Abdur Rahman bin Awf (R.A)

Abdurrahman was one of the first eight people who became Muslims and the fifth person who became a Muslim through Hz. Abu Bakr (r.a.). He was born in the year of the Incident of Elephant and was at the same age as Hz. Prophet (pbuh).

His name was "Abdulkaaba" before Islam but the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) changed it as "Abdurrahman". He was one of the Muslims who received the honor of migrating to both Ethiopia and Madinah. 

A very nice and exceptional scene occurred after the Migration:

Makkan Muhajirs and Ansars of Madinah were declared brothers with the suggestion of the Prophet. Ansar made more sacrifices for their Makkan brothers than they would do for their own brothers; they shared their houses, money and property with them. Everybody became brothers and hugged each other with warm and fresh feelings.

Two of the people that the Prophet had declared brothers were Abdur­rahman bin Awf of Makkah and Sa’d bin Rabi’ of Madinah.  Sa’d said to Abdurrahman,

"My brother! I am the richest person in Madinah. Here is my property; take half of it. I have two wives; I will divorce the one that you like so that you can marry her."

Abdurrahman’s answer was as follows:

"My brother Sa’d! May Allah make your property and family blessed for you! Just show me the way to the market."

They showed Abdurrahman the way to the market. He went straight to the market and returned home after earning a lot of money. Afterwards, Abdurrahman received the Prophet's prayer for the abundance of property. He soon became so rich that once he gave away 700 camels and their loads on the way of Allah. He said, "I saw that even a stone that I held turned to gold and silver." [1]

Hz. Abdurrahman, who took part in the battle of Badr displayed great heroism. 

During the Battle of Badr, when the Prophet could not see him, he asked where he was. A Companion said:

"O Messenger of Allah! I saw him on the foot of the mountain. Many polytheists had gathered around him. I wanted to help him but when I saw you, I came here." The Prophet said,

"Do not worry about him because angels are helping him."

Then, the same Companion went to look for Abdurrahman and saw that he had killed seven people. 

He asked Abdurrahman, "Did you kill all of them?" Hz. Abdurrahman said:

"I killed these two people but somebody I had never seen before killed the others." Thereupon, the Companion said, 

"The Messenger of Allah told the truth."

One of the Companions who protected the Prophet with their bodies in the Battle of Badr was Hz. Abdurrahman. He was wounded 21 times in the battle. The injury he received in his leg disabled him and caused him to limp.

Hz. Abdurrahman did not want the Prophet to be harmed or injured in any way. Therefore, he never left him alone. Once, he saw the Prophet going somewhere alone. He worried that something might happen to him and started to follow him. The Messenger of Allah prostrated and remained like that for a long time. Hz. Abdur­rah­man feared that he might have died. He approached the Prophet. Just then, the Messenger of Allah sat up. When he saw Abdurrahman, he asked,

"What is the matter?" Hz. Abdurrahman said,

"O Messenger of Allah! You remained in prostration so long that I feared you might have died." The Prophet said, 

"Jibril arrived and said, ‘A person who utters salawat for you will receive the forgiveness and salutation of Allah Almighty.’ I prostrated in order to thank Allah for it." [2]

Hz. Abdurrahman spent most of his days fasting and went to hajj every year. He did not hesitate to spend his wealth, which he obtained thanks to the abundance of the prayer of the Prophet. Once, he gave away 40 thousand dinars, 500 horses and 500 camels for jihad. He lived plainly and modestly; he always laid tables for the poor in his house. [3]

According to a narration of Anas, once, some sounds were heard in Madinah. Hz. Aisha asked,

"What is this?" They answered,

"It is Abdurrahman bin Afw's caravan." Thereupon, Hz. Aisha said,

"I heard the Messenger of Allah say­,

 ‘I saw Abdurrahman bin Awf entering Paradise by crawling.’"

When Abdurrahman was told about it, he said:

"If I could, I would like to enter Paradise by walking." Then, he gave away that caravan with all of the goods in it to the poor. [4]

Abdurrahman (r.a.) sometimes received the prayers of the Messenger of Allah. Once, the Prophet prayed as follows:  "O Allah! Make, Abdurrahman drink from the fountains of Paradise!" On the other hand, this lucky Companion received the following compliment from the Prophet: "Ab­durrahman bin Awf is trustworthy both on the earth and in the sky."

Abdurrahman bin Awf (r.a.) was so generous in spending his wealth in the way of Allah, was so careful and sensitive about his worship, and was so brave and self-sacrificing in jihad but he sometimes remembered the Companions that were more self-sacrificing than him and cried due to his anxiety that he might not make enough preparation for the hereafter. 

Once, while he was eating at the table, he could not help saying,

"Mus’ab bin Umayr, who was better than me, was wrapped in a cardigan when he was martyred. When his head was covered by it, his feet were left uncovered and when his feet were covered by it, his head was left uncovered. When Hamza, who was better than me, was martyred, he was in the same state. I fear that I will take the rewards of my good deeds in this world and that nothing will be left to the other world."

Hz. Abdurrahman could not eat after these statements. [5]

In the 6th year of Migration, the Prophet appointed Abdurrahman to go to the tribe of Kalb in Dumatul-Jandal to tell them about Islam. Before Abdurrahman set off, the Prophet wrapped Abdurrahman’s turban with his own hands and gave him the standard of the army. Then he said,

"Go with the name of Allah in the way of Allah.  Act in accordance with the orders of Allah. Invite the tribe of Kalb to Islam. If they accept, marry the daughter of the leader of the tribe of Kalb."

Abdurrahman bin Awf conveyed the message of Islam so nicely there that the majority of the Christian tribes accepted Islam and the remaining tribes accepted to pay jizyah. [6]

Once, Hz. Abdurrahman was leading a prayer when the Messenger of Allah came and followed Abdurrahman in the prayer, which increased his virtue. The incident took place during the expedition of Tabuk. The Prophet had left the caravan. The time for the morning prayer was about to end. The Companions asked Hz. Abdurrahman to lead the prayer and followed him in the prayer. The Prophet arrived when they were bowing down at the end of the first rak'ah. He joined the congregation and performed the prayer under the leadership of Abdurrahman.  After they ended the prayer, the Prophet stood up and completed his prayer. When he ended his prayer, he said,

"You performed the prayer very well. Well done!" Thus, he complemented Abdurrahman. [7]

Hz. Abdurrahman was one of the people who were aware of the fact that it could be dangerous to be wealthy. He was worried about it. Once he went to Umm Salama, one of the wives of the Prophet, and told her about his worry and said,

"The muchness of wealth causes destruction. Therefore, I am worried." Umm Salama said,

"However, wealth spent in the way of Allah is not like that." Then, Abdurrahman felt relieved because he always spent his wealth in the way of Allah.

