Features
and Characteristics of Uthmân
Uthmân bin Affân was affable and
tolerant. Alcoholic drink was a forbidden thing for him even during the days of
Ignorance, and from those days he never was attracted towards adultery and
gambling. His generosity benefited one and all even before he accepted Islam.
He would go to perform Hajj every year and had his tents pitched in Mina, he
never would come back without feeding the pilgrims and these feasts were
arranged out of his own pocket. The Prophet and his family would so often pass
through the state of starvation and Uthmân bin Affân provided food for them.
The Prophet had often prayed for him: "O Allâh, I am pleased with Uthmân;
You also be pleased with him. O Allâh. I am pleased with Uthmân; You also be
pleased with him."
Famine once broke out during the
caliphate of Abu Bakr Siddiq. Scarcity of food put the people in great
hardship. During one of those days, news came that one thousand camels of
Uthmân had arrived in Al-Madinah laden with food grains. The starving
population of the city rushed to Uthmân bin Affân and requested him to sell
them food grains even at exorbitant prices. At this Uthmân bin Affân said,
"Bear witness that I have given away all the food grains to the poor and
needy of Al-Madinah."
Abdullah bin Abbâs relates,
"The same night I saw in dream that the Prophet was hurrying mounted on a
horse in garments of light. I rushed forward and submitted, 'I was eager to
have a glimpse of you.' He said, 'I am now in a hurry, Uthmân has given in
charity one thousand camels laden with food grains and after he granted it,
Allâh the Almighty has given a bride in marriage to Uthmân. I am going to join
the marriage party'."
From the day he converted to Islam
to his last day, he would set one slave free every Friday. Even when besieged
by the rioters and in a state when the water supply was cut off, he continued
this act. He used to live on simple food and wore simple clothes. However, he
always served sumptuous food to his guests. Even during his caliphate, he never
demanded to be treated preferentially. He would sit beside others and show
respect to one and all. He once asked his slave to take revenge on him for he
had committed excesses. The slave caught his ear in response to his order.
"Catch it rather strongly for the retaliation in this world is much
lighter than that of the Hereafter." His efforts in compiling the Qur'ân
and unifying the method of recitation, and his expansion of the Prophet's
Mosque have already been mentioned. He was in the habit of being at his work on
time.
Some
Significant Indications
At the time when the rioters had
taken Al-Madinah by storm Âishah left Al-Madinah to perform Hajj. When she was
on her way back to Al-Madinah, she heard of Uthmân's martyrdom and she returned
to Makkah without delay.
When the rioters mobbed Al-Madinah,
Amr bin Al-Âs (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ),
who was then in Al-Madinah, moved out along with his sons, Abdullah and
Muhammad, they settled in Palestine, and only there did he receive the tragic
news of Uthmân's martyrdom.
When Abdullah bin Saad, the governor
of Egypt, heard rioters besieging Uthmân bin Affân, he proceeded to Al-Madinah
but returned on hearing that the Caliph had already been murdered. On his
return he got the news that Muhammad bin Abu Hudaifah had taken over in Egypt,
thus he was forced to stay in Palestine and later he settled in Damascus.
At the time of Uthmân's martyrdom,
Ali, Talhah, Zubair, Abdullah bin Umar and Saad bin Abu Waqqâs were in Al-Madinah,
they found their honor at stake because among the rioters were insincere
supporters making false claims about them. They all shut themselves behind
closed doors to avoid any connection with the rioters.
Rioter's
Rule in Al-Madinah
From the day the rioters put a ban
on the exit of Uthmân bin Affân from his house and his attendance at the
mosque, Al-Madinah had virtually come under their rule. After Uthmân's
martyrdom, Ghâfiqi bin Harb Akki, the chief of the rioters, held the powers of
the caliphate for about a week and set about issuing all orders including the
appointment of someone to lead the prayers.
But the wiser section of them wanted
to put a respectable man as Caliph. They argued that in the absence of a
reputable man as Caliph, their successful efforts would be taken as a mere
uprising and rioting. Thus they decided not to leave Al-Madinah without
electing a Caliph.
Abdullah bin Saba rushed to
Al-Madinah incognito and joined his party. He also favored the election of a
Caliph. Thus they met Ali, Talhah and Zubair separately and requested each of
them to accept the responsibility of the caliphate. But each of them refused
the offer point-blank and they had to return empty-handed and frustrated.
At last, Abdullah bin Saba instilled
in their mind a workable plan according to which it was drummed up throughout
Al-Madinah: "It is the people of Al-Madinah who have always played the
pivotal role of electing a Caliph, and the Muslim Ummah accepted it
wholeheartedly. Now we give them just two days to elect a Caliph, if they fail
to elect a Caliph, we will kill Ali, Talhah and Zubair."
This announcement sent terror into
the hearts of the people of Al-Madinah who came out of their houses and hurried
to Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and the other two.
While Talhah and Zubair flatly refused to shoulder the burden of the caliphate,
Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) agreed to it after
initially refusing. Following his consent, the people came in large numbers to
take Bai'ah (oath of allegiance) at his hand.
Ali bin
Abu Tâlib | Name and Pedigree:
His family lineage is Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) bin Abu Tâlib bin
Abdul-Muttalib bin Hâshim bin Abd Manâf bin Qusai bin Kilâb bin Murrah bin Ka'b
bin Luai bin Ghâlib.
The Prophet addressed him with the
filial appellation of Abul-Hasan and Abu Turâb. His mother was Fâtimah bint
Asad bin Hâshim. She was the first Hashmite to be married in a Hashmite family,
accepted Islam and migrated from Makkah. Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet. He was of medium
height inclined to short stature, hair receding from his head but spreading all
over the body, thick-bearded and wheat-complexioned.
Distinctive
Features:
Ali was among those who embraced
Islam first of all. He was one of those who collected the Qur'ân and placed it
before the Prophet. He was the first caliph from Banu Hâshim. From childhood he
never worshipped idols. While migrating from Makkah, the Prophet left him
behind to hand over the trusts to their owners. After carrying out this order
of the Prophet, he also migrated to Al-Madinah.
Barring the battle of Tabuk, he
accompanied the Prophet to all the battles, for the Prophet had made him the
acting administrator of Al-Madinah during the battle of Tabuk. In the battle of
Uhud, Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) sustained sixteen
wounds on his body. On the occasion of the battle of Khaibar, the Prophet had
given the standard of Islam to him with the prophecy that the standard-bearer
would conquer Khaibar.
He liked his appellation 'Abu Turab'
very much and he would express his happiness whenever addressed by this. The
reason he was given this name was that he was laying down in the mosque and the
Prophet came to the mosque and woke Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) who was covered with dust and the Prophet wiped the dust from
his body saying, "Get up, O Abu Turâb." (Turâb literally means dirt
or dust.)
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