The son-in-law of the sultan of the worlds, the third caliph of Islamic history, given the good news of heaven by Allah, Hz. Osman . A companion who was the epitome of modesty . When Hz. Osman is mentioned, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind for each of us is his modesty. Just as Hz. Omar was identified with justice, he has also become one with modesty. When Osman is mentioned, modesty is mentioned, and when modesty is mentioned, Osman (ra) is mentioned. Undoubtedly, when Hz. Osman is mentioned, the first incidents of discord in Islamic history and the first divisions among Muslims are among the things that come to mind. Let’s all embark on a journey together in the life story of Hz. Osman , the caliph who held the caliphate for the longest time among the Rashidun Caliphs and who was the first to face a coup in Islamic history.
1. Birth and Lineage
Hz. Osman was born in Taif six years after the Incident of Fil. He was a member of the Umayyad tribe and his lineage connects with the Prophet through Abdulmanaf ibn Qusay. His father was Affan ibn Abi’l As, one of the richest merchants of the Quraysh, and his mother was Arva bint Qurayz. His grandmother was Ummu Hakim al-Bayda bint Abdulmuttalib, the Prophet’s aunt. His father Affan passed away during the Age of Ignorance before Islam. His surname is said to be Abu Amr, Abu Abdullah or Abu Layla.
2. Being a Muslim
Although he was born in Taif, Hz. Osman spent his childhood and youth in Mecca. He was involved in trade with his father in Mecca and participated in commercial expeditions. He was a young man who was loved and respected in Mecca with his superior moral qualities. After his father’s death, he took over the commercial activities. Hz. Osman accepted Islam upon the invitation of Hz. Abu Bakr. Thus, he joined the first Muslims and was honored to be one of the ten who were promised.
Because he was from the nobility, his conversion to Islam caused reactions within the Quraysh. His uncle, Hakem b. Abu’l-As, first blockaded his nephew, Uthman (ra), economically, then tied his hands and feet, imprisoned him in a room and tortured him. His mother also tried very hard to make him abandon his religion. However, despite all this torture and pressure, he did not abandon his religion.
3. The Nickname Zu’n-Nureyn
Before Islam, the daughters of the Prophet, Ruqiyya and Umm Kulthum, had married the sons of Abu Lahab. However, after the invitation to Islam, Abu Lahab, because of his enmity towards the Prophet, asked his sons to divorce the daughters of the Prophet. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah married Ruqiyya, the daughter of Abu Lahab, who had divorced Utba, the son of Abu Lahab, to Uthman. Uthman, who had never married before, became the son-in-law of the most beloved and the wife of the light of his eye.
Hz. Osman and his wife Ruqiyya migrated to Abyssinia with the first group that set out in the fifth year of prophethood. They had a child named Abdullah there, but he died in the fourth year of migration (Medina). Hz. Osman and his wife returned to Mecca one year after the migration to Abyssinia, and then migrated to Medina.
Hz. Osman, who could not participate in the Battle of Badr due to his wife’s illness, lost his wife Ruqiyya on the day the results of the battle reached Medina. After the death of his daughter Ruqiyya, the Messenger of Allah married Hz. Osman to his other daughter Ummu Kulthum. Hz. Osman, who had the honor of being the wife of the Messenger of Allah’s two daughters, was henceforth known as “Zun-nûreyn”, meaning the owner of two lights. After the death of Ummu Kulthum in the ninth year of the Hijra, the Prophet honored Hz. Osman, who had good manners, to whom he gave his two daughters, with the words, “If I had another daughter, I would marry her to Osman.”
4. Vast Modesty
Hz. Osman was a companion who was famous for his chastity and modesty. He did not drink alcohol before Islam and lived a chaste and clean life. Hz. Osman, who had a soft and gentle temperament, was truly a monument of modesty. For the Prophet said the following about him:
The most modest of my community is Osman.