Hz. Abdurrahman (r.a.), read ayatul kursiyy whenever he entered his house and prayed as follows:"O Allah! Protect me from the stinginess of my soul." When they asked him, "Is there not anything else that you want to ask from Allah?", he would answer as follows:

"If I am protected from the stinginess of my soul, I will not commit theft, fornication or any other sins."

Hz. Abdurrahman was one of the most important assistants of both Hz. Abu Bakr and Hz. Umar. Both caliphs gave importance to his views and consulted him about important issues. 

After Hz. Umar was martyred, people saw the great sacrifice and waiver of Abdur­rah­man bin Awf. When it became clear that Hz. Umar would not survive the assassination, the notable ones among the Companions asked him to nominate someone for the caliphate. Hz. Umar said he thought one of the following people should be chosen: "Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas, Hz. Talha, Hz. Uthman, Hz. Ali, Hz. Zubayr and Abdur­rahman bin Awf".

In the first consultation after the death of Hz. Umar, Abdurrahman made the following offer:

"Let three of us waive for the other three."

Thereupon, Hz. Zubayr, Hz. Talha and Hz. Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas waived in favor of Abdurrahman bin Awf. Then, Abdurrah­man waived and only two candidates were left: Hz. Ali and Hz. Uth­man.

Hz. Abdurrahman said to them:

"Let us give this duty to the one who will waive among you."

However, both of them kept silent. Thereupon, Abdurrahman said:

"Will you allow me to choose one of you? I will search who deserves it more and choose him."

Both Hz. Ali and Hz. Uthman accepted his offer.

Abdurrahman bin Awf consulted the Companions for three days and nights; consequently, he decided that Hz. Uthman should be the Caliph. Then, he called people and told them about his view. Then, he became the first person to pay allegiance to Hz. Uthman. Thereupon, everyone paid allegiance to Hz Uthman. [8]

Abdurrahman was one of the Companions that benefited from the knowledge of the Prophet the most. He reported many hadiths. Two of the hadiths he reported were as follows:

"If you hear that there exists plague in a place, do not go there. If plague breaks out in the place where you live, do not leave your place!" [9]

"If a woman performs five daily prayers, fasts in Ramadan, protects her chastity and obeys her husband, she will be addressed as follows: ‘Enter Paradise through any door you want.’" [10]

Abdurrahman bin Awf (r.a.) bequeathed that 400 dinars be given from his inheritance to each martyr of the Battle of Badr. The number of the martyrs of Badr was 100...

Abdurrahman died in the 21st year of the Migration at the age of 72. His janazah prayer was led by Hz. Uthman or according to another narration by Zubayr bin Awwam. May Allah make us follow their path!
________________________________________

[1] Musnad, 1: 91.
[2] Usdul-Ghaba, 2: 416, 3: 314; Mektûbât (Letters), p. 148.
[3] Usdul-Ghaba, 3: 314-317.
[4] Tabaqat, 3: 93.
[5] Tabaqat, 1:403.
[6] Sirah, 2: 256.
[7] Musnad, 4: 247; Hz. Muhammed ve İslamiyet, 9: 196.
[8] Asr-ı Saadet, 1: 393-394.
[9] Bukhari, Tib: 30; Muslim, Salam: 98.
[10] Musnad, 1: 191.

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Ali bin Abi Talib (R.A)

Hz. Ali was the son of Abu Talib, the paternal uncle of the Prophet.  Abu Talib brought up the Prophet and took care of him for a long time though he was poor.  He would not let anyone from his family start eating before Hz. Muhammad came to the table. He knew through experience that Hz. Muhammad was a source of abundance. 

After marrying Hz. Khadijah, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) brought Hz. Ali to his house and took care of him in order to pay his debt of gratitude and to relieve him of his burden. Hz. Ali was only 4 or 5 years old then. Thus, he spent his childhood under the supervision of the Prophet.

When the Prophet was assigned the duty of prophethood, Hz. Ali was 10 years old. The honor of believing him first was attained by Hz. Khadijah among women and Hz. Ali among children. 

Once, Hz. Ali saw Hz. Prophet and Hz. Khadijah performing a prayer and started to watch them admiringly. When the prayer ended, he did not hide his admiration and asked the Prophet in a childish manner:

"What were you doing?" The Prophet said:

"O Ali! This is the religion that Allah likes. I invite you to believe in Allah, who is one. I ask you to avoid worshipping idols which bring no benefits or harms."

Upon this offer, Hz. Ali said:

"I need to consult my father, Abu Talib."

However, the Prophet had not been ordered to declare his cause yet. He did not want it to be heard. He said,

"O Ali! Either accept what I offer you, or do not tell anybody about it if you do not accept it."

Hz. Ali spent that night thinking about it. In the morning, he went to the Messenger of Allah and said to him in a manner that could not be expected from a child:

"Allah did not ask Abu Talib when He created me; so, why should I consult my father to worship Allah?"

With these words, Hz. Ali got the honor of becoming a believer by showing the maturity of a person brought up by the Messenger of Allah.

After that, Hz. Ali followed the Messenger of Allah like a shadow. However, his parents were worried about him lest something bad should happen to him. However, when Abu Talib listened to the Messenger of Allah, he acknowledged him to be right.  Abu Talib was not a Muslim but he did not object to his son being a Muslim. As a matter of fact, when his wife became worried that the polytheists could torture him, he said to her:

"If my soul allowed me to leave the religion of Abdulmuttalib, I would accept the religion of Muhammad. For, he is lenient, trustable and pure." [1]

Hz. Ali had never worshipped idols. He always hated them. He never left the Prophet during the period of Makka. During the Migration, he fulfilled a very important duty by lying in the bed of the Prophet. 

