Introduction
In this part we examine the events that led to the martyrdom of Uthman. We discuss why he refused to fight. Finally we look at the consequences of his martyrdom.
The planned assassination of Uthman.
Having failed to disparage Uthman openly, the ring leaders of the sedition decided to use the following Hajj as an opportunity to depose Uthman. They knew that many of the Companions would be away on Hajj. In the month of Shawwāl in 35AH over 2,000 followers of Ibn Saba simultaneously made their way to Madina from Basra, Kūfa and Egypt. Many believed that ‘Alī, Ṭalḥa and Zubair were also calling for the overthrow of Uthman. Pledges of allegiance were presented to the three aforementioned Companions in Medina, who flatly refused. Uthman sent ‘Alī to them to hear their complaints. One of their demands was the dismissal of Abdullah ibn Sa’d as the governor of Egypt and his replacement with Muḥammad ibn Abi Bakr. Uthman agreed to this demand. After Ali had convinced them of the error of their ways and the rebels left for their respective cities, taking different routes, satisfied with Uthman.
This was a disaster for the instigators against Uthmān, so they came up with another plan.
The forged letter
According to Tabari, Al-Ashtar ibn Nakha’ and Hukaym bin Jabala stayed behind in Madina. The rebels from Kūfa, and Basra headed back home eastwards, and the Egyptians headed home westwards. As the Egyptian delegation headed back, they saw someone riding a camel who repeatedly approached them then moved away as if he was fleeing from them and enticing them to catch him. They caught him and asked who he was. He said: “I am the envoy of the caliph to his agent in Egypt”. They searched him and found a forged letter bearing Uthman’s seal addressed to his governor. The forged letter contained alleged orders from Uthman to his governor Abdullah bin Sad to kill them when they arrive back in Egypt.
Incensed they returned to Madina and confronted Uthman with the forged letter. Now the Kufans and Basrans arrived back in Madina at the same time, even the three groups had been travelling in a totally different direction, thus showing that this had been pre-arranged. A forged letter had been sent to the Iraqis, on behalf of ‘Alī, asking them to return. On their return to Madina, ‘Alī refused to support him to which they retorted, ‘then why did you write to us?’. ‘Alī replied: ‘by Allah, I did not write to you’. Hence both letters had been forged by the followers of Ibn Saba, who were intent on killing Uthman. Many of the rebels were misled by the agitators.
Proof that the letter was a forgery
- If Uthman had really intended to kill the Egyptians, his envoy would have hastened to Egypt and not deliberately attracted their attention.
- Secondly Uthman would not have written to Abdullah in Sa’d in Egypt, because he had given Abdullah permission to come to Madina and he knew that he had left Egypt. Hence Ali said: “By Allah this was a plot drawn up in Madina”.
- As we shall see later, Uthman forbade killing the rebels when they besieged him, and refused to allow the Sahaabah to defend him, so he could he write a letter ordering the killing of a people who had made repentance.
- The fact that two of the instigators of the rebellion Al-Ashtar ibn Nakha’ and Hukaym bin Jabala stayed behind in Madina when they had nothing to do in Madina shows that they were behind this plot under the orders of Abdullah ibn Saba.
This letter was not the first forgery. Letters had also previously been fabricated in the names of Ali, Talhah, Zubair, Aishah. These forged letters stated that Uthman had corrupted Islam, and that jihad in Madina was more virtuous than staying in the remote outposts. However Ali, Talhah, Zubair, and Aishah all denied that they had written these letters.
Uthman refuses to abdicate
Although Uthman took an oath that he had not written the letter, the rebels demanded that he abdicate but Uthman refused. The Prophet (salahu alaihi wa sallam) said:
“Uthman, Allah, will give you a garment to wear (i.e., the caliphate), so if the hypocrites want you to shed it, do not shed it until you meet me. O Uthman, Allah will give you a garment to wear, so if the hypocrites want you to shed it, do not shed it until you meet me (Aḥmad).
