The amazing life of Uthman Ibn Affan (RA). He was wealthy from a respected family and very generous, but his heart was not at peace; he could not find the truth he was looking for until the dream changed everything. Later, he would be promised paradise and become the Prophet’s son-in-law. And rise as the third caliph of the Muslims. But what was the secret that made him so rich, how did he become such a good and respected person and despite all this, who killed and why were the stories about him true, the true story of the great Muslim leader Uthman Ibni Affan (RA).
He was born in Taif, six years after the year of the elephant. He was five to six years younger than the Prophet, peace be upon him. The name Uthman means baby snake in Arabic. The Arabs have a tradition of giving names that sound strong or frightening. His father was Affan Ibn Adul As, and Uthman belonged to the Umayyad family. Which would later be known as the Umayyad dynasty, from the fifth grandfather, his family was related to the Prophet,peace be upon him, the Hashim and Umayyad clans were relatives, his nickname was Abu Abdullah, and he was born in the year 577. When Uthman’s father passed away in Sham, Uthman was around 20 to 22 years old. He was the only son in his household with the great wealth of 3 million dirhems inherited from his father, and his previous business experience. He continued to be known as a successful trader in Mecca.
He also had beautiful handwriting and, after becoming Muslim, became one of the 40 scribes who wrote down the revelations alongside the Prophet, peace be upon him. Uthman has a powerful way of speaking and constantly recites the Quran. The two copies of the Quran he owned became worn out from how much he read them, and his famous words became well known. If our hearts were pure and clean, we would never get enough of reading the Quran.
Uthman was one of the first believers from the Banu Umaya clan; his father’s cousin was Abu Sufian, the political leader of Makkah, because of his respected background and high status in Makkah. He suffered severe torture after becoming a Muslim; one of those who tortured him the most was his own uncle Hakam Ibn Abi Al As. Uthman remained firm in his faith, saying even if I give my life here, I will not turn away from this path. In the end, his uncle gave up and released him, untying the ropes in the room where he had been torturing him.
While in Sham for trade, Uthman had a dream. When he returned, he shared it with his aunt, who interpreted it, deeply affected by the interpretation, and he fell into deep thought. One day, as Abu Bakr (RA) was passing by, he noticed Uthman’s concern and asked, ” Oh, Uthman, why do you look so thoughtful, Uthman then recounted his dream. At that time, Abu Bakr had already embraced Islam, but Uthman had not yet accepted the faith. Abu Bakr, let me tell you something and began sharing the truths he had heard from the Prophet, peace be upon him. A door opened in Uthman’s heart, and Abu Bakr took him to the Prophet.
Thus, Uthman joined the ranks of the first believers at the age of 36 to 37. Uthman had never married at that time; the Messenger of Allah had two daughters, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum. These two were engaged to the sons of Abu Lahab, Utba and Utaiba; however, when Surat al Masad was revealed. Abu Lahab was filled with rage and forcibly separated his sons from the Prophet’s daughters. He intended to hurt the Prophet and humiliate him in front of others. Abu Lahab, son of Utaiba, mocked and insulted the Prophet in response. The Messenger of Allah made a supplication; may a wild beast tear you apart.
Two years later, Utba set out on a trade journey. While his caravan stopped to rest for the night, a lion suddenly attacked; however the lion ignored everyone else and only tore Utba apart before leaving. The Messenger of Allah was deeply saddened by the divorce of his daughters. Meanwhile, Uthman thought to himself, what if I ask for her hand in marriage? Would the Messenger of Allah accept me? He approached the Prophet, and the Messenger of Allah gave his eldest daughter, Ruqayyah, to Uthman in marriage. Their union became a widely discussed event in Makkah, Abu Lahab’s schemes failed, and the Prophet was never disgraced; on the contrary, a son-in-law, Uthman, joined his household.
However, this time the disbelievers made life even more difficult for Uthman; they obstructed his trade and even prevented him from walking freely in the market. In the end, Uthman, along with his wife Ruqayyah and a few other Muslims, came to the Messenger of Allah and said, Oh Messenger of Allah, we wish to migrate to Abyssinia, at that time, the struggle for Islam had been ongoing for 13 years in Makkah and would continue for another 10 years in Madina. After the migration, Prophet Said, you are the first to migrate with your family after Lut (AS).
With the conversion of Ummer (RA), Muslims began to pray openly. One day, when the Prophet (AS) recited Surat Al Najm during prayer, the polytheists were so deeply affected that when the verse of prostration came, they fell into sajood along with the Muslims. This event led to a false rumour reaching Abyssinia claiming that Makkahhad changed, everyone had become Muslim, longing to their homeland, many Muslims in Abyssinia decided to return. Jafar Al Tayar warned them, saying wait we have not received any news from the Messenger of Allah. Despite his warning, many return to Makkah only to find that nothing has changed. In fact, the oppression had intensified; thus, the second migration to Abyssinia took place, this time with more than 100 people. Seven years later, the migration to Madina began after returning from Abyssinia. Uthman migrated once again, this time to Madina. He became one of the few companions to have migrated twice for the sake of Allah.
