The Martyrdom of Sayyiduna Uthman Ghani (RA)-Part Three
The Martyrdom of Sayyiduna Uthman Ghani (RA)
Part Three:
So these people (the Sabaites) went back and the matter seemed to end. But those who had hatred and enmity in their hearts, and who could not bear to see the Muslims living in peace, played another trick and re-entered Madinah.
In reality, the plan to martyr Sayyiduna Uthman Ghani (RA) was prepared by this rebel group — Abdullah bin Saba and his followers — based on a forged letter. They attributed it to Sayyiduna Uthman (RA). When they returned to Madinah and laid siege to Sayyiduna Uthman’s (RA) house, Muhammad bin Maslamah (RA) came to the Egyptians and asked them why they had returned to Madinah. They said, “On the way we intercepted a letter from Sayyiduna Uthman (RA) addressed to the governor of Egypt, Amr bin al-As (RA), ordering him to kill us.”
Muhammad bin Maslamah (RA) asked the people of Basrah the reason for their return. They said, “We have come to help our Egyptian brothers.” The group from Kufah gave the same answer. Muhammad bin Maslamah (RA) said, “How did all of you come to know this at the same time? You are many stages apart from one another, yet you are all gathered here together. It looks like this is your plot.” They replied, “Think what you like. We want to make it clear to you that this man, Uthman (RA), is no longer needed. We will not turn back without removing him.”
“O people of Kufah and Basrah, how did you learn that the Egyptians received a letter ordering them to be killed? You had gone far away and returned so quickly. By Allah, it seems you prepared this plan right here in Madinah.”
Muhammad bin Maslamah (RA) took the letter from them and went to Sayyiduna Uthman (RA) to learn the truth about it. Sayyiduna Uthman (RA) swore an oath and said, “I did not write any letter, nor did I give anyone such an order, nor do I have any knowledge of this letter.”
Sayyiduna Ali (RA) and others said, “Sayyiduna Uthman (RA) is speaking the truth.” The Egyptians said, “Then who wrote this letter?” He replied that he had no knowledge of it. so they said, “How can it be that you do not know, when this letter was found in the hand of your man and it bears your seal?”
At that moment no one could understand how to fully investigate the matter. It was also suggested that perhaps Marwan had written it. When he was asked, he swore an oath denying it.
For those who forged letters in the names of Sayyiduna Ali (RA), Sayyiduna Zubayr (RA), Sayyiduna Talha (RA), and other Sahabah (RA) and sent them to different regions, how it was difficult for them to fabricate a letter like this, attribute it to Sayyiduna Uthman (RA), then spread it forcefully and win public sympathy?
To say about Sayyiduna Uthman (RA) that he ordered someone to be killed is clear slander. Anyone familiar with the life and character of Sayyiduna Uthman (RA) knows this is an open lie. People were trying to kill him, yet he kept stopping his companions from fighting. So how could it be that he would order a man killed without cause? _Al-Muntaqa, p. 572 Urdu_
Those who planned the attack on Sayyiduna Uthman’s (RA) khilafah did not act suddenly. The plan was being executed in a very organized way. The letter prepared in his name was not the first or only one of its kind. Similar letters had been prepared before. Were forged letters not spread in the names of Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (RA), Amir al-Mu’minin Sayyiduna Ali (RA), Sayyiduna Talha (RA), and Sayyiduna Zubayr (RA)? And did those elders not openly declare their disavowal of those letters?
Sayyiduna Ali al-Murtaza (RA) swore an oath and said, “These people are lying. I did not write any letter to them.
والله ما كتبت لكم كتابا
_Siyar al-Shuhada by al-Suhaybani, p. 51_
Sayyiduna Uthman (RA) swore an oath declaring his innocence regarding that letter. Sayyiduna Ali al-Murtaza (RA) and other senior Sahabah (RA) openly supported him. But the agents of Ibn Saba the Jew refused to accept Sayyiduna Uthman’s (RA) word, because they had already decided that they would force Sayyiduna Uthman Ghani (RA) to step down from the khilafah no matter what. And that is what happened. They remained stubborn on their demand. Sayyiduna Uthman (RA) firmly rejected their demand, and he too remained firm on his stance. He said to them, “As for anything concerning my officials, I will fulfill that demand. But your demand that I step down from the khilafah — that cannot happen. This garment Allah has clothed me with, and I heard from the tongue of the Prophet ﷺ that this garment Allah has put on me — I will not take it off.”
لا انزع سربالا سربلنیہ الله ولكن انزع عما تكرهون
_Tabaqat vol. 3 p. 49_
So they laid siege to his house and even stopped him from praying in Masjid Nabawi. When the matter escalated, Sayyiduna Uthman (RA) called Sayyiduna Ali (RA) and Sayyiduna Talha (RA). When they came, he said before them:
“O people of Madinah, I entrust you to Allah, and I ask Allah to appoint after me someone better than me as Caliph. I ask you by oath: When Umar passed away, did you not pray that Allah unite you upon the best of you? If you say Allah did not accept your du‘a and you have no rank before Allah, then say that Allah’s religion has no value before Him that He could not decide whom to make its guardian. Or say that the khilafah did not come through shura, and thus the Ummah disobeyed Allah. Or say that Allah did not know my end. I ask you by oath: Do I not have precedence and seniority in Islam? Allah gave me priority over every later one and granted me virtue.”
