ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān
عثمان بن عفان
- Dates
- 576–656 CE / 47 BH–35 AH
- Relation to the Prophet ﷺ
- Son-in-law twice over — married the Prophet's ﷺ daughters Ruqayyah then Umm Kulthūm
The caliph who unified the Qurʾanic script. The standard muṣḥaf used today descends directly from his committee's edition.
Life
ʿUthmān was among the wealthiest Qurayshī merchants. He bought the well of Rūmah and gave it to the Muslims of Madinah; he equipped the army of Tabūk almost single-handedly. The Prophet ﷺ said: after today, nothing will harm ʿUthmān, whatever he does.
His caliphate lasted twelve years. When regional recitations of the Qurʾan began to diverge, ʿUthmān commissioned a committee — including Zayd ibn Thābit — to produce one authoritative text. The resulting muṣḥaf is the Qurʾan every Muslim in the world now reads. He was assassinated in his own house in Madinah while reading the Qurʾan, surrounded by rebels he refused to let his guards fight. His blood fell on the page open before him — preserved in the Topkapi muṣḥaf.
Passages that mention ʿUthmān
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""You have the reward of a man who was present at Badr, and his share." As for his absence from the Pledge of Good Pleasure, had there been anyone more honored in the heart of Mecca than Uthman, he would have sent him in his place; so the Messenger of God, God's peace and blessings be upon him, sent Uthman, and the Pledge of Good Pleasure took place after Uthman had gone to Mecca, and the Prophet, God's peace and blessings be upon him, said, with his right hand, "This is the hand of Uthman," and struck it upon his other hand and said, "This is for Uthman."' Then Ibn Umar said to him, 'Take this away with you now.'" He alone related it, without Muslim."
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"Ibn Adi said, from Abu Ya'la, from Ammar ibn Yasir al-Mustamli, from Ishaq ibn Ibrahim al-Mustamli, from Abu Ishaq, from Abu Wa'il, from Hudhayfa: that the Messenger of God, God's peace and blessings be upon him, sent to Uthman asking his help for an expedition he was making, and Uthman sent him ten thousand dinars, and he set them before him and began to turn them over before him and pray for him: "May God forgive you, Uthman, what you have hidden and what you have shown, what you have concealed and what is to come until the Day of Resurrection. Uthman need not care what he does after this.""
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"Al-Waqidi said: In it Uthman ibn Affan, may God be pleased with him, led the people on the pilgrimage. Others said: In it Uthman ibn Abi al-As conquered Sabur by treaty, for three million three hundred thousand. Then Came the Year Twenty-Seven Al-Waqidi and Abu Ma'shar said: In it Uthman dismissed Amr ibn al-As from Egypt and appointed over it Abdullah ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Sarh, who was Uthman's brother through his mother, and the one for whom he interceded on the day of the Conquest, when the Messenger of God, God's peace and blessings be upon him, had declared his blood forfeit."
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"The Messenger of God, God's peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Every prophet has a companion, and my companion in Paradise is Uthman." Then he said: This is a rare hadith; its chain is not strong, and its chain is broken. Abu Uthman Muhammad ibn Uthman related it from his father, from Abu al-Zinad, from his father, from al-A'raj, from Abu Hurayra. Al-Tirmidhi said: Al-Fadl ibn Abi Talib al-Baghdadi and more than one other told us, saying: Uthman ibn Zufar told us: Muhammad ibn Ziyad told us, from Muhammad ibn Ajlan, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir, who said:"
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"Sa'd then went to Umar and said, "O Commander of the Faithful! Has something new happened in Islam?" Umar asked, "What is that?" Sa'd explained the situation, and Umar sent for Uthman. When Uthman came, Umar asked, "What prevents you from returning your brother's greeting?" Uthman replied, "I did not do so." After some discussion, Uthman remembered and said, "Indeed, I seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him."
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"and his tears flowed onto the cheek of 'Uthman. This narration was authenticated by Al-Tirmidhi. When the funeral of 'Uthman ibn Maz'un was passing by, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, remarked: "You have departed and did not partake in anything of this world." Umm Al-Ala, one of those who pledged allegiance, mentioned that 'Uthman ibn Maz'un fell ill with them, and they nursed him until he passed away. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, came, and she said: "My testimony upon you, O Abu Al-Sa'ib, is that Allah has honored you!" The Messenger of Allah replied: "And what makes you know?" She said: "I do not know,"
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