In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Mawaddah Association
presents "The Ten Promised Paradise":
'Uthman ibn 'Affan, may Allah be pleased with him.
"Loving the Companions and the Prophet's kin is a Sunnah
with which I hope to meet my Lord when He gives me life.
Loving the Companions and the Prophet's kin..."
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him, performed wudu at his home,
then went out and said,
"I will surely stay close to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and I will certainly spend this entire day with him."
So he came to him while he was sitting at the well of Aris,
having uncovered his shins and dangled them into the well.
He greeted him with peace,
then stepped back and sat at the gate,
saying,
"Today I shall be the gatekeeper of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him."
Then a man came and asked to enter,
so the Prophet, peace be upon him, said to Abu Musa,
"Open for him, and give him the glad tidings of Paradise."
So he opened for him,
and behold, it was Abu Bakr!
He gave him the glad tidings of what the Prophet, peace be upon him, had said,
and Abu Bakr praised Allah.
Then he entered and sat to the right of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
dangling his legs into the well.
Then another man came and asked to enter,
so the Prophet, peace be upon him, said,
"Open for him, and give him the glad tidings of Paradise."
So he opened for him,
and behold, it was 'Umar!
Abu Musa informed him of what the Prophet, peace be upon him, had said,
and 'Umar praised Allah.
Then he entered and sat to the left of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
dangling his legs into the well.
Then another man asked to enter,
so the Prophet, peace be upon him, said,
"Open for him, and give him the glad tidings of Paradise, along with a trial that will afflict him."
So he opened for him,
and behold, it was 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him!
He informed him of what the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, had said,
and 'Uthman praised Allah,
then said, "Allah's help is sought."
Then he entered and sat opposite the Prophet, peace be upon him,
on the other side of the well.
Their seating positions were interpreted as representing their graves.
Time moved on,
and long years passed,
until the Commander of the Believers, 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, came
to that very same well,
six years into his caliphate.
He sat upon its edge,
and in his hand was the ring of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him—
that ring which remained in the Prophet's hand, peace be upon him, until his death,
then was in the hand of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him,
then in the hand of 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him,
and then came into the hand of 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him.
'Uthman removed the ring from his hand and sat contemplating it,
when it fell from his hand into the well.
'Uthman was dismayed and began searching for it,
as did the Muslims who were with him.
The search inside the well continued for three days,
so much so that they drained all the water from the well,
yet the ring was not found.
'Uthman and the Muslims were deeply grieved by that,
and that was only because of the immense value of this ring in their hearts.
Imam al-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"From the moment the ring fell,
discord arose among the Muslims;
it was as though the ring had been a safeguard for them."
Tribulations began creeping across the far-flung realms of the Islamic state,
and among the reasons for this, perhaps,
was 'Uthman's forbearance, may Allah be pleased with him, and his gentle disposition.
On the other hand,
there was tribal factionalism,
the greed of certain tribes for power,
and also the widespread prosperity among people and their inclination toward luxury,
which gave rise to a generation of zealous youth lacking knowledge and sound judgment.
Nor can we overlook the most significant cause of the fitnah,
which was the role of the Saba'iyyah—
the followers of 'Abdullah ibn Saba', the Jew—
in spreading rumors and hatching conspiracies against the Muslims.
For Ibn Saba' and his cohorts were spreading false rumors among the people,
which were seized upon by those of weak faith,
who then turned with resentment against the Commander of the Believers.
An example of this is that a man from the people of Egypt came to perform the pilgrimage to the House.
He saw a group of people sitting together and asked,
"Who are these people?"
They replied, "These are a group from Quraysh."
He asked, "Who is the elder among them?"
They replied, "'Abdullah ibn 'Umar."
So he said, "O Ibn 'Umar,
I wish to ask you about something, so tell me:
Do you know that 'Uthman fled on the day of Uhud?"
He said, "Yes."
The man asked, "Do you know that he was absent from Badr and did not attend it?"
He said, "Yes."
The man asked,
"Do you know that he was absent from the Pledge of Ridwan and did not attend it?"
He said, "Yes."
