Righteous Caliphs Usman Ibn Affan. Uthman ibn Affan is the third righteous caliph. Abridged translation from Arabic

Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, loved Uthman ibn Affan very much . He called him owner of two luminaries. The fact is that Usman’s wife was the daughter of the Prophet Ruqaiya. After her death, Uthman married another daughter of Muhammad, Umm Kulthum. They were the two luminaries of Uthman.

Before his death, Umar (the previous caliph) assembled a council of six Muslims to carefully and thoughtfully select the future leader of the ummah. The task was not easy. Some suggested appointing Ali ibn Abu Talib, a member of the Prophet's family, others were inclined to appoint Uthman as a representative of the prominent tribe of Mecca. According to Ibn Kathir, an authoritative Islamic scholar of the 14th century, the head of the council, Abdurahman ibn Auf, studied both candidates and chose Uthman.

Abdurahman asked Ali: “Do you swear to rule on the basis of the Book of the Most High and the Sunnah of His Messenger?” Ali replied: “I hope to rule according to my best knowledge and ability.” When the same question was asked to Usman, he replied simply: “I swear.” It would be primitive to believe that the choice fell on Usman due to just one question. Rather, he was just another link in a chain of thoughts. Both companions were more than worthy to lead the Muslim Ummah. Perhaps Uthman's short answer reflected his essence - modest, pious, humble, stingy with words, but generous with good deeds.

Having become caliph, Uthman immediately addressed the people from the minbar of the Prophet. He looked at the Muslims, praised God, said blessings and reminded people that the earthly world is full of deception. He urged the people not to become attached to worldly life, but to strive with all their might for good in Eternity. The Koran says:

“Give them a parable about worldly life. She is like the water that We send down from the sky. Earthly plants mix with it (or thanks to it), and then turn into dry blades of grass, scattered by the wind. Verily, Allah is capable of every thing. Wealth and sons are the adornment of this worldly life, but imperishable good deeds are better in reward before your Lord, and it is better to place your hopes on them.”(Quran 18: 45 - 46).

Being a pious and pious man, Uthman first of all wanted to convince people that he would lead them in the path of the Prophet and the caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar ibn Al-Khattab. Uthman was approaching his seventies when he became caliph. All his life he strived for simplicity, renounced the pleasures of the world, just to gain the pleasure of the Almighty. He made it clear to the people that mercy and concern for Muslims would be the hallmark of his reign. Uthman next focused on the heads of the Muslim army.

Uthman wanted the heads of the armies to serve the interests of the people and never act to their detriment. He delegated the most authoritative companions of the Prophet to the provinces so that they could evaluate the treatment of the rulers by the common people. Uthman reminded the military of the importance of following the clear rules established by Umar ibn Al-Khattab and asked them to never forget that their task is to protect the believers. Uthman's reign was marked by large-scale conquests. Parts of Spain, Morocco, and Afghanistan joined the Muslim empire. Uthman was the first of the caliphs to create a navy. He reorganized the administrative divisions of the Muslim caliphate and launched and expanded several public projects. His most significant contribution to the cause of Islam was, perhaps, his work on collecting the Holy Quran.

Quran of Uthman

After the death of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, during the time of the righteous caliphs, an incredible number of non-Arabs came to Islam. Accordingly, the Koran began to be written down in different dialects and scripts. One of the companions of Uthman Huzaif, while traveling around the caliphate, drew attention to the different readings of the Koran. He suggested that Uthman create one official version in the Medina style

Usman knew the Koran by heart, had a great understanding of the context, and remembered exactly what event the revelation of each verse was tied to. The Koran was collected during the time of Abu Bakr and was kept by his daughter and wife of the Prophet Hafsa. Uthman borrowed the original, gathered the most reliable scribes, and they made copies. Further, on the orders of Uthman, all unofficial copies were burned or destroyed. Five official books were distributed to the largest cities of the caliphate. The first copies are kept to this day in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) and Istanbul (Turkey).

Tragic death

The last six years of Uthman's reign were marred by turmoil. Some of the heads he appointed began to show cruelty to the people, others turned out to be unjust. Against this background, disagreements grew, people forgot about piety and asceticism, which Usman constantly spoke about. Hypocrites and conspirators began to appear. Usman was finding it increasingly difficult to distinguish friend from foe. He did not want to shed the blood of Muslims, no matter how troublemakers they were. Uthman preferred to warn kindly, as the Prophet taught: “Once the sword is drawn among my followers, it will not return to its scabbard until the Last Day.”