Before the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) left Makkah with Hz. Abu Bakr, he asked Hz. Ali to lie in his bed that night. The Prophet gave the things had been entrusted to him to Hz. Ali. He told Hz. Ali to migrate to Madinah after delivering them to their owners. 

The polytheists surrounded the house of the Messenger of Allah. They started to wait for the Prophet to come out of the house from the places where they were hiding when it started to get light. For, according to the traditions of that time, it was regarded as cowardice to kill a person in his house.

The Messenger of Allah made Hz. Ali lie in his bed and left the house. He picked up a handful of soil and threw it at the polytheists and he passed before them by reading the first eight verses of the chapter of Yasin. None of the polytheists saw him. 

The polytheists were still waiting. After a while, they thought that the Prophet might have left. They looked through the window of the Prophet's house. They thought the person in the bed (Hz. Ali) was the Prophet. They said, "Muhammad is there, sleeping" and kept waiting.

When it became the morning, they could not wait any longer and entered the house. They were astonished when they saw Hz. Ali in the bed. They asked him where the Prophet was but he did not answer. They did not insist on asking him very much; they did not want to lose time so they sent men around to look for him.

Hz. Ali left the house and delivered the things that had been entrusted to the Prophet to their owners. Three days later, he also set off for Madinah. After a long and tiring journey, he arrived in Madinah. The soles of his feet were torn and swollen. When the Prophet saw the sorrowful state of Hz. Ali, he could not help crying. Then, he wiped under the feet of Hz. Ali and prayed Allah for his recovery.  At that moment, his feet got well and his pains ended. [2]

The most distinguished quality of Hz. Ali was his courage. He displayed examples of his courage in all of the battles he took part.

For instance, when the polytheists attacked with the intention of killing the Prophet during the Battle of Uhud, Hz. Ali was one of those who tried to protect him by forming a wall of flesh. At one moment, a group of polytheists started move toward the Prophet. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) ordered Hz. Ali to confront them. Hz. Ali attacked them and scattered them. He killed one of them. Soon, another group attacked. The Prophet ordered Hz. Ali to confront them again. Hz. Ali killed Shayba bin Malik among them.

Thereupon, Jibril came to the Prophet and said:

"O Messenger of Allah! What Hz. Ali did is great heroism and bravery." The Prophet said,  

"He is of me and I am of him", appreciating Hz. Ali. Jibril said,

"I am of both of you." Meanwhile, the following was heard from the sky:

"There is no hero like Ali and there is no sword like Dhul-Fiqar."

Hz. Ali was knocked down a few times by the polytheists during the Battle of Uhud but he was helped by Jibril to stand up each time. [3]

The conquest of Khaybar turned out to be very difficult because Khaybar was a town consisting of strong castles built on volcanic land. Most of the Jews exiled from Madinah lived there. While the siege was going on, the Messenger of Allah once said:

"I am going to give the standard to such a person tomorrow that Allah and His Messenger love him and he loves Allah and His Messenger. Allah is going to realize the conquest through him."

Upon this statement, the mujahids started to wonder about that person. Who was going to have this honor? Most of the Companions wanted to attain this honor. One of them was Hz. Umar. He said, "I had never wanted to be the commander so much before. I waited hoping that I would be called."

Everybody was looking forward to the morning. Finally, it was the expected moment. The Prophet said, 

"Bring me the standard." They brought the standard. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) asked,

"Where is Ali?" Hz. Ali came but his eyes were in pain, The Messenger of Allah wiped Hz. Ali's eyes with his blessed hand. Then, he prayed Allah as follows:

"O Allah! Eliminate the troubles of the heat and cold from Ali. Then, he said:

"Walk until Allah makes the conquest easy for you." Hz. Ali, whose pains were relieved, proceeded to his target.[4]

Hz. Ali planted the white standard of the Messenger of Allah in front of the Castle of Khaybar. Meanwhile, Marhab, who was accepted as a strong and brave person, came out of the castle with his men. He was wearing double armors and had two swords.   He shouted,

"I can kill even lions with my sword and spear." Hz. Ali said:

"My mother gave me the name 'Khaydar'. I am as brave as the most majestic lions in the jungle. I will not let you live; I will knock you down."

In the one on one struggle, Hz. Ali split Marhab, the strongest man of the Jews, into two with his sword. When the Messenger of Allah saw this incident, he said,  

"Rejoice! The conquest of Khaybar got easier."

Thereupon, all mujahids attacked the castle and conquered it. Hz. Ali removed the gate of the castle, which was very heavy, and used it as a shield. When the battle ended, he put the gate on the ground. Eight people could not lift it. [5]

Hz. Ali took part in all battles with the Prophet except Tabuk. The reason why he did not take part in that battle was that the Prophet left him as his deputy in Madinah. 

It was very difficult for Hz. Ali, who was a hero, to be away from the army of jihad. He said,

"O Messenger of Allah! Are you leaving me among women and children?"

Thereupon, the Prophet said, 

"Do you not want to act as my deputy just like Aaron, who acted as the deputy of Moses? There is only one difference: there are no prophets after me."

After this statement of the Prophet's, Hz. Ali felt relieved and remained in Madinah as his deputy. [6]

One of the most outstanding qualities of Hz. Ali was his sincerity. His aim in everything was the consent of Allah. When his soul and feelings became involved in something, he would abandon it at once

Badiuzzaman Said Nursi narrates an incident regarding the issue as follows:  

Imam Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) once threw an unbeliever to the ground. As he drew his sword to kill him, the unbeliever spat in his face. He released him without killing him. The unbeliever said: "Why did you not kill me'?"

He replied: "I was going to kill you for the sake of Allah. However, when you spat at me, I became angered, and the purity of my intention was clouded by the inclinations of my soul. It is for this reason that I did not kill you."

The unbeliever replied: "If your religion is so pure and disinterested, it must be the truth." [7]

Hz. Ali based all of his deeds on taqwa. He advised other people taqwa, too. He stated the following regarding the issue:

"Pay attention to taqwa and use it as a means of acceptance for your deeds in the eye of Allah. Worship performed with taqwa is never regarded as little. Can accepted deeds be little?"

Hz. Ali believed that tawakkul and showing consent to qadar was the source of happiness and said:

"A person who does not show consent to qadar cannot feel the flavor of belief.  Whether a person shows consent to his qadar or not, that thing will happen to him. If he shows consent to what Allah predestined for him, he will gain rewards; if he does not, he will be a sinner."

