The Third Caliph, Uthman(644-656 A.C.)

"Every Prophet has an assistant, and my assistant will be Uthman."(Hadeeth)
Uthman's Election
When 'Umar fell under the assassin's dagger, before he died the people
asked him to nominate his successor. 'Umar appointed a committee
consisting of six of the ten companions of the Prophet (peace be on
him) about whom the Prophet had said, "They are the people of Heaven"
- Ali, Uthman, Abdul Rahman, Sa'ad, Al-Zubayr and Talha - to select
the next Caliph from among themselves. He also outlined the procedure
to be followed if any differences of opinion should arise. Abdul
Rahman withdrew his name. He was then authorized by the committee to
nominate the Caliph. After two days of discussion among the candidates
and after the opinions of the Muslims in Medina had been ascertained,
the choice was finally limited to Uthman and Ali. Abdul Rahman came to
the mosque together with other Muslims, and after a brief speech and
questioning of the two men, swore allegiance to Uthman. All those
present didthe same, and Uthman became the third Caliph of Islam in
the month of Muharram, 24 A.H.
Uthman's Life
Uthman bin Affan was born seven years after the Holy Prophet (peace be
on him). He belonged to the Omayyad branch of the Quraish tribe. He
learned to read and write at an early age, and as a young man became a
successful merchant. Even before Islam Uthman had been noted for his
truthfulness and integrity. He and Abu Bakr were close friends, and it
was Abu Bakr who brought him to Islam when he was thirty-four years of
age. Some years later hemarried the Prophet's second daughter,
Ruqayya. In spite of his wealth and position, his relatives subjected
him to torture because he had embraced Islam, and he was forced to
emigrate to Abyssinia. Some time later he returned to Mecca but soon
migrated to Medina with the other Muslims. In Medina his business
again began to flourish and he regained his former prosperity.
Uthman's generosity had no limits. On various occasions he spent a
great portion of his wealth for the welfare of the Muslims, for
charity and for equipping the Muslim armies. That is why he came to be
known as 'Ghani' meaning 'Generous.'
Uthman's wife, Ruqayya was seriously ill just before the Battleof Badr
and he was excused by the Prophet (peace be on him) from participating
in the battle. The illness Ruqayya proved fatal, leaving Uthman deeply
grieved. The Prophet was moved and offered Uthman the hand of another
of his daughters, Kulthum. Because he had the high privilege of having
two daughters of the Prophet as wives Uthman was known as 'The
Possessor of the Two Lights. '
Uthman participated in the Battles of Uhud and the Trench. After the
encounter of the Trench, the Prophet (peace be on him) determined to
perform Hajj and sent Uthman as his emissary to the Quraish in Mecca,
who detained him. The episode ended in a treaty with the Meccans known
as the Treaty of Hudaibiya.
The portrait we have of Uthman is of an unassuming, honest, mild,
generous and very kindly man, noted especially for his modesty and his
piety. He often spent part of the night in prayer,fasted every second
or third day,performed hajj every year, and looked after the needy of
the whole community. In spite of hiswealth, he lived very simply and
slept on bare sand in the courtyard of the Prophet's mosque. Uthman
knew the Qur'an from memory and had anintimate knowledge of the
context and circumstances relating to each verse.
Uthman's Caliphate
During Uthman's rule the characteristics of Abu Bakr's andUmar's
caliphates - impartial justice for all, mild and humane policies,
striving in the path of God, and the expansion of Islam - continued.
Uthman's realm extended in the west to Morocco, in the east to
Afghanistan, and in the north to Armenia and Azerbaijan. During his
caliphate a navy was organized, administrative divisions of the state
were revised, and many public projects were expanded and completed.
Uthman sent prominent Companions of the Prophet (peace be on him) as
hispersonal deputies to various provinces to scrutinize the conduct of
officials and the condition of the people.
Uthman's most notable contribution to the religion of God was the
compilation of a complete and authoritative text of the Qur'an. A
large number of copies of this text were made and distributed all over
the Muslim world.
Uthman ruled for twelve years. The first six years were marked by
internal peace and tranquility,but during the second half of
hiscaliphate a rebellion arose. The Jews and the Magians, taking
advantage of dissatisfaction among the people, began conspiring
against Uthman, and by publicly airing their complaints and
grievances, gained so much sympathy that itbecame difficult to
distinguish friend from foe.
It may seem surprising that a ruler of such vast territories, whose
armies were matchless, was unable to deal with these rebels. If Uthman
had wished, the rebellion could have been crushed at the very moment
it began. But he was reluctant to be the first to shed the blood of
Muslims, however rebellious they might be. He preferred to reason with
them, to persuade them with kindness and generosity. He well
rememberedhearing the Prophet (peace be on him) say, "Once the sword
is unsheathed among my followers, it will not be sheathed until the
Last Day."
The rebels demanded that he abdicate and some of the Companions
advised him to do so. He would gladly have followed this course of
action, but again he was bound by a solemn pledge he had given to the
Prophet. "Perhaps God will clothe you with a shirt, Uthman"the Prophet
had told him once,"and if the people want you to take it off, do not
take it off for them." Uthman said to a well-wisher on a day when his
house was surrounded by the rebels, "God's Messenger made acovenant
with me and I shall show endurance in adhering to it."
After a long siege, the rebels broke into Uthman's house and murdered
him. When the first assassin's sword struck Uthman,he was reciting the
verse,
"Verily, God sufficeth thee; He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing"[2:137]
Uthman breathed his last on the afternoon of Friday, 17 Dhul Hijja,35
A.H. (June. (656 A.C.). He was eighty-four years old. The powerof tHe
rebels was so great that Uthman's body lay unburied until Saturday
night when he was buried in his blood-stained clothes, the shroud
which befits all martyrs in the cause of God.

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