The rebels wanted Uthman to relinquish his rule. Some of his companions also asked him about this. But Uthman, now an elderly man of more than eighty years, seemed to still hear the words of the Prophet: “O 'Uthman, Allah will put a shirt on you, and the hypocrites will want to take it off you, but do not take it off until you meet me ". Uthman remained true to his word. One day, rebels broke into his house and killed him. Before the blow of the sword interrupted the noble life of Uthman, he recited the verse:

“Allah will deliver you from them, for He is the Hearer, the Knower.” (Quran 2:137).

Thus, the life of one of the most pious, selfless and kind people in Islam was interrupted.

Uthman ibn Affan, Osman ibn Affan(Arabic: عثمان بن عفان ‎‎ - ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān) (- June 20) - one of the companions of Muhammad and the third Arab caliph (from 644). Under Uthman, the codification of the Koran was completed (see Uthman's Koran). Sunnis regard him as one of the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs, along with Abu Bakr, Umar and Ali.

early years

Uthman was born in Taif. He came from the influential Banu Umayya tribe. Usman was a wealthy man. Became one of the first companions of Muhammad. He was a man of great character, magnanimous and generous, doing good and merciful. Being a wealthy man, he spent huge amounts of money on donations. He always helped the poor, oppressed and disadvantaged, he was very fair and very modest. This is proven by the following reliable stories from his life: Having moved to Medina, Muslims discovered that there was very little fresh water in it and the only source of good water was the Rumah well. It belonged to a man from the Banu Gifar tribe and the people of Medina bought water from him, one tub for one mudd of food. Seeing all this, the Messenger of Allah promised paradise to the one who would buy the Rumah well and give it to the residents of Medina for use. Usman immediately did this. After much persuasion, the owner agreed to sell half of the well for a lot of money and Usman bought the well for thirty-five thousand dirhams. And he gave it for free use to the residents of Medina, and was so modest that then he, like everyone else, stood in line for water. Once a year, when people were suffering from hunger, Uthman returned with a trade caravan full of food and drink. Upon arrival, Uthman, seeing that people were suffering from hunger, distributed the entire contents of the caravan to the starving people without taking absolutely nothing from them. At different times, Muhammad was married to two daughters, for which he was nicknamed “the owner of two lights.” He performed Hijrah twice.

Governing body

Islamic conquests conquests under Uthman are indicated by the number IV

Uthman became Caliph by the unanimous opinion of all the companions of the Prophet Muhammad. Uthman's reign was primarily distinguished by diplomacy, and was also distinguished by a significant expansion of the boundaries of the Caliphate and the strengthening of state institutions laid down by his predecessors. Under him, Islam penetrated into the Caucasus, Iran and Cyprus. It is also to his credit that he created the first fleet in Islam, allocated a separate building for legal proceedings and organized law enforcement officers. During the reign of Uthman ibn Affan, infants under one year of age and nursing mothers, as well as all slaves, were first included in the maintenance from the state treasury. The rest of the category remained the same as during the reign of his predecessors, these are the poor, the disabled, orphans, travelers and the elderly. The reign of Uthman ibn Affan was one of the best in the history of the Caliphate.

Uthman ibn Affan was killed by hypocrites from among those who only outwardly accepted Islam, and under the guise of Muslims they introduced all sorts of innovations into the religion in order to destroy the unity of Muslims and, of course, thereby weaken the Caliphate. Their leader was Abdullah ibn Saba, in the past he was a Jew, then outwardly converted to Islam and began to forge seals and signatures. He inflated the fitna and, on the basis of documents forged by himself, rebelled against the Caliph. Uthman ibn Affan did not fight them and did not allow his companions to do so, since the killers of Uthman called themselves Muslims. They surrounded Uthman's house and held him hostage for more than forty days. And they killed him when the month of Hajj began, and many men of Medina left for Mecca to perform Hajj. It also played into their hands that Usman had a gentle disposition.

Uthman ibn Affan (ra) is recognized as one of the most respected figures of the Islamic Ummah. During his reign as the third Rightly Guided Caliph, a written version of the Holy Qur'an was compiled. In total, he ruled the Muslim state for more than 11 years.

Uthman (r.a.) was born 6 years after the so-called “year of the elephant,” which refers to the invasion of Mecca by the Ethiopian army to destroy the Kaaba.