Again, we see his immense sense of modesty very clearly in the following narration. As narrated to us by our mother Hazrat Aisha (ra);
One day, the Messenger of Allah (saw) was resting with a cover over him. At that moment, my father, Hazrat Abu Bakr, came to the door and asked permission to enter. The Messenger of Allah (saw) allowed him to enter without changing his attitude. Then he asked his question and left. Later, Hazrat Umar came and allowed him to enter without changing his attitude. Then Hazrat Uthman (saw) asked permission to enter his presence. This time, the Messenger of Allah (saw) immediately straightened up and pulled himself together. Thereupon, I became curious and asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Although you did not pull yourself together for Abu Bakr and Umar, why did you change your attitude when Uthman came?” The Messenger of Allah (saw) replied, “Because Uthman is a very modest person. Should I not be shy before someone before whom even the angels are shy?!
5. His generosity
Hz. Osman was a very generous companion in giving in the way of Allah. When they migrated to Medina, the Muslims began to experience serious water shortages. There was a water well called Rumah in the city, but its owner was selling water from it for money. The Prophet suggested to the owner of the well that he should not sell the water for money, but the man did not accept this. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah told his companions that the person who would buy the well would be given Paradise in return for this good deed, his sins would be forgiven, and he would be given a better well in Paradise than this one. Upon hearing this, Hz. Osman immediately took action to buy the well. Initially, since the owner did not sell the whole well, he bought half of it and offered it to the service of the Muslims. Thus, Hz. Osman was honored with the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, “O Allah, make Paradise obligatory for him.”
Although the well was initially used jointly, the other half was later purchased. Over time, the well came to be known as “Bir’rü Osman”. This donation by Hz. Osman is also considered one of the first examples of a foundation in Islamic history. Again, during the Tabuk campaign, when the Messenger of Allah called on his companions to help equip the army, Hz. Osman, without hesitation, donated a trade caravan of three hundred camels as it was. Hz. Prophet, who was very pleased with the situation, said:
“From now on, Osman will not be held responsible for anything he does. Oh Allah, I am pleased with Osman. You too should be pleased!”
He prayed. Abu Hurayrah (ra) also said, “Uthman bought Paradise from the Prophet twice; once when he bought the Well of Rumah and once when he equipped the Jaysh al-Usrah.” His distribution of all the goods in his caravan to needy Muslims during the famine during the time of Hz. Abu Bakr is another beautiful example that clearly demonstrates his charity and generosity.
Jaysh al-Usrah
The Tabuk Expedition was called “Gazvetü’l-usre” due to both the size of the enemy and the difficult conditions, and the army participating in the expedition was called “Jayşü’l-usre”. The Quran also includes the expression “Sâatü’l-usre” (Time of Hardship) for the Tabuk Expedition.
6. His Devotion to the Messenger of Allah
In the sixth year of the Hijrah, the Prophet set out from Medina with some of his companions to perform Umrah. When the Meccans heard that the Muslims were coming, they thought they had come for war and began to prepare for war. When the Messenger of Allah learned of the situation, he first sent Hirash, the son of Ummayatul Huzai, to inform them that he had no intention of fighting. However, Hirash barely escaped from the hands of the Quraysh and was unsuccessful in the task given to him. Thereupon, Hz. Osman was sent to meet with the Quraysh.
When Hz. Osman went to Mecca, the Quraysh welcomed him very well and even told him that he could circumambulate the Kaaba. However, he clearly demonstrated his loyalty and devotion to the Messenger of Allah by saying, “I cannot circumambulate unless the Messenger of Allah does so.” Some of the companions envied Hz. Osman, thinking that he would circumambulate the Kaaba. However, the Prophet knew that Hz. Osman (ra) would not circumambulate the Kaaba unless the Muslims did so. And that was what happened. Hz. Osman preferred to be imprisoned instead of circumambulating the Kaaba because of his loyalty to the Messenger of Allah.
The Quraysh imprisoned him for three days. During this time, rumors arose among the Muslims that Hz. Osman had been killed. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah took the allegiance of the Muslims with the intention of fighting against the polytheists. The Prophet extended his right hand forward and raised his left hand in the air and said, “This is my hand and this is the hand of Osman! Bear witness that I also take allegiance in the name of Osman.” Thus, he took allegiance in the name of Osman (ra). This allegiance, which took place under the Samura tree, went down in history as the “Allegiance of Ridvan”.