Hz. Ali was one of the Companions who benefited from the Prophet the most regarding every issue. The Prophet stated the following in order to express the greatness of his knowledge:

"I am the city of knowledge and Ali is the door of the city of knowledge. Those who want to learn knowledge should enter through that door." [8]

Hz. Ali knew the science of the Quran very well. He knew very well where, why and for whom each verse was sent down. Once he addressed a large group of people as follows­:

"Ask me. I will answer each question you ask me. Ask me about the Book of Allah. I swear by Allah that there is no verse that I do not when (at night or during the day) and where (on the mountain or plain) it was sent down." [9]

Along with these virtues, Hz. Ali had the great honor of marrying the youngest and most beloved daughter of the Prophet. Five months after the arrival of the Prophet in Madinah, he got engaged with Hz. Fatima. They got married in the second year of migration after the Battle of Badr.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) ordered Hz. Bilal al-Habashi to make bread from four or five handfuls of flour. He also wanted a young camel to be slaughtered." Bilal al-Habashi said:

"I bought the food. He put his blessed hand on it. Then, the Companions arrived in groups. They ate and left. He prayed for the remaining part of the food. He sent a bowl of food to each one of his wives. He said, ‘Let them eat and make those near them eat, too.’ Yes, such abundance is necessary for such a blessed marriage and it is certain that it happened." [10]

Hz. Hasan and a year later Hz. Husayn was born out of this blessed marriage. This made the Prophet very happy. Hz Prophet loved his grandsons very much. He carried them on his shoulders. He said the following about them:

"They are my two basils that I kiss and smell in this world." [11]

* * *

Once Hz. Hasan and Husayn became ill. Hz. Ali and Hz. Fatima vowed to fast for three days if their beloved children got well. When Allah Almighty restored them to health, they started to perform fasting. In the evening, when it was time for iftar, they had only one piece of bread to eat. Just then, an orphan arrived. They gave the bread to the orphan and they broke their fast with only water. On the second and third days, a poor man and a slave arrived. They gave their food to them. They became very weak because of not eating anything three days on end. In the morning, they went to the presence of the Messenger of Allah with their children. Their pale faces attracted the attention of the Prophet. He said,

"O Ali! What is the matter with you?"

Hz. Ali told him what had happened. Meanwhile, Jibril arrived and revealed verses 5 to 10 of the chapter of al-Insan:

"As to the Righteous, they shall drink of a Cup (of Wine) mixed with Kafur― A Fountain where the Devotees of Allah do drink, making it flow in unstinted abundance. They perform (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose evil flies far and wide. And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan and the captive― (Saying) "We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks. We only fear a Day of distressful Wrath from the side of our Lord,"

When the Prophet informed them about the revelation, they became so happy that they forgot the fatigue of the three-day hunger. [12]

* * *

After the martyrdom of Hz. Uthman, there was a lot of disorder going around. The rebels offered a lot of people to become the caliph but nobody accepted. Nobody wanted to be the caliph at such a time. Eventually, in order to prevent the disorder from spreading, the people of Madinah agreed to offer Hz. Ali to become the caliph. Hz. Ali did not want to accept it but he had to accept this heavy responsibility in order to stop the disorder and mischief.

The problems that Hz. Ali would face were abundant. First, he sent the governors that he appointed to all of the cities. All of the governors that he appointed were able people in terms of administration. He trusted his governors. He gave them some advice before he sent them. His advice always had the same liveliness. For instance, the advice he gave to Malik, the governor of Egypt, was very instructive:

"O Malik! I am sending you to such countries that many governments ruled there justly and unjustly.  You checked the activities of the governors before you; likewise, people will check your activities. People will say the same things you said for their activities for your activities. Who is good and right can be understood only through the words that Allah makes a person utter. Therefore, your most valuable property should be your right and fair deeds. Keep your feelings under control. 

Nurture feelings of love and mercy, and inclinations of grace for people in your heart. Never become a monster waiting to swallow the poor and weak people; the people are divided into two: they are either your brothers in your religion or your fellow creatures. Yes, they may make mistakes; they may be faulty. Do not say, 'I have absolute power; I will order and they will obey me.‘ For, doing so means to cause mischief in the heart, to weaken the religion and to approach disasters. If the power you have makes you feel conceited, look at the majesty of realms and think that Allah is omnipotent related to the things that you cannot have control over. This thought will make your view that is high in the sky come down, eliminate its severity and make you come to your senses again. 

Do not abandon justice related to Allah and people. Otherwise, you will oppress people. If you oppress people, Allah will be the prosecutor. If Allah becomes the enemy of a person, all of the things that this person can clutch will be of no good. In the world, there is nothing that will change the grace of Allah and quicken His wrath more than oppression.  Allah hears the groaning of those who are oppressed and sees the oppressors.

Untie all of the knots of hatred. Cut all of the ropes that could drag you to revenge. Do not readily believe the words of the people who backbite and criticize others. For, no matter how innocent a backbiter seems, he is a mischief-maker. Do not allow those who are stingy, cowardly and ambitious to enter your presence.

Among your consultants, you should like most the one that tells you the sad truth the most. Make truthful people and those who fear Allah your confidants. Do not allow them to applaud you and to make you pleased by attributing to you things that you have not done. For, extreme applause leads man to conceitedness. Do not regard good people and bad people as the same. For, such equality will drive good people away from good deeds and encourage bad people to do bad deeds.  

When you choose officials to appoint, do not find it sufficient to look at their faces and to have good views about them. For, people can win the favor of the governors who decide based on what they see. However, they have no sincerity. Therefore, choose the ones that are known by their good deeds among people before you. 

Fear Allah a lot about the poor, victims and disabled people. Among them are those who tell people about their needs and those who do not. It is your duty to take care of them and to protect their rights. Do not allow your conceitedness to avoid taking care of them. Do your best and work so hard so that you will be able to say, 'I did my best' in the divine presence.’

I heard the following from the Prophet: ‘A nation in which the right of the weak cannot be taken from the strong cannot get strong.’

Do the work of a day on that day because every day has its own work. 