He bore the nickname Zi-n-Nurain, which can be translated as “the owner of two lights.” There are two interpretations of this nickname. According to the first version, it is connected with the fact that Uthman (r.a.) married two daughters of the Final Messenger of the Almighty (s.g.w.) - Umm Kulthum and Ruqayya. According to the second, he began to bear this nickname due to the fact that he devoted a lot of time to reading the Noble Quran at night.

Even before the beginning of the prophetic mission of Muhammad (s.g.w.), Uthman (r.a.) was distinguished by a noble disposition - he did not drink alcoholic beverages, did not commit adultery, kept family traditions and earned respect from his fellow tribesmen. He contributed to his adoption of Islam. In fact, Uthman (ra) became one of the first Muslims - the fourth among men after Ali, Abu Bakr and Zeid ibn Harisa.

Virtues of the Third Rightly Guided Caliph

Sunni Islamic theologians believe that Uthman is the third most meritorious companion and Muslim in history after Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with all of them). This statement has been questioned by some thinkers, especially in light of the relationship with Ali ibn Abu Talib (r.a.), but we will not dwell in detail on this highly controversial point.

And the undeniable reasons why Uthman ibn Affan (ra) occupies such a high position in the Islamic community are as follows:

1. In the collection of hadiths of Imam at-Tirmidhi, the following very remarkable statement of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) is given: “Every messenger and prophet in the Paradise abode will have his own companion (rafiq). For me, such a friend will be Uthman ibn Affan.”

2. In the collection of Imam al-Bukhari you can find a hadith from Ibn Umar. He said that when the Final Messenger of God (s.g.v.) was still living in this world, Abu Bakr had the maximum authority among his companions, followed by Uthman, after whom came Usman’s turn (may the Almighty be pleased with them!). Ibn Umar notes in a hadith that apart from these three closest companions of Muhammad (s.g.w.), no one else could boast of such high respect.

3. It was during the reign of Uthman as caliph that the codification of the Holy Quran took place - its presentation in the form of a single written document.

4. Uthman (r.a.) twice supervised the expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque (s.a.w.) in Medina.

5. He was married to two daughters of the Final Messenger of the Most High (s.g.v.). After Umm Kulthum died, her father (s.g.v.) said that if he had another unmarried daughter, he would certainly give her in marriage to Uthman (r.a.). At the same time, none of the companions could boast of being married to two daughters of the Grace of the Worlds of Muhammad (s.g.w.).

6. Uthman (ra) was among the organizers of the secret resettlement of the first Muslims from Mecca, which was extremely hostile towards them, to Ethiopia. Then he also took part in the hijra - the emigration of Muslims to Medina and the building of a genuine Muslim society there.

7. Prophet Muhammad (s.g.w.) mentioned Usman (r.a.) among those companions to whom Paradise was promised during his lifetime (follows from hadiths from Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi, ibn Majah).

8. During the events of Hudaibiya, when an important, from a political point of view, agreement was signed between Muslims and pagans, the Messenger of the Almighty Muhammad (s.g.w.) decided to obtain an oath from the companions that they would actively resist all those who dares to obstruct their access to the Sacred Mosque in Mecca. Due to the fact that at that moment Uthman (r.a.) was serving as ambassador to this city, the Prophet (s.a.w.) personally swore allegiance for him, since he was sure that Uthman (r.a.) would be the first, who will agree to this.

Uthman ibn Affan (ra) died in his own home at the hands of rebels who opposed his course of action as head of a Muslim state. In fact, the murder of the third righteous caliph became the beginning of the first unrest in the history of Islam (fitnah - in Arabic). It is noteworthy that the day of his death coincided with both the festival of sacrifice (Eid al-Adha) and Friday. Moreover, the conspirators stabbed him while Uthman (r.a.) was reading the Holy Quran. He was buried in the Al-Baqi cemetery in Medina, where the graves of many companions of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) are located.

Osman was one of the first adherents of the founder of Islam, Muhammad, although he belonged to the same Umayyad family, because of whose machinations the prophet had to flee from Mecca in 622. After this flight ( Hijras) The Umayyads led the fight of pagan Mecca against Muslim Medina, but later agreed to voluntarily submit to the man they had once expelled from their hometown.

