Sayyidinā ‘Uthmān (R)

1. Sayyidinā ‘Uthmān (R) never committed any immoral act, consumed alcohol, or committed fornication before or after embracing Islam. ‘Hilyat al-Auliya’
2. Sayyidinā ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (R) said that amongst those of the Quraysh who surpassed all others in appearance, mien, manners and modesty, in eloquence of speech and gentleness – such that when people would look at them then they wished to keep on looking – was ‘Uthmān (R). Qādah min Ashāb al-Nabī’
3. Sayyidina ‘Uthmān (R) embraced Islam immediately when invited and was the fourth man to embrace Islam. ‘Ibn Hishām’
4. Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) soon thereafter married his beloved daughter, Ruqayyah (R), to Sayyidina ‘Uthmān (R) and remarked upon their union: “The best looking couple anyone has ever seen, is Ruqayyah and her husband ‘Uthmān (R). ‘Ansāb al-Ashraf’
5. After embracing Islam, Sayyidina ‘Uthmān (R) was severely beaten and tortured by his uncle but he remained steadfast upon īmān despite the hardships he had to endure. ‘Ibn Sa‘d’
6. Sayyidina ‘Uthmān (R) migrated to Abyssinia along with his beloved wife. Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said on this occasion: “Uthmān is the first person to migrate with his family from this ummah.” ‘al-Isābah’
7. Sayyidunā ‘Uthmān (R) stayed close to Rasūlullāh (R) wherever he was, and he did not leave him except when he migrated with his permission, or went on a mission for which he appointed him, which no one else could do. ‘Ibn Hishām’
8. Sayyiduna ‘Uthmān (R) then migrated to Madīnah with the Muslims, thus including himself amongst those who performed hijrah twice for the dīn of Allāh. ‘Sīrah Nabawiyyah’
9. Sayyiduna ‘Uthmān (R) was amongst the senior Sahābah of Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), with whom he would consult regarding the affairs of the Muslims. ‘Siyarus Sahābah’
10. Soon after arriving in Madīnah, Sayyidinā ʿUthmān (R) purchased and donated the well of Rūmah for the general usage of the Muslims, on which Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) promised him a garden in Jannah.‘Tirmidhī’
11. After the demise of Sayyidah Ruqayyah bint Rasulillāh, Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) wedded his other daughter, Umm Kulthūm, to Sayyidinā ʿUthmān (R), making him the only man in history to have ever married two daughters of a nabī. ‘Usdul Ghābah’
12. When Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) sought to extend Masjid Nabawī, he announced: “Whoever will purchase the land of so and so, and add it to the masjid in lieu of good, for him will paradise.” Sayyidinā ʿUthmān (R) then purchased it for 25 000 dirhams and added it to the masjid. ‘Tirmidhī’
13. Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was always pleased with Sayyidinā ʿUthmān (R) and would often supplicate to Allah to reward him and treat him graciously. Tabrānī’
14. Sayyidinā ʿUthmān (R) loved Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) dearly and would often fulfil the household needs of Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). ‘Ibn Khaldūn’
15. Sayyidinā ʿUthmān (R) had the honour of being the messenger of Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) to the Quraysh on the expedition of Hudaybiyyah. ‘Tirmidhī’
16. When the rumour spread that Sayyidinā ʿUthmān (R) had been killed by the Quraysh, 1400 Sahābah pledged their allegiance to Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) to avenge the blood of ʿUthmān, on which Allah Ta’ālā announced his pleasure with all of them. ibid
17. Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) appointed Sayyidinā ʿUthmān (R) as his deputy in Madīnah on two occasions, during the campaign of Ghatafān and Dhāt al-Riqā’ ‘Ibn Sa’d’
18. When Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) urged the Sahabah to donate for the expedition of Tabūk, Sayyidinā ʿUthmān (R) presented 940 camels 60 horses and 10 000 dinārs (gold coins) before Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) , who then said twice: “No deed can harm ʿUthmān after today.” ‘Tirmidhī’
19. Sayyidinā ʿUthmān (R) was amongst those Sahābah whom Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was extremely pleased with before his demise. Ibid

• Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Every Nabī will have a companion in Jannah and my companion in Jannah will be ʿUthmān” 'Tirmidhī'
  • Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “O ʿUthmān! Allah will give you a garment to wear (i.e. khilāfah), so if the hypocrites want you to shed it, do not shed it until you meet me.” ‘Ahmad’
  • Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “ʿUthmān resembles me the most in character from all my Sahābah.” 'Ibn ʿAsākir’
  • Sayyidinā ʿAlī narrates that Rasūlullāh (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said to ʿUthmān (R): “If I had forty daughters I would have married them all to you one after the other until none of them remained 'Ibn ʿAsākir’
  • Sayyidinā Abū Hurayrah (R) said: “ʿUthmān bought Jannah twice, first when he purchased the well of Rūmah (for the Muslims), and when he prepared the army to go on the expedition of Tabūk.” ‘Hākim’
  • When Sayyidinā ʿAlī (R) was asked about Sayyidinā ʿUthmān (R), he said: “He is a man who is called Dhu al-Nūrayn by the exalted assembly (angels). He was the son-in-law of the Rasūl of Allah (saw) and was married to two of his daughters, and he was guaranteed a house in paradise.” 'Muwāfaqah'
  • The grandson of Sayyidinā Husayn (R) - Sayyidinā Zayd (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), used to say: disavowing Abū Bakr, ʿUmar and ʿUthmān is disavowing ʿAlī, and disavowing ʿAlī is disavowing Abū Bakr, ʿUmar and ʿUthmān.” 'Tārīkh Dimashq'
  • Sayyidinā ʿAlī (R) said on the Day of Jamal: “O Allah, I declare my innocence before You of shedding the blood of ʿUthmān; I was beside myself with grief on the day when ʿUthmān was killed, and I felt very distressed when they came to swear allegiance to me. I said: By Allah, I feel ashamed before Allah to accept the allegiance of people who killed a man of whom the Rasūl of Allah (ra) said:

“Should I not feel shy before the one before whom the angels feel shy?”

I feel ashamed before Allah to accept allegiance when ʿUthmān is lying slain on the ground and has not yet been buried. So they went away, but when ʿUthmān had been buried, the people came back and asked me to accept their allegiance, and I said: ‘By Allah, I am worried about what to do.’ Then I decided to go ahead and accept their oaths of allegiance. When they said: ‘O Amīr al-Mu'minīn’, it was as if it gave me a shock, and I said: ‘O Allah, take (ḥasanāt) from me and give them to ʿUthmān until You are pleased.’ 'Hākim'