Thereupon the man said,
"Allahu Akbar!"
So Ibn 'Umar said,
"Come, let me explain to you.
As for his fleeing on the day of Uhud,
I bear witness that Allah pardoned him and forgave him.
As for his absence from Badr,
the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was his wife,
and she was sick,
so the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said to him:
'You shall have the reward of a man who attended Badr, as well as his share of the spoils.'
As for his absence from the Pledge of Ridwan,
had there been anyone more influential in the valley of Mecca than 'Uthman,
he would have sent him in his place.
And the Pledge of Ridwan took place after 'Uthman had departed for Mecca,
so the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, gestured with his right hand and said,
'This is 'Uthman's hand,'
and struck it against his other hand, saying,
'This is on behalf of 'Uthman.'
Then Ibn 'Umar said to him,
"Now take these facts along with you!"
Among the matters for which the rebels resented 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him,
was his appointment of five of his relatives over provinces.
Yet what objection could there be to that,
especially when they were people of competence, insight, and wisdom,
which they proved during their tenures of governance?
They also held other grievances against him,
the motives of which were mere personal desire and the instigations of the Saba'iyyah,
all of which the scholars thoroughly refuted and dismantled.
The agitators of discord set out from Egypt, heading toward the Prophet's City,
to confront the Commander of the Believers, 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, may Allah be pleased with him.
When the people heard of their departure,
they came to Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, may Allah be pleased with him—
he was, may Allah be pleased with him,
the keeper of the secret of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him—to question him.
They said, "These people have marched toward 'Uthman;
what do you say?"
He replied, may Allah be pleased with him,
"By Allah, they will kill him!"
They asked, "Where will he be?"
He said, "In Paradise, by Allah."
They asked, "And where will his killers be?"
He said, "In the Fire, by Allah."
When the Commander of the Believers learned of their coming,
he went out to meet them before their arrival
and met them in a village outside Medina.
'Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, accompanied him.
Each side voiced what was on their minds,
and they agreed upon terms satisfying both parties and serving the common good:
that the exiled be returned to their homes,
that the deprived be granted what they had been denied,
that the fay' revenues be distributed adequately,
that distribution be carried out justly and trustworthy, capable men be appointed,
and that Ibn 'Amir be reinstated as governor of Basra
and Abu Musa al-Ash'ari as governor of Kufa.
They drew up a document to that effect;
the people were satisfied, and then departed on their way back.
Once reconciliation had been reached between the Commander of the Believers, 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him,
and these rebellious agitators,
'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, wrote a letter concerning this to the provinces,
whereupon minds were eased and unrest ceased.
However, this outcome did not please the instigators of discord;
their plot had failed,
and their vile objectives were thwarted.
Therefore, they devised another scheme to reignite the fitnah anew
and destroy the reconciliation achieved between the people of the provinces and the Commander of the Believers, 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him.
They forged a letter in the name of the Commander of the Believers
and dispatched a man ahead of the Egyptian delegation.
The man came near them,
repeatedly crossing their path to draw their attention.
They said to him, "What is the matter with you?
You clearly have something going on; what is your business?"
He said, "I am the messenger of the Commander of the Believers to his governor in Egypt,
and I carry a letter from him to the governor."
So they seized him and searched him,
and they found the letter.
To their shock, it was purportedly from 'Uthman, the Commander of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with him,
bearing his seal,
ordering his governor
that once the delegation reached Egypt,
he should seize them and crucify them,
or kill them,
or cut off their hands and feet until they died.
The people were infuriated,
assuming it was an act of treachery on the part of 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him,
and a breach of the covenant.
So they turned back until they arrived in Medina,
where they came to 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him,
and said,
"Have you not seen what the enemy of Allah has done?
He wrote such-and-such concerning us,
and Allah has rendered his blood lawful!
So rise with us against him!"
'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said,
"By Allah, he never wrote any letter concerning you at all!
And by Allah, I will never rise with you!"
So they left him and marched toward 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him,
and said,
"[They alleged:] 'You wrote such-and-such.'"