The election of Osman as caliph after the assassination of Omar (644) was unfortunate in many respects. Osman began to squander state revenues in favor of his friends and relatives and patronize them to the detriment of the most worthy people. With his actions, from the very beginning he alienated his cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad - Ali, as well as Talhu And Zubair, who enjoyed enormous influence as the oldest companions of Muhammad and the richest persons in Medina. Osman was also very proud and insulted all believers, treating them like a ruler, which was especially sensitive for them after the feigned simplicity of the first caliph Abu Bakr and the true humility of the second caliph, Omar. Soon there was displeasure and unrest everywhere. The dissatisfied publicly reproached the third caliph in the mosque, and this further incited Osman to violence.

One of the oldest copies of the Koran, presumably compiled under Caliph Osman

These unrest, however, did not prevent the Arabs from continuing their conquests. Relative of Osman, Umayyad Muawiyah, the son of Abu Sufyan, who was still the governor of Syria under Omar, conquered some cities in Asia Minor from the Greeks and forced the island of Cyprus, although not for long, to pay tribute to the Arabs. Muslims spread their dominance and religion along the shores of the Caspian and Black Seas; but, due to internal unrest, they almost lost the countries they had conquered in North Africa. Subsequently, however, they not only retained these lands, but also extended their rule even further. Having become caliph, Osman summoned from Egypt the conqueror and governor of this country, Amra ibn al-Asa, and appointed his foster brother, Abdallah, in his place. When, soon after, the Greeks captured Alexandria through unexpected sabotage, Osman was forced to send Amr to Egypt again; but as soon as he expelled them from Egypt, he was recalled again, and Abdallah was again appointed in his place, who, however, turned out to be worthy of this appointment. He expanded the borders of the state in northern Africa (648), conquered part of the lands on the border of Libya and Tunisia, whose indigenous inhabitants, nomadic Berbers engaged in robbery, had previously been in close relations with Muslims. The Berbers, to whose descendants the Kabyles known in our time belong, were the very people who are so often mentioned in Roman history under the names of Numidians or Mauritanians. In their way of life and morals, the Berbers were very similar to the Arabian Bedouins, and just like the latter, they hated all peoples who lived in cities and in permanent dwellings. These common features of national character contributed to their rapprochement with the Arabs. When, during the reign of Omar, Amr, going with an army to Barka, came into conflict for the first time with some Berber tribes, they sent envoys to him; whom he ordered to be sent to the Caliph in Arabia. Omar and his entourage understood the importance of an alliance with the Berbers for expanding the borders of the state. They kindly received the ambassadors, and, applying one saying of the prophet to them, forced the Arabs to consider them as long-promised allies and their fellow tribesmen. When these ambassadors, answering Omar’s question, said that they were shepherds and hated settled life, he exclaimed that he now understood the words of the prophet with which he consoled him during his grief over the slow spread of Islam: “Don’t cry, Omar, God will finally grant us allies in one of the African nations that has neither cities, nor permanent dwellings, nor markets.” Probably, the Arabs saw in the descendants of the Numidians fellow tribesmen of one of the peoples known to them, who lived near the Red Sea and were similar to the Berbers in their name and customs, and therefore mixed up their names. At least, the name Berbers appears in Africa only from the time of its conquest by the Arabs. Subsequently, an alliance with the Berbers paved the way for Muslims all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.

Borders of the Caliphate at the time of Osman's death (656)

Discontent against Osman continued to grow steadily, and finally led to open rebellion. The leaders of the dissatisfied people gathered from various provinces in Medina to force the caliph to change the system of government. Their arrival put Osman in an extremely difficult position; he tried with all his might to calm them down, but managed to achieve this only through the mediation of Ali. Osman expressed repentance and promised to fulfill everything that was demanded of him, but immediately after the departure of the leaders of the dissatisfied, he canceled all orders made at their request. Then the leaders of the opposition, led by the son of the former caliph Abu Bakr, Muhammad, returned to Medina, but this time accompanied by more than a thousand of the most energetic revolutionaries. Having entered the city, they attacked the caliph and his followers in the mosque, inflicting many wounds on him. Stunned by the blow of the stone, Osman was carried home unconscious. After that, the revolutionaries besieged the caliph in his home for several weeks in a row, at first not daring to kill him. Finally, perhaps out of fear that the governor of Syria and a member of the same Umayyad family, Muawiya, would come with an army to defend him, the conspirators set fire to the home of Caliph Osman, broke in through a neighboring house, and killed an 82-year-old man (656).

