Uthman (r) Assassination, Legacy, and views

Uthman (r)Assassination, Legacy, and views A.S. Hashim, MD From wikipedia.com

Sources of Reference • ibn Hisham, • Uthman bin Affan, the Third Khalifa of Islam by, Abdul Basit. • Hilya al-Awliya, Abu Nu’aym, • Uthman ibn Affan: The Man With Two Lights (Part Two) • The Murder of the Khalifa Uthman, M. Hinds, • The Arabs in History, Oxford University Press, 2002 • Encyclopædia Britannica • The Early Islamic Conquests, Fred Donner, Princeton 1981 • A Restatement of the History of Islam and Muslims • The Cambridge History of Islam, Bernard Lewis, • The Succession to Muhammad • Makers of Arab History By Philip Khuri Hitti.

In this Slide Show • Ibn al-Musayyib relates • Manner of Assassination • The funeral • Uthman’s Burial • Legacy • Views: Bernard Lewis, • Views: David Samuel Margoliouth • Views: E. A. Belyaev • Views: Ali Asgher Razwy

Uthman Assassinated The Assassination Views of Western Writers The Funeral Uthman’s Legacy The burial

Ibn al-Musayyib relates: • Ibn al-Musayyib relates that: • a group of seven hundred Egyptians came to complain to Uthman about their governor Ibn Abi Sar’h’s tyranny, • so Uthman said: "Choose someone to govern you." • They chose Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, so Uthman wrote credentials for him and they returned. • On their way back, at three days’ distance from Medina, • a black slave caught up with them with the news that he carried orders from Uthman to the governor of Egypt. • They searched him and found a message from Uthman to Ibn Abi Sar'h ordering the killing of Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr and some of his friends.

Ibn al-Musayyib relates: Continued • They returned to Medina and besieged Uthman. • Uthman acknowledged that: • the camel, • the slave, • and the seal on the letter belonged to him, • but Uthman swore that he had never written nor ordered the letter to be written. • It was discovered that the letter had been hand-written by Marwan ibn al-Hakam. • Uthman was besieged for twenty-two days during which he refused both to give up Marwan or to resign. • He was killed on the last day of Dhul Hijjah, on the day of Jumu'ah, by several men who had crept into his house.

Manner of Assassination • The gate of Uthman’s house was guarded by • Al-Hasan, Al-Husain, Abdullah ibn Zubair, Marwan and a few other persons. • Open fighting now began between the rebels and the supporters of Uthman. • There were some casualties among the rebellious. • Among the supporters of Uthman • Al-Hasan, Marwan and some other persons were wounded. • Some rebels led by Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr climbed the houses of the neighbors and then jumped into the house of Uthman. • leaving the guards on the gate unaware of what was going on inside.

Manner of Assassination • Uthman was reading the Holy Quran, and his wife Na'ila was by his side. • Some rebels entered the room of Uthman, but they could not decide what to do. • The atmosphere must have been very tense, quite ominous. • Then Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr entered the room, and he took hold of Uthman’s beard. • Shaken, Uthman said to him, ”You are like a nephew to me, and you would be a betrayal to the memory of your father Abu Bakr if you contemplate a violence against me”. • As a result, Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr wavered, • and he walked out of the room without harming Uthman.

Interesting Narration • أورد ابن حجر من طريق كنانة مولى صفية بنت حيي: • قلت: «فهل تدمّى (أي تلطخ وتلوث) محمد بن أبي بكر من دمه بشيء؟». • قال: «معاذ الله! دخل عليه فقال له عثمان: لست بصاحبي. وكلمه بكلام فخرج ولم يرز (أي لم يُصِب) من دمه بشيء». • قلت: «فمن قتله؟». قال: • «رجل من أهل مصر يقال له جبلة، فجعل يقول: «أنا قاتل نعثل» (يقصد عثمان). قلت: «فأين عثمان يومئذ؟». قال: «في الدار». • وقال كنانة كذلك: «رأيت قاتل عثمان في الدار رجلاً أسود من أهل مصر يقال له جبلة، باسط يديه، يقول: أنا قاتل نعثل».

