Introduction
In the final part, we examine the reasons why, during the time of Uthman, the fitnah occurred. The section starts with a discussion of hadith related to fitnah.
Why the Prophet mentioned the fitnah
In many ahadeeth the Prophet foretold that this ummah would be afflicted with division and fighting. The Prophet (salalahu alaihi wa sallam) said
“Time will pass rapidly, good deeds will decrease, miserliness will be thrown (in the hearts of the people), Fitan will appear and there will be much al-Harj.”They (the Sahabah) asked, “O Messenger of Allah! What is al-Harj?”The Prophet replied, “Killing! Killing!” [Bukharee]
He (salalahu alaihi was sallam) mentioned this for many reasons:
- Fitnah is the decree of Allah, it is inevitable, and those who indulge in it are doomed in this world and the Hereafter, and those who stay away from it will succeed.
- To describe the characteristics of those who would stir the fitnah – many of them appeared to be committed believers, but their understanding would be deviant.
- The fitnah would expose the hypocrites and cleanse the hearts of the believers.
- The hadeeth about the fitnah carry an implicit warning against falling into it, or playing any part in it.
- Division is inevitable in this ummah, so the Prophet warned his ummah so that whomever Allah wished would be safe from that.
- In the cases of fitnah, the tongue plays a greater role than the sword, and indeed the tongue is one of the main causes of fitnah and turmoil.
Reasons for the turmoil that led to the killing of Uthman
The rebels opposed the prophetic principle of adhering to the Jama’ah of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah – and following its Imams and scholars. Infact, they did the opposite. The Prophet (salalahu alaihi wa sallam) said; Beware of splitting, and stay with the jamaa’ah (main body of Muslims).” (graded hasan in Musnad Ahmad)
- The rebels opposed the prophetic methodology of advising the ruler. The Prophet (salalahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “
Whosoever intends to advise the ruler/or someone in authority, then he should not do it openly, but take him by the hand and then be with him alone. So, if he accepts it then it is good, otherwise, he has done his part.” [Reported by Ibn Abi Aasim in as-Sunnah and others, authenticated by al-Albanee]
- In the time of Uthmaan, due to conquests, wealth started pouring into baytul al maal from the war booty. People become very rich and many become preoccupied with wealth. This led to competition and hatred amongst some people whose faith was not strong. This was particularly true among the desert Arabs, and members of prosperous nations who entered Islam at a superficial level.
- A new class of Quran reciters from the Bedouins and non-Arabs emerged, who learnt the Quran not for the sake of reward, but for payments offered by the Caliph as an encouragement.
- The vast conquests led to a huge number of people from different races, languages, customs, and lifestyle coming under the Islamic state. Many were Persians, Arab Christians and Jews. These people had not been taught by the Prophet, nor by the Sahaabah, as the latter were pre-occupied with jihad, others had settled through the regions, and many had been killed in battle. Due to the rapid expansion of the Islamic state, it was not humanly possible to educate the huge numbers of people in these regions.
- The non-Arabs who came from the conquered lands were among the quickest people to engage in fitnah, due to their resentment of being conquered by the Arabs. Although they had embraced Islam, their understanding of Islam was very weak. Nationalism was very strong amongst them.
- Some groups of people entered Islam outwardly for ulterior motives, harbouring hatred towards the Muslims. These people hastened towards fitnah.
- The bedouins, who were known for their ignorance, harsh heartedness, tribalism, and stubbornness, made up a large number of the rebels who killed Uthman. Some of them were former apostates. Many had settled in the newly conquered provinces. From these bedouins emerged men who were known as al-qurraa, however they understood very little of the Quran. They were strict in religious practice, but this strictness was based upon a lack of understanding of Islam. They were unable to weigh up the benefits and harms of their actions. These bedouins become full of self-admiration and would look down upon the scholars of Islam. This ignorant piety made them bold enough to claim that Uthman’s decisions were contrary to Islam, even though the opposite was true.
- In the time of Abu Bakr, the former apostates were prohibited from fighting jihad. Umar relaxed this but would not allow a former apostate to command a battalion. By the time of Uthman, the prohibition on former apostate engaging in jihad was completely lifted and many of them settled in Kufa. When we look at the names of the murderers of Uthman, we see men who belonged to tribes that were among the former apostates.
- The Jews, Christians and Persians also played a role in the fitnah.
- Thus a new generation emerged who still had the qualities of tribalism and selfishness. These people readily accepted rumours without verifying them. They also resented the high status given to the Muhaajiroon and Ansar – all of the governors were from the Companions. They started openly picking fault with the governors and soon they started criticising Uthman himself.
- Some had personal grudges against Uthman, due to Uthman applying the hudood on them. Along with the Jews, they incited the ignorant Bedouins against Uthman under the pretext of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil. Their slogan was the takbeer, their claim was that their “jihad” was against injustice, this eventually led to the killing of Uthman.
For further information read the excellent book; Biography of Uthman ibn Affan by Dr. Ali Muhammad As-Sallabi.