So he, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
"There are only two fair courses:
Either you produce two Muslim witnesses who will testify against me regarding this,
or you must accept my oath by Allah, besides Whom there is no deity worthy of worship:
I never wrote it, nor did I dictate it, nor did I have any knowledge of it.
And you well know that a letter can be forged in a man's name,
and a seal's imprint can be counterfeited."
But they said:
"By Allah, Allah has made your blood lawful!"
Thus they broke the covenant and pledge,
laid siege to him in his house,
and demanded that he abdicate the Caliphate.
The truth is that the Commander of the Faithful, 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, may Allah be pleased with him,
had been anticipating the eruption of this tribulation,
as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had already informed him of a tribulation that would befall him,
and that he would attain martyrdom therein.
He had also commanded him never to surrender the Caliphate to the rebels, saying:
"O 'Uthman!
Indeed, Allah will clothe you with a garment,
so if they seek to strip it from you, do not take it off for them."
At the outset, 'Uthman
would go out to the mosque and lead the people in prayer,
regarding the rebels as baser in his eyes than mere dust.
Then they barred him from leaving his home,
so he, may Allah be pleased with him, began praying inside his house.
He engaged them in debate using the Book of Allah and admonished them;
among the things he said to them was:
"If you find in the Book of Allah
authority to place my feet in shackles, then place them!"
Thus he silenced them, may Allah be pleased with him,
through the sheer strength of his argument
and his deep knowledge of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace be upon him).
Then he began reminding them of some of his virtues,
that they might fear Allah regarding him and cease their rebellion.
He looked down upon them and said:
"I adjure you by Allah:
Do you know that when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
arrived in Medina, there was no water
palatable to drink except the well of Rumah?
So he said: 'Who will purchase the well of Rumah,
making his bucket equal alongside the buckets of the Muslims,
in exchange for something better for him in Paradise?'
And so I purchased it entirely from my own personal wealth!
Yet today, you prevent me from drinking from it?"
They replied: "By Allah, yes."
He then said: "I adjure you by Allah:
Do you know that the mosque became too crowded for its congregation,
and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
'Who will purchase the plot of so-and-so's family,
to annex it to the mosque,
in exchange for something better for him in Paradise?'
And so I purchased it entirely from my own personal wealth!
Yet today, you prevent me from praying two rak'ahs in it?"
They replied: "By Allah, yes."
He then said: "I adjure you by Allah:
Do you know that I fully equipped the Army of Hardship (Jaysh al-'Usrah)
out of my own wealth?"
They replied: "By Allah, yes."
He said: "I adjure you by Allah:
Do you know that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
was once atop Mount Thabir in Mecca,
accompanied by Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and myself,
and the mountain shook
so violently that its stones tumbled into the ravine?
Whereupon he struck it with his foot and said:
'Be still, Thabir! For there are upon you none other than
a Prophet, a Siddiq, and two martyrs!'"
They replied: "By Allah, yes."
He exclaimed: "Allahu Akbar!
By the Lord of the Ka'bah, you have testified that I am a martyr!"
Yet despite his admonitions and reminders,
the rebels only tightened the siege
around the Commander of the Faithful, may Allah be pleased with him,
preventing food and drink from reaching
him — and Allah alone is the source of help.
The Mother of the Believers, Safiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, attempted
to smuggle food into him secretly,
but one of them discovered it
and struck the face of her mule until it retreated.
She then laid a wooden plank between her house
and the house of the Commander of the Faithful —
as she was his neighbor —
in order to transport food and drink to him.
The Mother of the Believers, Umm Habibah, may Allah be pleased with her, also attempted
to bring food to him secretly,
so she approached his house.
They asked: "Who is this?"
She replied: "I am your mother, Umm Habibah."
But they said: "By Allah, you shall not enter!"
The stance of the Companions in Medina was by no means passive;
they came forward alongside their sons
to defend the Commander of the Faithful.
However, 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, strictly commanded them
to restrain their hands, sheathe their swords,
and return to their homes.
He said to them: "I adjure anyone over whom
I hold authority of obedience not to fight!"
So they withdrew, leaving behind their sons as guards.