The dissatisfied proclaimed the prophet's cousin, Muhammad Ali, caliph. Ali was not formally an accomplice in the murder of his predecessor, but, by many indications, he did not want to interfere with it, although he could have done this thanks to his influence when Osman was besieged in his house for three weeks.

Well "Ruma"

In the north-west of Medina, at a distance of about 5 km from the Mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), there is a place that today is known as the well of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), and in times was called “biru Rum”.

This place has been filled with inexhaustible mercy for more than 1,400 years. This is the grace of the third righteous, an example of sacrifice and generosity, qualities that distinguished this man.

In the Wadi Al-Aqiq area there is a garden with a well, which occupies a special place in the history of Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him). This is the well of the room.

The history of this well is directly related to the events (resettlement) and subsequent years, when, along with the growth of the city and its population, the need for new sources of water increased.

The well was owned by a man who did not allow anyone to use it for free.

The water in it was tasty, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) loved it very much. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked the owner to allow people to drink from it for free, promising that as a reward he would receive a well in Paradise. But he refused, citing the fact that he and his children live off this well.

Everyone paid for water to one person who owned the Ruma well, since it was the only fresh source in the area.

When Usman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him), the richest and most generous of the companions, found out about this, he bought the well for 35 thousand dirhams and gave it to everyone for use (waqf).

This well has been preserved as a historical landmark, but has dried up. Later its walls were rebuilt and many things were changed.

Biography of Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him)

The biography of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) is a typical example of fate ennobled by Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) attached great importance to the development of their positive qualities in the companions.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entrusted each companion with exactly the task to which he was predisposed. For example, he used the wealth and generosity of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) by entrusting him with matters of gifts and offerings. After all, qualities such as generosity, willingness to help, and compassion were fully manifested in Usman (may Allah be pleased with him).

They say that Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was born and raised in Taif, and this had a certain influence on the formation of his personal qualities.

Whether Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was born in Mecca or Taif, it is undeniable that he grew up in a wealthy family that conducted extensive trade.

The Umayyad branch of the Quraysh unites with the family of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on Abdumanaf. She occupied a prominent place in Mecca.

During the time of Jahiliyya, the Quraish were divided into several groups or clans, the largest of which was considered the clan of Hashim, then Makhzum, etc. The Umayyads were one of these families, thus belonging to the top of the Meccan nobility.

The Quraish loved Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) very much. There was even a saying: “May the Merciful love you like the Quraysh of Uthman.” This clearly shows the place he occupied in the hearts of his fellow tribesmen.

Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) accepted Islam almost immediately after the revelation of the prophecy, at the age of 30. He played an important role in this (may Allah be pleased with him).

When Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) accepted Islam, his uncle took up arms against him, demanding that he return to the religion of his ancestors. But Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was adamant and defended his faith; in the end, her uncle accepted her too.

Relocation to Ethiopia

When the first Muslims were subjected to severe oppression by the Quraysh, Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was among the first muhajirs to Ethiopia.

Their route led to the harbor of Shuaib, southwest of Mecca.

Companions - Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) and 12 other Muslims, including his wife Ruqiya, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), went in this direction, to the port of Shuaibah. There they hired two small ships and headed to Ethiopia.

The Muslims made their second migration to Ethiopia along the same road, since at that time it was the main road, and Shuaib was the main port.

The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) “If I had another daughter, I would give her to Uthman” indicate that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) highly valued his nobility.

After moving to Medina, Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) helped Muslims and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), sharing everything he owned with his brothers in faith.

He took part in all the battles. The only battle in which he did not take part was the Battle of Badr, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) left him to care for his sick daughter.

Hudaibiya

Subsequent events that took place in Hudaybiyya led to the Ridwan Oath and the Hudaybiyya Truce. This oath is directly related to Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him).

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), arriving in Hudaybiya, sent Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) to the Quraish, knowing that they respected him.

When Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) stayed in Mecca, a rumor spread that the pagans had killed him. The Muslims decided to take revenge and swore allegiance to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), took the well-known oath.

From the place where the Muslims who wanted to make the pilgrimage were located, Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) went as an ambassador to the infidels. At first the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to send (may Allah be pleased with him), but he advised sending Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) because of the respect he had among the Quraish.

The polytheists greeted him and said: “Perform tawaf around the Kaaba.” But he refused, saying: “Not until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) does it.”

And negotiations began. When there was a rumor that Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was killed in Mecca, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to avenge him, an oath was taken to the west of Mecca, known as the oath of Ridwan or the oath under the tree, may there be Allah is pleased with the Muslims who gave it.

