Abu
Ayub Ansâri leads the Prayer
In the wake of his inability to come
to the mosque, the Caliph appointed Abu Ayub Ansâri to do the job. However,
after a few days, Ghâfiqi bin Harb Akki, the chief of the rioters, started
leading the prayers. Like Muhammad bin Abu Bakr, the governor of Egypt,
Muhammad bin Hudaifah was also working against the Caliph. When Abdur-Rahmân
bin Udais marched towards Al-Madinah from Egypt, Muhammad bin Abu Bakr had also
accompanied them to Al-Madinah, but Muhammad bin Hudaifah had stayed back in
Egypt.
On hearing the news of Uthmân bin
Affân's siege, Abdullah bin Saad left for Al-Madinah with a party. But as soon
as he reached Ramlah, he came to know that Egypt was captured by Muhammad bin
Hudaifah. He hurried back but heard of Uthmân bin Affân's martyrdom while in
Palestine. The siege continued for forty days.
When the rioters made a scene, Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) sent both his sons
Hasan and Husain to stand at the door of Uthmân bin Affân with locked arms and
stop the entry of the rioters into his house. Talhah and Zubair also sent their
sons and they stopped their movements. The rioters knew well that any harm done
to them meant bearing the brunt of Banu Hâshim's fury as a whole. However, the
rioters were also in hurry because of the arrival of official forces from the
provinces could foil their plan. Thus they broke into an adjoining house and
made entry into the Caliph's house by scaling its walls.
Martyrdom
of Uthmân bin Affân
When the rioters showed the letter
written on his behalf, Uthmân bin Affân declared it a forgery. Abdur-Rahmân bin
Udais, the ringleader of the rioters rejected it saying, "If you are a
liar, you are not fit to remain as a Caliph. In case you are true in your claim
then such a weak Caliph should not be left to rule if he is not able to keep
control over his administration and let anybody write anything on his behalf."
At last, Abdur-Rahmân bin Udais asked Uthmân bin Affân to quit the caliphate.
But he said, "I can't put off the garment that Allâh has caused me to put
on." That is, he refused to give up the post of the Caliph. When the
intensity of the siege increased and even the supply of water was stopped,
Uthmân bin Affân went to the roof of his house and reminded them of their
sacrifices for Islam and the position he held after embracing Islam. A section
of the rioters seemed to forgive him but Mâlik bin Ashtar intervened to keep
them firm in their plan. Moreover, when the rioters were convinced of the
arrival of rescue forces from the provinces, they were determined to do away
with the Caliph.
During these days, Âishah decided to
go on Hajj. She sent for Muhammad bin Abu Bakr to accompany her on the journey
to Makkah. But he refused to do so because he was involved with the rioters.
Hanzlah, the scribe of the Revelations, said to him, "You refuse to
accompany the Mother of the believers and instead follow the fools of
Arabia." Muhammad bin Abu Bakr gave no reply. Talhah and Zubair had closed
their doors and would neither go anywhere nor meet anybody. Ibn Abbâs faced the
rioters at the door of Uthmân bin Affân and stopped them from drawing near. But
the Caliph insisted that he lead the Hajj caravan, although he said that waging
Jihâd against the rioters was to him better than performing the Hajj. Hasan bin
Ali, Abdullah bin Zubair, Muhammad bin Talhah, Saeed bin Al-Âs (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) stopped the rioters
from opening the door and fought to push them back.
But Uthmân bin Affân prevented them
from doing so on oath and called them in. The rioters set fire to the doors.
They fought and drove them out once again. Uthmân bin Affân was then reciting
Qur'ân. When he reached the Verse:
"Those (i.e., believers) unto
whom the people (hypocrites) said: 'Verily, the people (pagans) have gathered
against you (a great army), therefore, fear them.' But it (only) increased them
in Faith, and they said: 'Allâh (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the
Best Disposer of affairs (for us).'" (3:173)
He said addressing those present,
"The Messenger of Allâh has taken a pledge from me and I firmly keep it,
so hold yourselves back from fighting the rioters." He also asked Hasan
bin Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) to go back to his
father but he declined the advice and kept at the door.