Ibn Kathir (RA) writes that then he stood on the minbar one Friday, holding the same staff on which the Prophet ﷺ would lean during the khutbah, and which Abu Bakr and Umar (RA) also used. A man named Jahjah got up from the crowd, began abusing him, demanded he step down from the minbar, and snatched the staff from his hand. He placed it on his right knee and broke it, injuring his leg. Allah punished him: his leg later rotted and became infested with worms. Sayyiduna Uthman (RA) came down from the minbar and ordered the staff to be repaired.
Likewise, on another occasion the rebels tried to act insolently with Sayyiduna Uthman (RA). Sayyiduna Zayd bin Thabit (RA) and others told them to stop. The mob struck them, and threw stones at those who stood in support of Sayyiduna Uthman (RA), not sparing even Uthman (RA) himself. In that attack he fell unconscious from the minbar. People lifted him and took him to his house.
Sayyiduna Ali, Sayyiduna Talha, and Sayyiduna Zubayr (RA) came to visit him during this time and told him that the Egyptians and other rebels had also attacked other Muslims. He was saddened by that. During this, a group of Sahabah (RA) came to him and said, “Give us permission to fight them and stop their mischief.” He said, “No,” and made them swear not to take up arms and to remain calm.
The rebels besieged his house and cut off his going out. Many people did not grasp the seriousness of the matter, while many hoped the issue would end in some reconciliation. None of them expected these people would go so far as to martyr Sayyiduna Uthman (RA). The rebels insisted that Sayyiduna Uthman (RA) give up the khilafah, while Sayyiduna Uthman (RA) was firmly committed not to leave it, because the Prophet ﷺ had strongly commanded him to remain firm on it.
Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (RA) relates: When the Prophet ﷺ was ill, he expressed a wish that someone be with him. We said, “If you command, we will call Abu Bakr (RA).” He gave no reply. We said, “Shall we call Umar (RA)?” He remained silent. We said, “Shall we call Uthman (RA)?” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Yes, call him.” So when Sayyiduna Uthman (RA) came, the Prophet ﷺ spoke to him in private. Hearing the Prophet’s ﷺ words, the color of Sayyiduna Uthman’s (RA) face kept changing. What the Prophet ﷺ said to Sayyiduna Uthman (RA), hear it from Sayyiduna Uthman (RA) himself. He said this when he had been confined to his house:
ان رسول الله صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم عهد الى امرا فانا صابر نفسی علیہ
_Mustadrak al-Hakim vol. 3 p. 106_
“The Prophet ﷺ took a special pledge from me, and I am one who will be patient regarding it.”
Qays says: People saw him on that day bearing those moments with great patience.
And the matter regarding which that special pledge was taken, the Prophet ﷺ explained it himself:
يا عثمان ان ولاك الله هذا الامر يوما فارادك المنافقون ان تخلع قميصك الذي يقمصك الله فلا تخلعہ۔
_Ibn Majah p. 11_
_Mustadrak al-Hakim vol. 3 p. 107_
_Al-Sawa‘iq al-Muhriqah p. 10_
“O Uthman, if Allah grants you the khilafah one day and the hypocrites want you to take off the garment that Allah has put on you, then never take it off.”
The Prophet ﷺ indicated in this that when that time comes and people demand you step down from the khilafah, do not accept their demand. This khilafah Allah has granted you. One may give his life for it, but must not allow any blemish on the robe Allah has given. The Prophet ﷺ called those who were demanding his resignation “hypocrites” and “wrongdoers.” Thus Sayyiduna Uthman (RA) honored the Prophet’s ﷺ word more than his own life. He gave his life, but was not ready to step down from the khilafah. The Prophet ﷺ had already foretold his oppressed martyrdom. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (RA) says the Prophet ﷺ, while mentioning a fitnah, said:
_Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi vol. 2 p. 212_
_Al-Sawa‘iq al-Muhriqah p. 110_
“"During that trial, Uthman RA will be killed while being wrongfully oppressed."
In those days a large number of Sahabah (RA) had gone to Makkah for Hajj. Many Sahabah (RA) were away on campaigns. In Madinah the number of Sahabah (RA) was small. Many of them thought the matter would be settled through dialogue and would not go far. So the rebels took advantage of the people’s scarcity and their absence due to Hajj:
Some of the elders kept trying to reason with the rebels, but they were not ready to hear anything except that one demand. And Sayyiduna Uthman (RA) could accept everything except that one thing. The matter kept growing day by day. The siege of Sayyiduna Uthman’s (RA) house continued for nearly forty days. During that time the water to his house was cut off, and permission was not given to bring water to him. Sayyiduna Ali al-Murtaza (RA) tried to send water to him through his servants, but it reached him with great difficulty. In this effort, his servant was wounded.
Sayyiduna Ali (RA) said to those people: “O people, what you are doing is neither the way of Muslims nor of disbelievers. Why are you withholding food and drink from Sayyiduna Uthman (RA)? Even the Romans and Persians, if they imprison someone, feed and give him water. And Sayyiduna Uthman (RA) has not opposed you at all. On what basis are you besieging him and considering his killing lawful?”
To be continued…
Presented by:
Idarah Dar al-Tahqeeq wa Difa‘-e-Sahabah (RA)