7. Its Position During the Period of Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat Omar
Before Hz. Osman became the caliph, he was an active person in politics during the time of Hz. Abu Bakr and Hz. Omar . Hz. Osman, who served as a scribe during the time of Hz. Abu Bakr, also served as an advisor to the caliph. Caliph Abu Bakr did not neglect to consult Hz. Osman in his important actions and valued his opinions. Because Hz. Abu Bakr consulted Hz. Osman when he was ill to determine the candidate who would succeed him as caliph, and he said Hz. Omar would be suitable.
On his deathbed, Caliph Abu Bakr (ra) had Hz. Osman write his will. During Hz. Omar’s caliphate, Hz. Osman continued his duties as a scribe and advisor. Whenever Hz. Omar left Medina, he left Hz. Osman as his deputy. It is seen that Hz. Osman, who also held an important position during the time of Hz. Omar (ra), was also influential in the decisions taken by the caliph.
Practices such as keeping a ledger for state income and expenditure, and starting the Islamic calendar with the month of Muharram were decisions taken upon the proposals of Hz. Osman. Again, the fact that the caliph, who ordered the stoning of Hatib’s concubine, whose guilt was proven, reversed his decision upon Hz. Osman’s reminder that punishment could not be applied to the insane, also reveals Hz. Osman’s influence on state administration. During the reign of Hz. Ömer, Hz. Osman was called “redif”, meaning second man, due to his influence on the caliph’s decisions and decrees.
8. Caliphate
When Hz. Omar was stabbed and wounded by the Zoroastrian slave of Abu Lu’lu’ah, he formed a council consisting of Ali ibn Abi Talib, Osman ibn Affan, Abdurrahman ibn Awf, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, Zubayr ibn al-Awwam and Talha ibn Ubaydullah to determine the person who would succeed him as caliph.
The members of the council would choose one of them as caliph. However, when the first discussions of the council were controversial, Abdurrahman ibn Awf announced that he was giving up his candidacy and offered to arbitrate the selection of the candidate. Thereupon, Hz. Osman and Hz. Ali, who announced that he would be a candidate, agreed to be arbitrated by Abdurrahman (ra). Abdurrahman ibn Awf traveled around Medina for three days, trying to determine the people’s opinion on the selection of the caliphate.
He then went to the candidates for the caliphate and asked them to promise that if they were elected, they would act in accordance with the religion of Allah, the sunnah of the prophet and the other two caliphs, and that they would not show favoritism to their relatives. When Hz. Osman gave a more unhesitating answer, he declared Osman (ra) as the caliph. Thus, Hz. Osman became the third caliph in Islamic history.
One of the most important actions of Hz. Osman after he came to the caliphate was the duplication of the Quran. The Quran was duplicated based on the copy that was turned into a mushaf during the time of Hz. Abu Bakr and was sent to various provinces. Those who had pages of the Quran in their possession other than the copies sent were asked to burn them in order to eliminate the problems that arose regarding the recitation of the Quran. [1] One of the important actions of Hz. Osman was the expansion of the Masjid an-Nabawi. The fact that the caliph donated 10,000 dirhams from his own property for the expansion of the mosque is also noteworthy in terms of his generosity.
We can say that the conquests during the reign of Hz. Osman were in the form of re-subjugating the regions conquered during the reign of Hz. Omer and continuing the conquest movement with new places. After the conquests of Iran, Azerbaijan, Syria and Egypt during the reign of Hz. Omer were re-subjugated, they went further and reached India in the east and North Africa in the west. Apart from this, the first navy in Islamic history was established during the reign of Hz. Osman and Muslims demonstrated their power at sea.
When Muawiyah b. Abi Sufyan told Hz. Omar that he wanted to establish a fleet and conquer Cyprus, the extremely cautious caliph rejected his request. With Hz. Osman’s accession to the caliphate, Muawiyah brought his offer back to the agenda and when Hz. Osman accepted, the island of Cyprus fell into Muslim hands. Again, the fleet established by Abdullah b. Sad b. Abi Serh ensured a major defeat for Byzantium in the Battle of Zat al-Sawārī.
9. Emergence of Opposition in the Administration
Historians have generally divided the caliphate of Hz. Osman into two as the “Period of Tranquility” covering the years 24-29 AH/644-649 AD and the “Period of Chaos” covering the years 30-35 AH/650-655 AD. While the first period was a period when tranquility prevailed in society, in the second period opposition groups against Hz. Osman’s rule began to emerge. Of course, this distinction is an artificial classification. In fact, the ground for the emergence of opposition movements should be sought in the first period.