A governor has some men who are close to him. They may be involved in nepotism, oppression and injustice in their deeds. Prevent their harm by eliminating the causes of them. Never give any land to the people around you, your relatives and friends. Do not allow any of them to collect store property in a way that will cause trouble to you. Their profits will not belong to you but their harm will belong to you in both the world and the hereafter. 

Never like yourself. Never rely on the aspects of your soul that seem pleasant to you. Never want to be praised in your presence. This is the strongest tool that Satan has in order to destroy the good deeds of people. Never rub in the favors you did to your people; do not exaggerate when you mention what you have done and do not break your promises you have made to them. For, rubbing in the favors you have made eliminates the favors; exaggeration hides the truth and breaking your promises causes Allah and people to hate you. 

Never start to do something before it is appropriate time for it. When it is time to do it, do not procrastinate. Do not insist on the things that have not become clear; when they become clear, do not procrastinate. Do everything properly. Do not privilege yourself related to the things about which everybody is equal. Do not act as if you are unaware of the bad deeds that your men have done. 

Control your fury, wrath, hands and tongue. In order to be saved from the evil of them, delay the severity of your fury so that it will fade away and you will control your will." [13]

Hz. Ali worked very hard in order to realize justice. He proved through his own life that everybody was equal before law no matter what their posts and positions were. Although he was the Caliph of the believers, he did not mind being tried in the court with a Jew:

Hz. Ali lost his armor on the way to Siffin Expedition. When the war ended and he returned to Kufa, he saw his armor in the hands of a Jew.  He said to the Jew,

"This is my armor. I did not sell it to anyone nor did I give it to anyone as a present." The Jew said,

"This is my armor and I have it now."

If Hz. Ali had wanted, he would have grabbed his armor. He was definitely right but he offered to settle the issue in the court:

"Let us go to the judge." They went to the judge together.

The judge was Qadi Shurayh, who was famous for his justice. When Hz. Ali entered the room, he sat next to the judge and explained the reason why he sat there as follows:

"If my opponent were not a Jew, I would sit next to him. I heard the Messenger of Allah say, ‘In the place where Allah disdains them, you disdain them, too.’"

Qadi Shurayh said to Hz. Ali:

"O leader of the believers! What is the problem between you?" Hz. Ali said:

"The armor the Jew has is mine. I did not sell it to anyone nor did I give it to anyone as a present."

When the judge understood the issue, he asked Hz. Ali:

"Do you have any evidence to prove your claim?" Hz. Ali said:

"Yes, I do. My servant Qambar and my son Hasan are witnesses that it belongs to me." Qadi Shurayh said,

"It is not permissible for the son to be a witness for his father." Hz. Ali said,

"How come the witnessing of a person of Paradise is not accepted? I heard the Messenger of Allah say, 'Hasan and Husayn are the lords of the youth of Paradise."

Eventually, Qadi Shurayh decreed in favor of the Jew owing to lack of evidence. When the Jew saw this magnificent justice, he could not help saying, 

"The leader of the believers sued against me and the judge he appointed decreed against him. I witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger. This armor belongs to you. It fell off your camel and I took it."

Hz. Ali was pleased with what he said,

"Since you have become a Muslim, I will give this armor to you as a present." [14]

Hz. Ali did his best to support the three caliphs before him. All of the three caliphs appreciated his values by consulting him regarding important issues. 

On the other hand, Hz. Ali did his best in order to prevent the mischievous movements during the time of Hz. Uthman. Unfortunately, he could not prevent the incidents that led to the martyrdom of Hz. Uthman. 

There were complete tumults during the caliphate of Hz. Uthman. Some Muslims recognized Hz. Ali as the caliph while others recognized Muawiya. Muawiya was a relative of Hz. Uthman; therefore, he wanted his killers to be caught and punished.

However, it was not known who killed Hz. Uthman. There were a few suspects. Hz. Ali asked for some time. He said he could not execute anybody owing to uncertainty. He promised that the killer would be punished as soon as he was determined. However, Muawiya hurried. Eventually, bloody wars took place due to ijtihad difference between the two Companions. Many Muslims were martyred. It became impossible to establish peace and unity among Muslims. 

In the end, Hz. Ali was martyred in Kufa in the 40th year of the Migration. All of the Muslims paid allegiance to Muawiya. 

Hz. Ali had a different place in the eye of the Prophet. That the Prophet married his beloved daughter off to Hz. Ali is an indication of it. The following hadiths also indicate it:

"Ali loves Allah and His Messenger; Allah and His Messenger love Ali." [15]

"He who loves Ali is regarded to love me; he who loves me is regarded to love Allah. He who gets angry with Ali is regarded to get angry with me; he who gets angry with me is regarded to get angry with Allah." [16]

"I am of Ali; Ali is of me." [17]

"He who is a munafiq does not love Ali; he who is a believer does not hate Ali." [18]

"O Ali! You are my brother in both the world and the hereafter." [19]

"He who curses Ali is regarded to curse me." [20]

586 hadiths were reported from Hz. Ali. Some of them are as follows:

"The Messenger of Allah said, 'There are such rooms in Paradise that inside of them are seen from outside and the outside of them are seen from inside.’ Thereupon, somebody asked ‘O the Messenger of Allah! Who are these rooms for?’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘They belong to those who speak leniently, feed others, perform fasting regularly and perform prayers when people are asleep at night." [21]

"Allah will send to Paradise a person who reads the Quran, memorizes it and accepts as legitimate whatever it renders legitimate and accepts as forbidden whatever it renders forbidden; He also gives him the right to intercede for ten people." [22]

"O Ali! Do not delay three things: the prayer whose time is due, the dead body which is ready for the funeral and the girl or widow whose hand is asked in marriage by a suitable person…" [23]

There are many sayings of Hz. Ali that have reached us. Some of them are as follows:

"He who wants Paradise should keep away from the things that his soul desires in the world."

Hz. Ali said,

"I am astonished by the person who has the opportunity for salvation but suffers destruction." Those who were listening to him asked,

"O Ali! What is the opportunity for salvation?" Hz. Ali said,

"To ask forgiveness from Allah."

"Speak little so that you will be secure. Keeping silent is a means of going to Paradise. Do not tell your secret to your friend; your friend also has a friend and he will tell your secret to him."