Mughirah bin Al-Akhnas could not
bear the situation and he attacked the rioters along with some of his
companions and was martyred. In the same way, Abu Hurairah launched an assault
on the rioters reciting the Verse:
"And O my people! How is it
that I call you to salvation while you call me to the Fire!" (40:41)
When Uthmân came to know of it,
interestingly called him back. Meanwhile, Abdullah bin Salâm came and he did
all he could to pacify the rioters but in vain. Among those present with Uthmân
bin Affân, some were upstairs watching the movements of the rioters while
others were at the gate stopping their entry. Uthmân bin Affân and his wife
Nâ'ilah, the daughter of Al-Furâfisah were inside.
The rioters, scaled the walls,
entered the house of Uthmân bin Affân, and made an assault on him. First of all
Muhammad bin Abu Bakr came near Uthmân bin Affân and said catching hold of his
beard, "O long-bearded one, may Allâh put you to disgrace." Uthmân
replied, "I am not a long-bearded man, but Uthmân, the Chief of the
believers." Thereupon Muhammad bin Abu Bakr angrily said, "You covet
the caliphate even in your old age." Uthmân said, "Had your father
been alive, he would have valued my old age." At this Muhammad bin Abu
Bakr got ashamed and left. Followed by his retreat a group of criminals came
down scaling the wall. The group included Abdur-Rahmân bin Udais, Amr bin
Hamiq, Umair bin Jannâbi, Sudân bin Humrân, Ghâfiqi and Kinânah bin Bishr who
first struck Uthmân with a sword. His wife Nâ'ilah came forward and stretched
her hand to stop the stroke with the result that her fingers were cut off and
thrown away. But he struck him a second time, which led to his martyrdom. It so
happened when Uthmân was reciting the Qur'ân, his blood dropped on the Verse:
"So, Allâh will suffice you
against them. And He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower." (2:137)
Amr bin Hamiq gave him nine wounds
with his spear. Umair bin Jannâbi moved forward and kicked him violently more
than once so that his ribs were broken. At every kick he would say: "It
was you who had imprisoned my father and the poor man died in captivity."
Nâ'ilah called out to those upstairs who were unaware of what was happening in
the house. The rioters had completed their evil act before those upstairs
arrived. The criminals fled and the slaves of Uthmân killed a few of them.
Nobody was needed now to guard the
door. The rioters then made a forced entry into the house and plundered all the
articles that they found. The news of this tragedy spread like lightning. This
soul-shattering incident came to pass on Friday, Dhul-Hijjah 18, 35 AH. The
dead body of Uthmân lay unshrouded and unburied for three days. At last Hakim
bin Hizâm and Jubair bin Mut'im went to Ali, he gave permission for him to be
buried. The body was buried between Maghrib and Isha' prayers. Zubair, Hasan,
Abu Jahm bin Huhaifah, and Marwân accompanied the bier. The rioters tried to
obstruct the burial service but held back on the intervention of Ali. Jubair
bin Mut'im led the funeral prayers. He was then buried without bath and coffin.
At the time of the martyrdom of
Uthmân bin Affân the following governors were in power:
Abdullah bin Al-Hadrami in Makkah
Qâsim bin Rabi'ah in Tâ'if
Ya'la bin Munyah in San'â'
Abdullah bin Rabi'ah in Jund
Abdullah bin Âmir in Basrah
Mu'âwiyah bin Abu Sufyân in Syria
Abdur-Rahmân bin Abu Khâlid in Hims
Habib bin Maslamah in Qinnasrin
Abul-A'war Sulami in Jordan
Abdullah bin Qais Fazâri in Bahrain
Alqamah bin Hakim Kindi in Palestine
from Mu’âwiyah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
Abu Musa Ash’ari (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) in Kufah
Jarir bin Abdullah in Qarqisiah
Ash'ath bin Qais in Azerbaijân
Sâ'ib bin Aqra' in Isfahan
Qa'qâ' bin Amr was then the
commander-in-chief
Jâbir Muzani and Sammâk Ansâri were
in charge of tributes
Uqbah bin Amr was in charge of
public treasury in Al-Madinah
Zaid bin Thâbit was the chief
justice
Uthmân bin Affân died at the age of
82 after passing 12 years as a caliph. He was buried in Jannat-ul-Baqi' leaving
behind eleven sons and six daughters.
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