Interesting Narration • وعن الربيع بن مالك بن أبي عامر، عن أبيه قال‏: • ‏ كنت أحد حملة عثمان بن عفان حين توفي • حملناه على باب، وإن رأسه يقرع الباب لإسراعنا به، وإن بنا من الخوف لأمرًا عظيمًا، حتى واريناه في قبره في حش كوكب‏.‏ • وأرسل عليّ إلى من أراد أن يرجم سريره ممن جلس على الطريق لما سمع بهم فمنعهم عنه‏.‏ • ونزل في قبره، بيان وأبو جهم وحبيب، • وقيل‏:‏ شهد جنازته علي وطلحة وزيد بن ثابت، وكعب بن مالك، وعامة من أصحابه‏.‏ • وعن الحسن قال‏:‏ شهدت عثمان بن عفان دفن في ثيابه بدمائه، • وفي البخاري أنه لم يغسل‏.‏

Manner of Assassination • Seeing this, some of the rebellious struck blows at the head of Uthman. • Na'ila threw herself on the body of Uthman to protect him. • She was pushed aside, and further blows were struck on Uthman till he was dead. • Raising her hand to protect Uthman: Na’ila had two of her fingers chopped off • Some slaves of Uthman fell on the person whose blows had killed Uthman and killed him. His name is subject of debate. • There was some fighting between the rebellious and the supporters of Uthman. There were casualties on both the sides. • Chaos prevailed for some time. • When the women raised loud lamentations over the dead body of Uthman, the rebellious left the house.

Soon After the Assassination • After the assassination of Uthman, • the rioters were keen that he be denied burial. • When some of the rioters came forward to the body of Uthman, • his two widows, Na'ilah and Ramlah bint Sheibah, covered him, and raised loud cries which deterred the rioters. • When the women raised loud lamentations over the body of Uthman, • the rebels left the house • and the supporters of Uthman at the gate hearing it, entered, but it was too late. • Thereafter the rioters maintained a presence around the house • in order to prevent the dead body from being carried to the graveyard.

The funeral • After the body of Uthman had been in the house for three days: • Na'ila, Uthman's wife, approached some of his supporters to help in his burial, • but only about a dozen people responded. • The body was lifted at dusk, and because of the blockade, no coffin could be procured. • The body was not washed before burial. • Thus Uthman’s body was carried to the graveyard • in the clothes that he was wearing • at the time of his assassination.

Uthman’s Funeral • According to one account: • when the rioters came to know that the body was being carried to the graveyard • they gathered to stone the funeral, • but Ali forbade them, or to resort to any such act, and they withdrew. • According to another account, permission was obtained from Ali to bury the body. • Yet a third account states that the body was carried to the graveyard in secret.

Uthman’s Burial • It was related by Abu Karib, who had been an official in charge of Uthman's treasury: • Uthman was buried at twilight. • Only Marwan b. al-Hakam, three of his free men, and his fifth daughter were present at his funeral. • His daughter wailed in mourning and raised her voice in lament for him. • The people took stones and hooted: Na’thal نعثل “meaning Bushy-bearded old man! She was nearly stoned. • Then they said, "(Go to] the compound, the compound." And thus he was interred in a compound outside [Medina]. • He was buried in the Jewish graveyard behind Jannat al-Baqi’.

Uthman’s Burial • The funeral prayers were led by Jabir bin Muta'am, • and the body was lowered into the grave without much of a ceremony. • After burial, Na'ila the widow of Uthman and Ayesha the daughter of Uthman wanted to speak, • but they were advised to remain quiet due to possible danger from the rioters. • Some decades later, • the Umayya rulers destroyed the wall of the Jewish cemetery • and widened the Muslim graveyard to make his tomb inside.

Legacy • Islamic history, particularly Sunni history, remembers Uthman in positive terms, • calling him handsome, generous, and plain rather than luxurious. • Uthman was well known for his reported generosity. • During Muhammad's time, while in Medina, he financed : • the project for the construction of the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi • and purchased the well Beer Rauma, which he dedicated to the free use of all Muslims. • Uthman’s generosity continued after he became Khalifa.

Legacy • Islamic history, particularly Sunni history, remembers Uthman in positive terms, • Uthman apparently led a simple life even after becoming the Khalifa of the Rashidoon Empire, • though it would have been easy for a successful businessman such as him to lead a luxurious life. • The Khalifas were paid for their services from the public treasury, • but Uthman did not take any salary for his services, • as he was independently wealthy. • Uthman also developed a custom to free slaves every Friday, • look after the widows and orphans, • and give unlimited charity.