May Allah Almighty be pleased with him and may He enable us to attain his intercession!
____________________________

[1] Sirah, 1: 262-264.
[2] Tabaqat, 8: 18.
[3] Tabari, 3: 177.
[4] Muslim, Fadail as-Sahaba: 33-34.
[5] Insanu’l-Uyun, 2: 737-738; Tabaqat, 2: 110-112.
[6] Muslim, Fadail as-Sahaba: 31.
[7] Mektûbât (Letters), p. 248.
[8] Tirmidhi, Manaqib: 20.
[9] Tabaqat, 2: 338.
[10] Mektûbât (Letters), p. 119.
[11] Tirmidhi, Manaqib: 31.
[12] Usdul-Ghaba, 5: 530-531; Tafsiru’l-Kabir, 30: 244.
[13] Kitabu’l-Kharaj, 448-460.
[14] Tarikhu’l-Khulafa, p. 172.
[15] Muslim, Fadail as-Sahaba: 33.
[16] Tarikhu’l-Khulafa, p. 162.
[17] Tirmidhi, Manaqib: 20.
[18] Tirmidhi, Manaqib: 21; Ibni Majah, Muqaddima: 11.
[19] ibid.
[20] Fathu’r-Rabbani, 23: 121.
[21] Tirmidhi, Birr: 53.
[22] Tirmidhi, Fadailu’l-Qur’an: 13.
[23] Tirmidhi, Salat.13.

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Uthman bin Affan (R.A)

Hz. Uthman, who was the third caliph of the Prophet and an example of modesty and good manners, was one of the lucky people who were promised Paradise when they were alive. Hz. Abu Bakr started to convey the message of the true religion to his sincere friends first by visiting them. One of those friends was Hz. Uthman. Hz. Uthman was a lenient, gentle and honest person with high ethics. His character was suitable for accepting Islam. He listened to Hz. Abu Bakr carefully and became very interested in with what he said. Then, they went to the presence of the Messenger of Allah together.

The Prophet (pbuh) said to Hz. Uthman:

“Seek Paradise, which is a grant of Allah. I was sent as a guide to find the right path to you and to the whole mankind. There is no god but Allah.“ Then, he read some verses from the Quran.

Hz. Uthman was fascinated by the divine speech. He uttered kalima ash-shahada and became a Muslim. Afterwards, he expressed his feelings as follows:

“The first words I heard from the tongue of the Messenger of Allah were so pure, plain and impressive that I uttered kalima ash-shahada on impulse.“

Hz. Uthman was 34 years old when he became a Muslim. He was a young, influential tradesman. He was well off. When his uncle, Hakam bin Abi'l-As, found out that Uthman became a Muslim, he went crazy. He tied Uthman to a post and said,

“I will not give you any food if you do not abandon this religion.“ However, another relative of Hakam's understood that he would not abandon it even if he was killed and made him release Uthman. [1]

Before the advent of Islam, Abu Lahab's son, Utba, was married to Ruqiyya, the daughter of the Prophet. When Utba heard that the Prophet propagated a new religion, he said to the Prophet (pbuh),

“I do not want your daughter and your religion. Thus, he divorced Hz. Ruqiyya. Thereupon, Hz. Uthman asked to marry Ruqiyya and married her.

Hz. Uthman and Ruqiyya were among the 15-people group that migrated to Abyssinia due to the oppression of the polytheists.  When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) heard that Hz. Uthman set off before everybody, he said,

“Their friend and owner is Allah. Uthman is the first person to migrate with his family after Lut (Lot).“ [2]

After staying in Abyssinia for a while, Hz. Uthman, returned to Makkah with his wife. After that, he migrated to Madinah.

The most distinct quality of Hz. Uthman was his bashfulness and modesty. According to a narration of Hz. Aisha, the Messenger of Allah was once resting covered in a blanket. Meanwhile Hz. Abu Bakr arrived and asked permission to enter the house. The Messenger of Allah allowed him in without changing his position; he asked a question and left. After a while, Hz. Umar arrived. The Messenger of Allah allowed him to come in without changing his position. After that, Hz. Uthman arrived and asked permission to enter. This time, the Messenger of Allah sat up and tidied himself up.

Thereupon, Hz. Aisha asked, 

“O Messenger of Allah! You did not tidy yourself up when Abu Bakr and Umar. Why did you sit up and tidy yourself up when Hz. Uthman came?“

The Messenger of Allah answered as follows:

“For, Uthman is a very bashful and modest person. Even angels feel shy in his presence. Shall I not feel shy?“[3]

Abu Musa'l-Ash'ari narrates:

We went to a house with the Messenger of Allah. He said to me,

“Wait at the door and do not let anyone in without permission!“

After a while, Abu Bakr arrived.

I said, “O Messenger of Allah! Abu Bakr arrived.“ He said,

“Let him in and give him the glad tiding of Paradise.“

After that, Umar arrived. He told me to tell him the same thing.

Then, Uthman arrived. He said the following about Uthman:

“Let him in and give him the glad tiding of Paradise due to the troubles he will confront.“ Thus, he stated that Hz. Uthman was one of the people who were promised Paradise and who would suffer several misfortunes in the future. [4]

Hz. Uthman could not take part in the Battle of Badr though he wanted it so much. For, his wife, Hz. Ruqiyya was very ill. Although the Prophet accepted his excuse, he felt the sadness of not being able to join the Battle of Badr in his heart. Hz. Ruqiyya could not get over the illness she caught and died. The victory of Muslims in Badr transformed Hz. Uthman's deep sorrow into joy.

After returning from Badr, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) gave Hz. Uthman another glad tiding:

“You received the rewards of a martyr though you did not join Badr.“

After that, the Prophet married his other daughter, Umm Kulthum, off to Hz. Uthman. Then, Hz. Uthman was called “Dhun-nurayn“ (possessor of two lights).

After the death of Umm Kulthum, the Prophet consoled his son-in-law, who was a symbol of modesty, by saying, “If I had 40 daughters, I would marry them off to Uthman one by one.“ [5]

Hz. Uthman (r.a.), who took part in the Battle of Uhud, sometimes remembered the sorrow he felt when he heard the false news of the death of the Prophet and expressed the severity of the agony he experienced there.

