The Pious Caliphs: Hadrat 'Uthman Ibn 'Affan
The Pious Caliphs: Hadrat 'Uthman Ibn 'Affan
The Pious Caliphs: Hadrat 'Uthman Ibn 'Affan
Acceptance of Islam
'Uthman accepted Islam when Abu Bakr preached to him. He was one of those Muslims who accepted Islam in its very early days.
Emigration to Abyssinia
Hadrat Uthman and his wife Ruqayyah, one of the Prophets daughters, crossed the Red Sea with other Muslims and migrated to Abyssinia when life in Mecca became too hard. He stayed there for a couple of months and came back to Mecca when he was wrongly informed that the Quraish had accepted Islam.
Internal disorder
The first half of Hadrat Uthmans caliphate was very peaceful. But the later part of Hadrat 'Uthman's caliphate was marred by a terrible civil war which ultimately led to the murder of the caliph himself . Hadrat 'Uthman was a very gentle and soft-hearted person. The people who wanted to create chaos among the Muslims took advantage of his soft nature. Umar's stern hand had kept away the undemocratic and non-Islamic customs,
and the practices that prevailed in the courts of Persian and Byzantine Empires. But 'Uthman sometimes overlooked the faults of the governors and other officers in various provinces, though he himself completely followed the ways of the Holy Prophet and the first two caliphs. His compassionate nature made the provincial governors bold as a result of which unrest in the provincial capitals grew and ultimately it engulfed the whole Islamic State .
in the back of his house for the education of the Muslims. Hadrat Uthman observed the same principles in his government as were laid down by Hadrat Umar . He maintained the Council of Advisers (Shura) in the same way as was maintained by the first two caliphs. General councils for consultations were also called from time to time. On Fridays he used to come to the mosque long before the Khutbah Adhan to listen to the complaints of Muslims and to remove their difficulties. Uthman kept the armed forces on the same pattern as was laid down by his predecessor. During his time there was a notable increase in the number of armed forces. He took special care of military personnel and increased their allowances. The civil departments were separated from the military departments. The entire public funds were used for the general welfare of the public. He increased the allowances given to various people and the poor. He used a major part of the revenue in construction of bridges, roads, wells and mosques. He also fixed salaries for the Muezzins. Hadrat Uthman showed an exemplary tolerance against the insurgents. By not using force against the civil public, he set the first example of the highest democratic rule in human civilization.