While taking the oath, the companions folded their palms, one on top of the other. And when only Usman (may Allah be pleased with him) was left to do this, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) put his hand in his place.

The generosity of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him)

During the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and subsequently, Uthman was an example of generosity and willingness to help in difficult times. This was especially evident in the 9th year of the Hegira, in preparation for the campaign against Tabuk, when he equipped the poor Muslims who opposed the united army of the Byzantines.

The march to Tabuk was one of the most difficult for Muslims.

Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) equipped an army of poor people, every single one of them. He supplied them all with mines, weapons, food - everything they needed.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “From today on, Uthman will not be harmed by what he has done.”

When the mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) became cramped, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to purchase land next to it for expansion, and Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) bought it.

As long as the land purchased by Uthman is located within the mosque, and this is the case to this day, inshaalah, he will receive a reward for every bow, for every sajda made on it by Muslims.

Usman was a good assistant to Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them all), and was one of the members of the Shura Council. After the assassination of Umar, he was elected caliph at the age of 68.

Virtues of Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him)

Uthman bin Affan, nicknamed "the owner of the two lights." He was named the owner of two radiances because he was married to two daughters of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He took the second daughter of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as his wife after the death of the first. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If I had another daughter, I would give her too for Usman.”

He was one of those eight with whom the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was pleased. Two died, six remained. From among them they elected the caliph. We chose between Usman and. Everything was decided by Abdurrahman ibn Awf, who said: “I consulted with everyone, even those who walked along the streets, and made sure that everyone gave preference to Uthman.”

He was older, very generous and was one of the readers.

During the era of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), many countries were conquered; a navy was founded and captured Cyprus.

The achievements of Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) include the fact that he continued the conquests of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). The Islamic State continued to expand. The era of maritime conquests began, the Islamic state turned into a maritime power.

One of his greatest achievements was the compilation of 4 copies of the Koran, which were taken to the centers of the caliphate regions. They were all copies of a specimen collected during the time of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him).

This was the pinnacle of his brilliant activity: he compiled several copies of the Koran and distributed them to large areas, so that they became the main source for copying and studying the Book of the Almighty.

Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) continued and developed many of Umar's initiatives and paid special attention to judicial matters.

Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was the first to build a courthouse in the history of Islam. The court has become an institution. In addition, he was the first to establish a police force in an Islamic state.

During the era of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), his financial policies and expansion of the state led to an increase in general prosperity and the spread of luxury. The companions, accustomed to asceticism, could not be happy with this.

Discontent began to manifest itself among Muslims, and the treachery of their enemies also played a certain role in this.

All this led to what is known in the history of Islam as the “Great Troubles,” which began with the assassination of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him).

Conspiracy against Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and his murder

It was a conspiracy of certain individuals who were able to influence some Muslims, but not the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Not a single companion participated in the murder of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him).

One of the most ardent instigators was the secret Jew Abdul ibn Saba. With his intrigues, he was able to set a group of people against Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is certain that Abdullah ibn Saba was a Jew, originally from Sana'a (Yemen). He was called ibn Savda (son of the black woman). He pretended to be a Muslim and, moving from one place to another, gathered followers around him and spread among them many wicked innovations that brought harm to the Islamic society.

Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) could have suppressed the dissatisfied by force, but instead resorted to dialogue. He discussed their arguments with his opponents, but they continued their intrigues, which ended in his murder.

Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) gave the order not to use force of arms against anyone, so that they would not say: “Uthman kills people.”

So they were able to get to Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and kill him while he was reading, so that his blood dripped onto the Koran, on the words of the verse: “Allah is enough for them.”

They also hit his wife, who was defending her husband.

Uthman was killed innocently. After Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), he became the second caliph to be killed. He was buried in the Baki cemetery.

The Baki cemetery, as you know, is very important for Muslims.

It is said that tens of thousands of Companions are buried there. This is reliably known. Every Muslim wishes to be buried here, next to his companions, in this blessed cemetery.

The greatest of the Muslims buried here after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) buried in his room is Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him).

Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) died at the age of 82, but history has preserved for us his great qualities, such as modesty, generosity, mercy, patience and generosity, as well as his hatred of bloodshed even in the face of mortal danger.

May Allah have mercy on the owner of two nours and be pleased with him, and may he lead him to contentment.

The material is translated from Arabic and prepared by the television company "Makhachkala-TV"