The Ansar, may Allah be pleased with them, also came to him
and said: "We will support Allah twice over:
we supported the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
and now we shall support you!"
But he, may Allah be pleased with him, replied:
"I have no need of that; go back."
His insistence on this was solely
to spare the blood of the Muslims
from being spilled on his account.
Moreover, the people of Medina were few in number compared to the rebels,
whose strength exceeded
one thousand fierce fighters.
Furthermore, 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him,
had surrendered entirely to the divine decree and predestination of Allah,
since the Prophet (peace be upon him) had already informed him
that he would die murdered in this tribulation.
The rebels grew anxious that the matter would drag on,
that the pilgrims would return from Hajj,
and that delegations would arrive from the regional garrisons
to come to the defense of the Commander of the Faithful.
Thus, they hastened to execute their heinous crime —
to Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return.
On the morning of Friday,
the twelfth of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah,
in the thirty-fifth year of the Hijrah,
the rebels seized the opportunity
of the scarcity of people and their absence during the Hajj season.
They clashed with the guards drawn from the sons of the Companions
in a fierce battle.
'Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr sustained severe wounds,
as did al-Hasan ibn 'Ali,
along with others, may Allah be pleased with them all.
At that point, 'Uthman ordered the sons of the Companions
to depart for their homes,
and likewise commanded his wives and servants
to cease defending him.
He fastened his lower garment tightly
so that his private parts would not become exposed if he were slain.
He then turned to his Mus-haf,
spread it out before him, and began reciting from it;
he was fasting that day.
He had just seen the Prophet (peace be upon him) in a dream,
accompanied by Abu Bakr and 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them,
saying to him:
"Be patient, for you shall break your fast with us tonight!"
One of the besiegers broke into his presence,
and when 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, saw him,
he said: "Between you and me stands the Book of Allah."
Overcome with shame, the man turned back.
Then another entered:
a dark-skinned man from the people of Egypt,
known as Jabalah.
He seized 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, by the throat,
then struck at him with a sword,
severing his hand.
Whereupon 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
"By Allah, that was the very first hand to transcribe the Mufassal surahs!"
This was because 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him,
was among the first to record the Qur'an
as dictated directly by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
When his hand was severed,
blood splattered across the Mus-haf laid before him,
landing directly upon the words of the Almighty:
"Allah will suffice you against them,
and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."
The man then lunged at him with the sword and assassinated him.
His murder, may Allah be pleased with him, was truly heinous —
so much so that whenever Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,
recalled what had been done to 'Uthman,
he would weep aloud, sobbing uncontrollably.
His martyrdom, may Allah be pleased with him, was indeed
an immense calamity for the Muslims,
leaving a deep wound in the body of the Islamic Ummah
from which it continues to suffer to this day —
and Allah alone is the source of help.
Yet Allah took vengeance on behalf of 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him,
even in this worldly life;
for of all those who took part in his murder,
not a single one died a normal death.
Imam al-Dhahabi said:
"Practically all who had a hand in the blood of 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him,
were violently slain, while their ultimate reckoning remains in the Hereafter
before the Just God, Glorified be He."
The Commander of the Faithful, 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, passed away,
may Allah be pleased with him,
at the age of eighty-two.
He was washed, shrouded, and prayed over by only a few
of the Companions, who followed his funeral cortege
due to the perilous circumstances
that enveloped Medina at the time.
He was buried in Hush Kawkab,
which had been an orchard belonging to a man from Medina
named Kawkab,
situated to the east of al-Baqi'.
'Uthman had previously purchased it from him to incorporate it into al-Baqi'.
May Allah be pleased with the Rightly Guided Caliph,
'Uthman ibn 'Affan, slain in patient endurance,
who was given the glad tidings of Paradise on multiple occasions;
may Allah be pleased with him and make him well-pleased,
to the Chosen Prophet,
the best companions, clearly specified by texts.
They are
in the Garden of Eternity,
explicitly named by texts that increased their
honor. They are Talhah,
Ibn 'Awf,
and al-Zubayr, along with
Abu 'Ubaydah,
the two Sa'ds, and the Caliphs.