The reason for the discontent in society towards Hz. Osman cannot be attributed to just one reason, there are many factors involved. One of the main points of criticism was that he considered his relatives rather than merit in the appointments he made to administrative positions with the idea that this would make the administration easier. This situation caused the tribalism that had disappeared with the Hz. Prophet to resurface.
The rise of the Umayyads to a privileged position in the administration revived the Umayyad-Hashimid conflict, and was perceived as the return of tribes other than the Quraysh to their domination.
The governors appointed by Hz. Osman in the provinces also took actions that reinforced these ideas. For example, the governor of Kufa, Sa’id b. el-As, drew a reaction from the people of Kufa when he said during a meeting, ” The entire land of Kufa is the garden of the Quraysh. ” During this period, especially in Kufa and Egypt, the people constantly complained about the governors and changes were made to the governors frequently.
The emergence of opposition to Hz. Osman’s rule was also influenced by the fact that Muslims gained material prosperity and began to deal with domestic politics after the conquests stopped. At the same time, the social stratum began to change during Hz. Osman’s period. The generation of companions in previous periods gradually decreased, and ethnic and religious elements diversified with the conquest of new places.
It is also a fact that the Muslims’ dominance over a large geography disturbed their enemies and led them to harm the internal dynamics of the Islamic society. Because the activities of Abdullah b. Saba, who caused discord among the Muslims and is frequently mentioned in our sources, also fueled the fire of division in the society. Abdullah b. Saba is probably only one of those who could write his name in the pages of history, and there are other names that tried to create chaos in the society like him. Of course, reasons such as Hz. Osman’s soft temper, weaknesses in administration and his inability to be as authoritarian as Hz. Omar cannot be ignored.
We see that the leading figures of the companions also complained about the administration of Hz. Osman. The fact that he gave priority to his relative who had been an enemy to Muslims for many years and had become a Muslim after the conquest of Mecca, while there were more qualified names than the companions, [2] that he exiled Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, one of the first companions, and on the other hand, that he appointed Walid ibn Ukba, Marwan ibn Hakem, Abdullah ibn Sa’d, who were known for their negative behavior during the time of the Hz. Prophet, to important positions, and that he implemented some practices that were against the practices of the Hz. Prophet [3] caused the companions to criticize his administration.
10. Martyrdom
Hz. Osman began to take some measures to prevent the discontent in society, held meetings with his governors and consulted them in order to resolve the chaos within the country. He also sent inspectors to the provinces in order to learn about the situation. Although the people who went to the provinces presented positive reports, the people of Kufa, Basra and Egypt were completely disturbed by the administration. In the meantime, the Egyptians sent a delegation to the capital to complain about their governor Abdullah b. Sa’d, and Hz. Osman, who listened to the complaints, sent a letter to his governor telling him to be careful with the people. However, the governor Abdullah did not listen to the caliph and killed one of those who complained about him. Thereupon, the Egyptians set off again towards Medina.
They must have informed the other opposition regions of Kufa and Basra about the situation, because the people of Kufa and Basra set off for Medina at the same time. Thereupon, Abdullah ibn Sa’d was dismissed and Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr was appointed in his place. However, the Egyptians encountered a slave from Medina on the way. When they realized that the slave belonged to the caliph and that he was going to Egypt, they began to search him and found a letter with the caliph’s seal. The letter ordered the governor Abdullah ibn Sa’d to continue his duty and to kill some of those who came to Medina, including Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr, and to imprison others.
The Egyptians who read the letter returned to Medina in anger and surrounded the caliph’s house. In the meantime, the people of Kufa and Basra had also returned. Although Hz. Osman had said that he had not written such a letter, it was not taken seriously by the rebels. Among the narrations is that the letter was written by Marwan b. Hakem on behalf of Hz. Osman. The people of Medina did not think that the caliph, who was under siege by the rebels, would probably be killed, so they did not make any attempt. In the first days of the siege, which is said to have lasted between twenty days and two months, the rebels gave Hz. Osman the opportunity to go to the mosque and act as imam, and during this period Hz. Osman managed to convince them on many issues. However, a speech made by Marwan on behalf of Hz. Osman caused chaos again.