During the Expedition of Dhat ar-Riqa in the 4th year of the Migration, the Prophet appointed him as his deputy and left him in Madinah. Taking part in all of the battles after that, Hz. Uthman was sent as an envoy to the Qurayshis for the Treaty of Hudaybiyah. Hz. Uthman went to Makkah and told them that their purpose in going to Makkah was umrah but the polytheists opposed him and said to him,

“Go and tell the person who sent you here that he will never be able to enter Makkah and visit the Kaaba. However, if you want, you can circumambulate the Kaaba.“

Hz. Uthman answered them as follows:

“I will not circumambulate the Kaaba without the Messenger of Allah“

The Qurayshis were disturbed by these words of Hz. Uthman and they put him on probation for a while.

The statement of the polytheists turned out to be wrong; the Messenger of Allah circumambulated the Kaaba after a while.

The news that Hz. Uthman was put on probation reached the Muslims as if he was martyred. Being agitated by this news, the Muslims saw no other solution except fighting. Everybody was very excited. The divine revelation told Muslims to pay allegiance to the Prophet. All Muslims promised that they would obey the Messenger of Allah and that they would sacrifice their lives for the sake of Allah and His Messenger. The Messenger of Allah accepted the Muslims' allegiance by one hand for him and the other hand for Hz. Uthman. This allegiance was recorded as the Allegiance of Ridwan in the history of Islam.  

When the polytheists heard about it, they became worried and released Hz. Uthman. The Muslims became very happy when Hz. Uthman returned. They said to him, “You have probably circumambulated the Kaaba.“ Hz. Uthman answered them as follows:

“I swear by Allah that if I stayed in Makkah for a year and if the Messenger of Allah were in Huday­bi­yah, I would not circumambulate the Kaaba alone if the Prophet did not circumambulate the Kaaba.“ [6]

Afterwards, Hz. Uthman took part in the Battle of Khaybar, the Conquest of Makkah and the Battle of Hawazin. Hz. Uthman was among those who protected and defended the Messenger of Allah by forming a wall of flesh during the Battle of Hunayn.

Hz. Uthman gave away, 1000 dinars, 50 horses and 100 camels for the Expedition of Tabuk. The Prophet stated the following for this generosity:

“None of the mistakes Uthman will do from now on will harm him.“ [7]

Hz. Uthman helped the needy a lot in order to thank Allah for his wealth but he lived very humbly.

During a period of famine in Madinah, Hz. Uthman brought 100 camels loaded with wheat from Damascus. Some Companions hurried toward him to buy the wheat. He said to them, 

“I have a better customer. He gives me more profit than you.“ The Companions went to Hz. Abu Bakr to tell him about what Uthman said. Hz. Abu Bakr knew Hz. Uthman better than anybody else. He said to them,

“He has the honor of being the son-in-law of the Messenger of Allah. He is also a friend of the Prophet in Paradise. You probably misunderstood him. Let us go to him together and find out about the situation.“

When they went over to Hz. Uthman, Hz. Abu Bakr said,

“O Uthman! The Companions felt very sorry when they heard your words. What is the matter? Can you explain it?“

Hz. Uthman answered as follows:  “O Caliph of the Messenger of Allah! There is a better customer who gives 700 in return for 1. I sold the wheat to Him.“

With that statement, Hz. Uthman wanted to say that he gave away the wheat on the camels as charity for Allah. 

As a matter of fact, he distributed the wheat on the 100 camels to the poor without demanding any money. Hz. Abu Bakr became very pleased and kissed Hz. Uthman on the forehead.

Once Hz. Uthman heard that there was no food left in the house of the Messenger of Allah. He bought a fat sheep, some flour and oil, and took them to the house where Hz. Aisha lived. He said to her,

“O mother of the believers! I think the Messenger of Allah will share it with his other wives. Tell him not to do so. I will take the same things to them, too.“

The Prophet came home and found out about the situation. He said,

“O Lord! Forgive all of the sins of Uthman whether in the past or in the future, whether known or unknown.“

When Hz. Ali was about to marry Hz. Fatima, he put up his armor for sale. He met Hz. Uthman in the market. He told Uthman that he was going to marry and that he wanted to sell his armor to have enough money for mahr. Uthman (r.a.) bought it for 480 dirhams and gave Ali the money. Then, he turned to Hz. Ali and said,

“O Ali! I am giving this armor to you as a wedding present so that you will serve Allah with it. This armor is fitting only for an Islamic hero like you.“

One of the greatest characteristics of Hz. Uthman was his generosity. He did not hesitate to spend his wealth in the way of Allah. Once, the Muslims had difficulty in finding water to drink. There was no fresh water to drink except the water of Ruma Well. That well belonged to a Jew. He sold water at a very high price. This situation distressed the Prophet (pbuh). When he was together with the Companions, he said,  

“If a believer buys the Ruma Well, he will have a similar well in Paradise.“

Hz. Uthman was also there. He took action at once. He found the Jew. He told him that he wanted to buy the well. The Jew did not accept to sell the whole well. He sold half of it at a very high price. Hz. Uthman went to the presence of the Prophet joyfully. He said he had bought half of the well and that he allocated it to Muslims. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) complimented him by saying, 

“The charity of Uthman is wonderful charity.“ Hz. Uthman bought the other half of the well later and allocated it to Muslims. [8]

One of the Companions Hz. Abu Bakr consulted the most during his caliphate was Hz. Uthman.

When Hz. Abu Bakr was on his deathbed, he was telling Hz. Uthman about the properties of the person to be the Caliph after him and Hz. Uthman was noting them down. Hz. Abu Bakr fainted before he mentioned the name of the person he described. Hz. Uthman thought he died and wrote the name of Hz. Umar.

After a while, Hz. Abu Bakr came to himself and asked him whose name he wrote. Hz. Uthman said, “O leader of the believers! I thought you died. I feared that there would be tumult and wrote the name of Umar bin Khattab.“

Hz. Abu Bakr became very happy due to his sensible act and said,

“May Allah reward you with goodness due to this favor you have done to Islam and Muslims. If you had written your name, you would also have acted correctly.“ [9]

Hz. Uthman supported Hz. Umar with might and main during his caliphate and undertook responsibility for fulfilling important duties. After the death of Hz. Umar, the consultation committee he appointed chose Hz. Uthman as the caliph.

The committee consisted of the following people:

Abdurrahman bin Awf, Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas, Talha, Zubayr, Uthman and Ali (r.a.).