When Masjid Al Nabi was build Uthman was there, when the Prophet’s house was constructed Uthman was there, when the First Islamic school was established Uthman was there, when the market of Madina was formed Uthman was there, when the Madina Charter was announced Uthman was there, when the first military units were organised Uthman was at the front lines, throughout Islamic history we can always see Uthman he was one of those, who never strayed from the path of the Messenger of Allah. Without a doubt, Uthman’s greatest trait was his modesty; at the same time, he was extraordinarily handsome. The Prophet, peace be upon him, once called him the second Yousuf.
The Messenger of Allah said, higher modesty is part of faith, and the one who has higher modesty is from the people of Paradise. This means that when a person loses their modesty, they also lose their faith. One day, the Messenger of Allah (AS) was sitting when Umer (RA) entered. He welcomed him warmly, then Abu Bakr (RA), who came in, and he received him in a relaxed manner.
However, the moment he heard that Uthman (RA) was coming, he immediately adjusted his posture and strengthened his clothing. Seeing this, our mother Ayesha (RA) asked in astonishment. Oh, Messenger of Allah, first Abu Bakr came, then Umar came and you greeted them comfortably but when Uthman arrived, you sat up straight and adjusted your clothing. He is the son-in-law, the one with whom you should feel the most at ease. Why did you act this way? The Messenger of Allah replied with, “Uthman is a man whom even the angels feel shy before”. How could I not show him the same respect, hearing this Amar Ibn Aas (RA), who became even more curious about Uthman. And went to ask him, the Messenger of Allah speaks of you with great praise. What is your secret? With humility, Uthman (RA) and replied that there is nothing special about me. I am the same in private as I am among people.
This was the true definition of sincerity. When a person remains the same in private as they are in public, they have attained true sincerity (Ikhlass), and if they are not aware of their own sincerity. This is the greatest sign of sincerity; with these words, Usman (RA) taught the most beautiful lesson on sincerity.
This is not just a story, it is a lesson for us, do not just be inspired and forget it, ask yourself what I can do? What can you give to those in need, to the cause of Islam, to a righteous cause? Make an intention today to give something and fulfil it as soon as possible. Uthman (RA), who spent almost all his wealth on the expedition to Tabuk.
In the ninth year after the Hijrah, yet by the 12th year, he was once again a wealthy man; he kept giving, and Allah kept blessing him with more. Do not fear giving, the more you give, the more Allah will provide for you trust in him.
During the Caliphate of Uthman (RA), concerns arose about differences in recitation styles to preserve the unity of the Quran. Uthman ordered it to be officially compiled into six copies, forming the mushaf as we know it today.
Uthman (RA), who narrated several hadiths from the Prophet peace be upon him, one of the most well-known narrations is “The best among you are those who learn the Quran and teach it”.
As time passed, the martyrdom of Uthman, who complained against the governors in different regions of the Islamic State, grew significantly. In response, Uthman (RA) sent letters across the lands advising the people to be patient and remain on the path of Allah. However, despite the unrest, he did not remove his governors and divisions continued to spread throughout the Islamic territories to address these rising tensions.
Despite his efforts to calm the situation, the main instigators of the rebellion refuse to back down. A delegation from Egypt arrived to meet Uthman, bringing their complaints against the governor. Uthman asked them who do you wish to have as their governor? They responded we want Mohammad, the son of Abu Bakr. In response, Uthman agreed and wrote an official decree appointing Muhammad as the new governor. He sealed the document with his official stamp and handed it over to the delegation.
As the delegation set out on its return to Egypt, a letter was mysteriously found. It was assumed that it carried the seal of Uthman along with commands for the punishment of the leaders of the delegation after their return. Feeling shocked and disappointed, the delegation came back to Madinah, where they accused Uthman of betraying them. Uthman strongly denied this allegation and vowed that neither he nor anyone on his behalf had penned down the letter. The companions who knew Uthman believed that the letter was fabricated.
However, the dissident Muslims did not heed their arguments and besieged Uthman in his own home. Although Uthman had people around him willing to save him, but since he strictly forbade killing among Muslims, he remained patient till the end of his life, reciting the Holy Quran until he was murdered. His life became an enduring source of inspiration for Muslims in matters of faith, charity, humility and willingness to sacrifice one’s life for righteousness.
The Authoris a writer, social educator and researcher from Baramulla, holds a master’s in Gender Studies and a BED.