Ibn Umar also advised Uthman not to give up the caliphate, knowing that to do so what result in the caliphate becoming a plaything in the hands of the evil doers and the institution of the Caliph would have become unstable. Uthman sacrificed his life to prevent this from happening.
Uthman did a Khutbah and addressed the people: O brothers who came to fight, if you do not return you will be cursed by Allah. But they interrupted his khutbah. They outnumbered the Sahaabah. Uthman fell unconscious and was carried to his house.
A siege began of Uthman’s house, he was prevented from coming out of his house and eventually the water supply was cut off. A number of companions including Ḥasan, Hussain, Muhammad bin Talha, Abdullah ibn Zubair guarded the house and some of them were wounded in a fight with the rebels.
Uthman requested that those who were defending him should leave, and rejected repeated offers of assistance from various companions. Ali offered 500 men to defend him, Zubayr offered to join him in his house. Other companions suggested that he leave for Makkah or Sham, but Uthmān refused. Kaab ibn Malik said “O Ansar, be supporters of Allah twice”, so the Ansar came to Uthman’s door and Zayd bin Thabit entered and said to him; “The Ansar are at your door, if you wish, we will be supporters of Allah twice”. But Uthman refused saying “I ask those who believe they owe me obedience to hold back their hands and their weapons… I have no need of any defence”. He also said:
The Prophet (salahu alaihi wa sallam) made a covenant with me and I will be patient with it.
Why did Uthman refuse to fight.
‘A’ishah narrated The Messenger of Allah said: “Call one of my companions for me.” I said: Abu Bakr? He said: “No.” I said: Uthman? He said: “Yes.” When he came he said (to me): “Move away,” then he started to converse with him, and Uthman’s colour changed. When he was besieged in his house, we said: O Ameer al- Mu’mineen, will you not fight? He said: No. The Messenger of Allah gave me some advice and I am going to persevere with it. Musnad (6/52).
This hadeeth shows that there was advice and guidance about this turmoil which was known only to Uthman as the Prophet was keen to keep it secret, as is clear from his telling ‘Aa’ishah to move away when he wanted to converse privately with Uthman. He also spoke with him in a low voice, despite the fact that there was no one else there, until his colour changed, which is indicative of the seriousness of the conversation. The fact that ‘Aa’ishah made a connection between this private conversation and the turmoil clearly indicates that this conversation was about the turmoil during which Uthman was killed and contained advice from the Prophet to Uthman to adopt the right stance and not give up the caliphate. In this private conversation the Prophet urged him to keep it secret for a reason, and Allah knows best what it was.
This hadeeth clearly explains the reason why Uthman refused to fight during the siege, and why he refused to give up the caliphate when the people suggested that to him. Uthman knew that the rebels were after him alone, and he did not want to use his brothers as a shield to protect him.
He knew that this fitnah would result in his martyrdom, as the Prophet had given him glad tidings of a Paradise of a fitnah that would befall him, and that he would be killed when adhering patiently to the truth. Ahmed narrates that during the siege Uthman said:
“I saw the Messenger of Allah, (salahu alaihi wa sallam) in a dream, and I saw Abu Bakr and ‘Umar. They told me, ‘Be patient, you will break fast with us tomorrow’.