Legacy • Uthman wasn't completely plain and simple, • Uthman built a Palace for himself in Medina, known as Al-Zawar, • with a notable feature being doors of precious wood. • though Uthman paid for the Palace with his own money, • Shi'a Muslims consider this as his first step towards ruling like a King. • Uthman's sister Amna bint Affan was married to Abdul Rahman bin Awf, • one of the close companions of Muhammad.

Views: Bernard Lewis, • Uthman soon fell under the influence of the dominant Meccan families • and one after another of the high posts of the Empire went to members of those families. • The weakness and nepotism of Uthman brought to a head the resentment which had for some time been stirring obscurely among the Arab warriors. • The Muslim tradition attribute the breakdown which occurred during his reign to the personal defects of Uthman. • But the causes lie far deeper and the guilt of Uthman lay in his failure to recognize, control, or remedy them.

Views:David Samuel Margoliouth • Uthman was no fighting man, • as his subsequent history proved, • for he shirked one battlefield, • ran away from another, • and was killed, priest-like, ostentatiously reading the Koran

Views: E. A. Belyaev • Uthman's acquisitiveness and business talents gained full scope when he became Khalifa. • He built himself a stone house in Medina • with doors of precious wood • and acquired much real estate in that city, • including gardens and water sources. • He had a large income from his fruit plantations in • Wadi-ul-Qura, Hunain and other places, • That were valued at 100,000 Dinars, • besides large herds of horses and camels on these estates. • Multiplying his riches at the expense of the Muslim treasury,

Views: E. A. Belyaev • Uthman also gave • free use of the Treasury to some of the closest companions of Muhammad, • attempting to justify his illegal actions • by associating these most authoritative veteran Moslems with his own depredations. • The "companions" applauded the Khalifa Uthman for his generosity and magnanimity, • no doubt for solid reasons of self-interest.

Views: E. A. Belyaev • Zubair ibn al-Awwam, for example, one of the better known amongst them, • built tenement houses in Kufa, Basra, Fustat and Alexandria. • His property was estimated at 50,000 Dinars, • in addition to which he possessed 1000 horses and 1000 slaves. • Another Companion, Talha ibn Ubaidullah, • built a large tenement house in Kufa • and acquired estates in Iraq • which brought in a daily 1000 Dinars; • he also built a luxurious house of brick and precious wood in Medina

Views: E. A. Belyaev • Abdul Rahman ibn Auf, also an outstanding Companion, and Brother-in-Law of Uthman: • also built himself a rich and spacious dwelling; • his stables contained 100 horses • and his pastures 1000 camels and 10,000 sheep, • and one quarter of the inheritance he left after his death was valued at 84,000 Dinars..

Views: Ali Asgher Razwy • Uthman's election as Khalifa was a triumph of capitalism. • Omar had conceived the plan of "Shura" (electoral committee), • and he had charged Abdul Rahman bin Auf with the duty of implementing it. • As chairman of the committee, Abdul Rahman made it a condition-precedent: • that a candidate for Khilaafah would obey not only the Book of God and would follow the Sunnah of His Messenger, • but also, would follow the regulations of Abu Bakr and Omar. • He thus put the deeds of Abu Bakr and Omar at par with the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Apostle.

Views: Ali Asgher Razwy • Uthman loved the members of his own clan, the Benu Umayya, to a point where his love became an obsession. • The Umayya were the arch-enemies of Islam, • and they had fought against its Prophet for more than two decades. • Now suddenly, Uthman made them masters of the empire of the Muslims. • He himself became their puppet, and they took the reins of the government in their own hands. • The real rulers of the empire, in the Khilaafah of Uthman, were Marwan (the cousin and son-in-law of Uthman) and Hakam bin Abul-Aas (Uthman's uncle and Marwan's father).

Views: Ali Asgher Razwy • Uthman opened the gates of the public treasury to his relatives. • He gave them rich presents, • vast estates • and high ranks. • Then, as if he had not done enough for them, • he forbade the citizens of Medina to graze their camels and cattle in the pastures around the city. • These pastures had been made a public endowment by the Prophet • but according to the new ordinance of Uthman, only those animals could graze in them which belonged either to himself or to the Banu Umayya.

In Conclusion • Discussed in this slide show are: • Ibn al-Musayyib relates • Manner of Assassination • The funeral and the burial • Legacy • Views: Bernard Lewis, • Views: David Samuel Margoliouth • Views: E. A. Belyaev • Views: Ali Asgher Razwy

Finally we quote the Quran:

THANK YOU Be in Allah’s Care Dr. A.S. Hashim

Uthman (r) Assassination, Legacy, and views