Exclusive Merits of Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ

Shining Stars

Exclusive Merits of Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān b. ꜤAffān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ

Mawlana Ayyub Attari Madani

All the noble Companions عَـلَيْهِمُ الرِّضْوَانْ are fragrant flowers in the garden of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Each flower has its own captivating fragrance. While all the Companions possess lofty and elevated ranks, Allah Almighty, in His divine wisdom, has granted some superiority over others, and bestowed some with exclusive virtues and qualities. One of these great personalities is the third Caliph of Islam, Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān b. ꜤAffān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ.

The hand of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is the hand of Uthman

The revered Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم proclaimed his blessed hand to be the hand of Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān b. ꜤAffān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ. Therefore, when the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم dispatched Sayyiduna ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ from Hudaybiya to the leaders of Quraysh in Makka, he informed them that the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم intended to visit the House of Allah and perform Umrah, not to initiate battle. The Quraysh detained Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, and news spread in Hudaybiya that Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ had been martyred.^[1] This enraged the Muslims. The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم gathered the Companions and took their pledges of allegiance to remain steadfast in battle against the hostile Makkans. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم placed his right hand in his left hand and said, “This is ꜤUthmān’s pledge of allegiance.”^[2]

Possessor of Two Lights

Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ is the only person who consecutively married two daughters of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. No one else has received such an honour. That is why he is also called the Possessor of Two Lights (dhū al-nūrayn).

Allah Conducts the Marriage of Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān b. ꜤAffān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ

An exclusive virtue of Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ was that Allah Almighty Himself conducted his marriage with Sayyidatunā Umm Kulthūm رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا. “The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم met Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān at the door of the masjid and said, ‘This is Jibrīl. He has informed me that Allah Almighty has conducted your marriage with Umm Kulthūm رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا, with a dowry like that of Ruqayya, for companionship like hers.’”^[3]

Permission to Stay at Home and Share in the Rewards and Spoils from the Battle of Badr

Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ was unable to participate in the Expedition of Badr, but he was still granted the same virtue as those who did, and was even given a share of the war spoils. It is mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari:

Sayyidunā ʿAbdullah b. ꜤUmar رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا narrates that Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ did not participate in the Expedition of Badr because the daughter of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, Sayyidatuna Ruqayya   رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا, was married to him, and she was ill at that time. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said that ꜤUthmān  رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ will receive the same reward as those who participated in the Battle of Badr and will also receive a share from the spoils of war.^[4]

Purchasing Paradise Twice

Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ purchased Paradise from the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم twice in his blessed life. When the house of Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ was besieged, he said to the assailants, “Do you not know that the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, 'Whoever digs (purchases) the Rūmah well will attain Paradise’? So, I bought that well. Do you not know that the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘Whoever provides provisions for the army of Tabūk will obtain Paradise?’ So, I provided the provisions.”^[5]

Let us examine the details of these two incidents: On one occasion, in Madina, Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ purchased a well called Rūmah for 35,000 dirhams and endowed it for the benefit of the Muslims, receiving the glad tidings of Paradise.^[6] On the occasion of the Tabūk expedition, Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ announced that he would donate six hundred camels along with provisions for the sake of Allah Almighty. Upon this, the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم descended from the pulpit and said, “From now on, ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ will not be questioned about anything he does.”^[7]

In the commentary of this Hadith, Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Na'eemi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه writes:

The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم made three appeals for charity ˹for public welfare˺. On each occasion, Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ responded by announcing that he would donate one hundred, two hundred, and three hundred camels along with provisions, respectively. This was the initial announcement, but when it was time to donate, Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ donated 950 camels, 50 horses, and 1000 gold coins. Later, he donated a further 10,000 gold coins.^[8]

Even the angels display modesty in the presence of Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ

Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ is renowned as the epitome of modesty within this Ummah. Such is his exceptional modesty that even the angels exhibit modesty in his presence. Abū Qilāba narrates that the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, "The most truthful in terms of modesty from my Ummah is ꜤUthmān."^[9] In a lengthy hadith, the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “How can I not show modesty in front of a person whom even the angels express modesty before?”^[10]

May Allah Almighty grant us the ability to read and implement the biography of Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ.

اٰمِیْن بِجَاہِ خاتَمِ النَّبِیّیْن صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم