and buried at dusk, without a coffin, because of the blockade imposed by the rebels.
Uthman the Generous
He is known for his extraordinary charity. During the Battle of Tabuk, the Prophet (PBUH) called upon people to donate for the war effort. Hazrat Uthman (RA) gave 900 camels, 100 horses, and five kilograms of gold. He never stepped back from giving charity and thus came to be known as Ghani—the Giver.
The first expansion of Masjid al-Nabawi was undertaken by Hazrat Uthman (RA), and he personally financed it entirely. When the Prophet (PBUH) saw that the mosque could no longer accommodate the growing Muslim population, he called upon people to contribute. It was Hazrat Uthman who wholly bore the cost.
The Compilation of the Qur’an
Around the year 650 CE, Uthman began noticing slight differences in the recitation of the Qur’an as Islam expanded beyond the Arabian Peninsula into Persia, the Levant, and North Africa. To preserve the sanctity of the text, he ordered a committee headed by Zayd ibn Thabit to use Caliph Abu Bakr’s copy and prepare a standard version of the Qur’an. Thus, within twenty years of Muhammad’s (PBUH) death, the Qur’an was committed to written form. That text became the model from which copies were made and promulgated throughout the urban centres of the Muslim world, with all other versions ordered to be burnt by Uthman.
Addressing Objections
Some people object to the Caliphate of Hazrat Uthman (RA) based on flawed reasoning. It must be remembered that Hazrat Ali (RA) was an advisor and counsellor to Hazrat Uthman (RA) throughout his Caliphate. Hazrat Ali (RA) was also a member of the very Shura committee that appointed Hazrat Uthman (RA) as Caliph.
May Allah be pleased with all the rightly guided Caliphs and bless them with the highest ranks in Jannah. Aameen.
The writer is a law student and a human rights activist
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