Then he called for a Qur’an and he spread it open before him”
The strength of Uthman’s character
This refutes the claim that Uthman was a weak leader. He was willing to endure this calamity which he knew would result in his death, preferring to sacrifice his own blood rather than spill the blood of his fellow Muslims. If he had wished, he could have escaped, or sent the Ansar and Muhājarūn against the rebels. Ibn Taymiyyah said; “The patience that he showed until he was killed is amongst his greatest virtues in the eyes of the Muslims”
News reached the rebels that the people would shortly be completing Hajj, and many of them were headed for Madinah to support their beloved Caliph. In addition, armies were being dispatched from the various regions to support Uthman. Hence, they decided to kill Uthman. They entered his house from the back, after scaling the walls. A number of Companions including Hasan ibn Ali, Abdullah ibn Zubair and other fought to protect his house and were wounded. Uthman called out to them: “ I do not want you to defend me”. However, they insisted. Al Hassan bin ‘Alī and his brother sent by ‘Alī. He guarded the house of Uthman and H̩assān was wounded and then carried away from the house.(Ibn Sa’ad 8/128. Sahih)
The rebels murder Uthman
The rebels entered the house and while Uthmaan was reading the Quran. At the time he was fasting. The one who killed Uthman was an Egyptian from the tribe of Sadoos who repeatedly stabbed him. Uthman’s wife tried to stop the blow, and he cut of her fingers. At the time, Uthman was reading the Qur’ān’. ibn Khayyat narrated in his Tarikh with a sahih isnad that the first drop of Uthman’s blood fell on the words :فَسَیَكْفِیْكَهُمُ اللّٰهُ So Allah will suffice for you against them. After he had been stabbed, another enemy of Allah called ʿAmr bin al-Ḥamiq sat on his chest proceeded to stab him nine times in the chest, after which he said, “Three of them were for Allāh and six of them were for what I held in my chest.” In reality, none of them were for Allāh at all.
For a number of days before his death, he had been deprived of water. After killing him they ransacked his house taking everything. Uthman was martyred at the aged of 82. He was buried three days after his martyrdom. May Allah have mercy upon his soul.
The calamity of the crime
When they killed him, they killed the best man alive on the face of the earth. He was the son-in-law of the Prophet, one of the ten promised Paradise and he sent his life and wealth in the service of Islam. He was martyred on a blessed day (Friday) in a blessed month (Dhul Hijja) whilst fasting and reciting the book of Allah in the year 35AH. Imam Al-Nawawi in his Sharh Muslim said that he was unjustly killed by mob who came from Egypt.
The remorse of an evil man
In Tarikh ibn ‘Asakir it is narrated that Muhammad ibn Sirin said: I was circumambulating the Ka’bah and I saw a man saying: “O Allah, forgive me, but I don’t think You will forgive me.” I said: “O slave of Allah, I have never heard anyone saying what you are saying.” He said: “I promised Allah that if I could slap Uthman on the face I would do so.” When he was killed and placed on the bier in the house, and the people were coming to pay their last respects, I entered as if I wanted to pay my last respects, and I found myself alone with him. I lifted the cloth from his face and slapped his face, and then I covered him again. Now my right arm is paralyzed.” Muhammad ibn Sirin said: “I saw it, like a piece of wood.” (Tarikh Dimashq, p. 458)
The consequences of Uthman’s martyrdom.
After the assassination, Madina was in the grip of the rebels with Ghāfiqi bin Ḥarb Akki in charge. They offered the Caliph to Ṭalḥa and then Zubair, but both refused. Eventually the bayah was given to ‘Alī. Ali was not in a position to hold the murderers of Uthman to account, for in reality, they were in control. However many companions insisted that the blood of Uthman be avenged before they gave ‘Alī the bayah. When ‘Alī moved to Iraq, Uthman’s murderers moved with him. They were responsible for the Battle of the Camel, after the ‘Alī had reached a peace agreement with the camp of Aishah. Hence this bloody battle was a direct result of the assassination.
The death of Uthman also led to the battle of Siffin, resulting in the deaths of thousands of Muslims. The subsequent arbitration between ‘Alī and Mu’āwiyah led to Uthman’s murderers turning against ‘Alī, and pronouncing him and Mu’āwiyah to be kuffar. Hence the first sect of Islam – the Khawarij emerged as a result of the killing of Uthman. Most of the Caliphate of ‘Alī was taken up with the civil war that began due to the assassination of Uthman. Hence another consequence of Uthman’s assassination was that the military conquests that were continuing unabated during the time of Abū Bakr, ‘Umar, and Uthman, almost grind to a halt during the Caliphate of ‘Alī.
In the final part we examine the some of the reasons why, during the time of Uthman, the fitnah occurred.
Taken from The Biography of Uthman Ibn Affan – Dr. Ali Muhammad Sallabi
