‘Uthmaan’s Last Khutbah

‘Uthmaan’s last khutbah to the people of Madeenah several weeks after the siege:

“Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, has given you this world as a means of seeking the Hereafter; He has not given you this world for you to be content with it.  This world is transient but the Hereafter will abide forever. So do not let that which is transient distract you from that which will abide forever.  Show preference to that which will abide forever over that which is transient.  This world will come to an end and your destiny will be with Allaah.  Fear Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, for fear of Him is a protection and a shield against His Wrath and Punishment.  Adhere to the main body of the Muslims and do not break into fractions. 

Allaah Says (which means): ‘And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allaah (this Qur’aan), and be do not divided among yourselves, and remember Allaah’s Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grave, you became brethren, and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it.  Thus Allaah makes His Aayaat clear to you, that you may be guided.’ (Aal-’Imraan).

O people of Madeenah! I bid you farewell, and I ask Allaah to appoint a good Khaleefah for you after I am gone.  By Allaah, I shall never enter upon anyone again after this day until Allaah lets His Decree come to pass.  I shall leave these rebels outside the door and I shall not give them anything they might use against you in religious or wordly terms, until Allaah Decrees whatever He Wills.”

[Taareekh at-Tabaree 5/399]

“How easy it is to settle a score before it is settled in the Aakhirah.”

‘Uthmaan bin ‘Affaan entered upon a slave of his who was feeding his she-camel, and he saw something in the feed that he disliked, so he took hold of the slave’s ear and tweaked it. Then he regretted it and said to his slave:

“Settle the score.”

The slave refused, but ‘Uthmaan did not leave him alone until he had taken hold of his ear and begun to tweak it.  ‘Uthmaan said, “Pull hard,” until he thought that the slave had pulled as hard as he had done. Then ‘Uthmaan said:

“How easy it is to settle a score before it is settled in the Aakhirah.”

[Akhbaar al-Madeenah 3/236]

‘Do not look at me, for that is not permissable for you.’

Banaanah, the slave woman of ‘Uthmaan’s wife narrated: “When ‘Uthmaan bathed, I would bring him his garment and he would say, ‘Do not look at me, for that is not permissable for you.’“

[Tabaqaat Ibn Sa'd: 3/59]

“I was never involved in singing or telling lies…”

‘Uthmaan said:

“I was never involved in singing or telling lies, and I never touched my private part with my right hand since I swore allegiance to the Messenger of Allaah. I never drank alcohol during the jaahiliyyah or in Islaam, and I never committed zinaa’ during the jaahiliyyah or in Islaam.”

[Saheeh at-Tawtheeq: 44]

“I saw ‘Uthmaan bin ‘Affaan going out one Friday…”

Moosaa bin Talhah said:

“I saw ‘Uthmaan bin ‘Affaan when he was on the mimbar, finding out about the people asking about their affairs and the current prices of goods.”

[Fadaa'il as-Sahaabah: 812]

Ibn Sa’d said:

“I saw ‘Uthmaan bin ‘Affaan going out one Friday wearing two yellow garments. He sat on the mimbar and the Mu’adh-dhin gave the call to prayer whilst he was speaking to the people and asking them about their travels, who had come back and who was sick.”

[at-Tabaqaat: 3/59]

The Zuhd Of ‘Uthmaan

al-Hamdaanee said:

“I saw ‘Uthmaan bin ‘Affaan when he was the Khaleefah riding a mule with his slave Naa’il behind him.”

[az-Zuhd for al-Imaam Ahmad: 127]

Humayd bin Nu’aym narrated that ‘Umar and ‘Uthmaan were invited to a meal, and when they set out, ‘Uthmaan said to ‘Umar, “We have come to  a meal where I wish we did not come.” ‘Umar asked, “Why?” He said, “I am afraid it was prepared in order to show off.”

[at-Taareekh al-Islaamee: 48/17]

‘Uthmaan’s Love For The Prophet…

During his Khilaafah, ‘Uthmaan beat a man who expressed disrespect towards al-’Abbaas, the uncle of the Prophet – sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Upon being asked for the reason why he beat the man, he said:

“Of course, didn’t the Messenger of Allaah – sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – show a great deal of respect towards his uncle? Do you want me to allow people to show disrespect towards him?! The one who does that or approves of that is going against the Messenger of Allaah!”

["Taareekh at-Tabaree": 5/417]

“I ask Allaah for forgiveness…”

During the days of the fitnah, ‘Uthmaan would say:

“I ask Allaah for forgiveness if I have done wrong, and I have already forgiven if I have been wronged by others.”

["Taareekh al-Khulafaa'"]

“If our hearts were truly pure…”

‘Uthmaan bin ‘Affaan said:

“If our hearts were truly pure, we would never have our fill of the Words of Our Lord.”

["Jaami' al-'Uloom wal-Hikaam": p. 363]

‘Uthmaan As The Khaleefah

Al-Hamdaanee said: “I saw ‘Uthmaan sleeping in the masjid, wrapped in a blanket with no one around him, when he was the Khaleefah.” [Kitaab az-Zuhd lil-Imaam Ahmad]

Sharahbeel bin Muslim narrated that ‘Uthmaan used to offer the people fine food, then he would go into his own house and eat vinegar and olive oil. ["at-Taareekh al-Islaamee"; 48/17]

One day ‘Uthmaan was called to catch some people who were engaged in some suspicious activity, so he went to catch them red-handed, but they dispersed before he reached them.  So, he freed a slave in gratitude to Allaah that no Muslim had been shamed at his hands. [‘Uluww al-Himmah; 5/481]

‘Urwah bin az-Zubayr said: “I lived at the time of ‘Uthmaan and there was not a single Muslim who did not have a right to the wealth of Allaah [i.e. the bayt al-maal].”  ["al-Musannaf fil-Hadeeth": 3/1023]