The rebels not only forbade the caliph to leave his house but also did not allow water to be brought to him. They told Hz. Osman to give up the caliphate or he would be killed. As a result, the rebels rushed to kill the caliph after the end of the hajj season, thinking that the number of people coming from Mecca to Medina would increase and the news that soldiers from the provinces were approaching. They broke down the door of the caliph’s house, which was being defended by a few young companions, and killed the caliph Osman (ra) while he was reading the Quran. In the meantime, his wife Naila bint Farafisa, who was trying to protect him, had her fingers cut off. Thus, the first coup in Islamic history took place.
Hz. Osman was eighty-two years old when he was martyred. After killing the caliph, his house and the treasury were plundered, so he was buried only between the evening and night hours with the efforts of his wife. There are even narrations that he was buried three days later. According to narrations, Hz. Osman’s two wives and between three and seventeen men attended the funeral. It is reported that he was buried in a place called Hashshukevkeb next to Jannat al-Baqi after the funeral.
Grave of Hazrat Osman (ra)
For the curious: Five of the swords in the Sacred Relics section of Topkapi Palace are attributed to Hz. Osman.
Source
- Akpınar, Ö. F. (2020). Osman and His Place in Hadith Narration.Istanbul: Siyer .
- Apak, A. (2000). Conquests of the Period of Hz. Osman. Uludağ University Faculty of Theology Journal.
- Apak, A. (2017). Islamic History in Main Lines-2 (The Period of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs).Istanbul: Ansar.
- Demircan, A. (2016). The Rightly Guided Caliphs.Istanbul: Beyan.
- Journal, S. (2023, 02 13). The Symbol of Morality and Modesty Hz. Osman. Siyer Journal.
- Yigit, I. (2023, 02 13). Osman. TDV Islamic Encyclopedia: https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/osman
[1] According to narrations, during the Azerbaijan and Armenia campaigns, when a disagreement arose between Syrian and Iraqi soldiers regarding the recitation of the Holy Quran, Huzeyfe ibn al-Yaman brought the issue to the attention of Caliph Uthman (ra). Thereupon, the Caliph established a committee consisting of Zayd ibn Thabit, Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, Said ibn al-As, and Abdurrahman ibn al-Harith and ensured that the Holy Quran was copied.
[2] Mawdudi explained the unrest that arose against the caliph Osman (ra) as follows; First of all, most of the Banu Umayyad who came to power during the time of Hz. Osman were from “Tuleka.” These people took part in the struggle against the Hz. Prophet during the time of the Prophethood and became Muslims voluntarily or involuntarily after the conquest of Mecca. The governor of Damascus, Muawiyah, the governor of Kufa, Walid ibn Ukba, and the scribe Marwan ibn Hakem are among them. The governor of Egypt, Abdullah ibn Sa’d, became an apostate after becoming Muslim and was saved from being killed after the conquest of Mecca thanks to the efforts of Hz. Osman. These people were not people who became Muslims in the early periods of Islam and were not raised under the guidance of the Hz. Prophet. Tuleka: Tuleka, which means “freed” or “abandoned” in the dictionary, is a term used to describe Hz. It became a term after the Prophet’s address to the Qurayshi polytheists on the day of the conquest of Mecca, “Go, you are all free (Tuleka)”. It refers to those who became Muslims after the conquest of Mecca.
[3] An example of Hz. Osman’s practices that were contrary to the practices of the Hz. Prophet is that he did not perform the prayer of the traveler in Mina. While the Hz. Prophet performed the prayer of the traveler in Mina, as far as we understand from the narrations, Hz. Osman abandoned the practice of the Hz. Prophet and performed the prayer as four rakats. When Abdurrahman b. Awf asked him why he did this; some pilgrims from Yemen and some Muslims showed me the prayer I performed here and concluded that the prayer of a resident was two rakats, and he replied, “Moreover, I am married in Mecca and I have property in Taif.”
After Abdurrahman b. Avf’s sentences that tried to prove that his thought was not correct, he said, “This is the view that I find appropriate.” According to some sources, this was the first issue that Muslims spoke against Hz. Osman. During this period, the double call to prayer on Friday was also among the innovations that were not present in the practices of Hz. Prophet, Hz. Abu Bakr and Hz. Omar.