Hz. Umar's son, Abdullah was also in this committee. Hz. Umar asked the committee to choose a caliph among them within three days after his death.

After the funeral of Hz. Umar, the committee negotiated for two days but could not make a decision. On the third day, Abdurrahman bin Awf offered that three of the candidates waive their rights in favor of one of the remaining three candidates. Thereupon, Hz. Zubayr nominated Hz. Ali, Hz. Sa'd nominated Abdur­rahman bin Awf and Hz. Talha nominated Hz. Uthman and waived their rights. After that, Abdurrahman bin Awf (r.a.) said that he also waived. Two candidates: Hz. Uthman and Hz. Ali remained.

Then, Hz. Abdurrahman negotiated with both of them. Meanwhile he asked the opinion of everybody, from men in the street, to women in their homes and students at schools. The majority preferred Hz. Uthman.

Hz. Abdurrahman called people to the mosque. He said he found Hz. Uthman more suitable for the caliphate and paid allegiance to him. After Hz. Abdurrahman, Hz. Ali became the second person to pay allegiance to Hz. Uthman. Then, the other Muslims paid allegiance to him. Thus, Hz. Uthman was chosen as the Caliph in 644.[10]

During the first six years of Hz. Uthman's caliphate, many places were conquered. An important part of Africa was conquered. The first Muslim attacks to Spain started in this period. Cyprus was conquered. Besides, the people of Armenia, who rebelled by taking advantage of the death of Hz. Umar, were suppressed. Tabaristan was conquered. An important incident of this period is that the Islamic navy confronted the Byzantine navy in the Mediterranean and that the Islamic navy defeated the Byzantine navy, which consisted of 500 ships. This victory enabled the Muslims to maneuver easily in the Mediterranean. The Muslims landed on the islands of Malta and Crete. A group of Muslims landed on the Anatolian shores while another group approached the walls of Istanbul. They worked hard in order to be fitting for the glad tiding of the Prophet.

During this period, the system of states was established in administration. The Islamic land was divided into two systems as civilian and administrative systems.

* * *

One of the greatest and historical things and the most important one Hz. Uthman did was definitely the reproduction of the Quran. Some different views about pronouncing the Quran occurred among the Companions that went to conquer Armenia and Azerbaijan. For, the ones in the army of Iraq learned the Quran from Ibn Masud and those in the army of Damascus from Ubay bin Kab. Due to the small differences, Hudhayfah al-Yamani went to Hz. Uthman and said,

“Come to help Muslims before this ummah falls into disagreement like Jews and Christians.“

Upon this application, Hz. Uthman convened a committee of consultation. This committee consisted of 12 people. The prominent ones were Zayd bin Thabit, Abdullah bin Zubayr, Said bin As and Abdurrahman bin Harith (r.a.). The committee reproduced five (or seven) copies of the Quran that was in the house of Hz. Umar and under the protection of Hz. Hafsa based on the Quran that was compiled during the time of Hz. Abu Bakr. These copies were sent to Kufa, Basra, Damascus, Makkah, Yemen and Bahrain. One copy was left in Madinah. This copy was called “the imam“.

* * *

The last period of his caliphate was full of mischief and tumult. Islamic historians mention the following for the reasons for the depressing incidents of mischief and tumult that took place during the caliphate of Hz. Uthman (r.a.) and Hz. Ali (r.a.) as follows: 

1- An important part of the Companions who had the luck of meeting the Messenger of Allah and received blessing and luminous light from him had died and the rest of the Companions had to retire and retreat. Therefore, there were not enough qualified administrators; the negligence and incapability of the administrators caused disorders in the course of time. Doubtlessly, the generation of Tabiun, who were taught by the Companions, was one of the most distinguished generations in history. However, it is not possible to say that they were as sensitive as the Companions in terms of justice, capability and equity.  

2- The feelings of pride in tribes and clans, which were regarded as a source of pride in the Era of Jahiliyyah, had been replaced by lofty properties and feelings in the first periods of Islam due to obeying the holy orders loyally. However, that the young people of the Quraysh tribe obtained important ranks and positions with the conquests and victories after the death of the Prophet somewhat aroused their pride in their tribe. Belonging to the Quraysh tribe started to be regarded as a means of privilege and superiority, which started uneasiness among Muslims.

3- With the conquests, the borders of the Islamic state reached to Morocco in North Africa and Qabil in Asia. This caused people of different religions, languages and races to become Muslims or to live under the domination of Muslims. The pride of some of these nations, especially Iranians, was hurt a lot; so, a rebellion and opposition movement against the central Islamic authority started gradually.  

4- That Hz. Uthman (r.a.) was a lenient and gentle person, that he preferred forgiving people to punishing them caused some people to take advantage of it, which caused misuse and weaknesses in administration. People with ill intentions practiced their deeds of mischief and tumult easily under the administration with such weaknesses.  

5- Hz. Uthman (r.a.) was very rich, beneficent and generous before he became a Muslim, too. He liked his relatives and helped them all the time. After becoming a Muslim, these feelings of his and beneficence increased, too; he started to take care of his relatives more. Some people started to say that his charity out of his own wealth was from the Treasury and propagated against him; thus, they instigated mischief and tumult. 

6- The administrators during the caliphate of Hz. Abu Bakr and Umar (r.a.) were shrewd authoritarian people; the atmosphere was away from the movements of mischief and tumult. Due to the conditions of his time, Hz. Uthman (r.a.) could not rely on anybody; therefore, he started to appoint his relatives for whom he had done favors to important administrative posts. He started to maintain the authority by doing so. These relatives were definitely capable and honest people. However, this situation was described and propagated as nepotism and appointing relatives to important posts. 

7- With the conquests, the community of Arabs started to have relationships with different nations; the children born out of these marriages with new Muslims or Christians and Jews turned out to be weak individuals in terms of ethics and religion. This formed a suitable environment for mischief and tumult.  

Along with the reasons above, the efforts of Abdullah Ibn Saba, who was originally a Jew, instigated a tumult that could not be prevented.

In the 35th year of the Migration and 12th year of Hz. Uthman's caliphate, troublemakers from Kufa, Basra, Egypt, etc started to besiege Hz. Uthman's house. The notables of the Companions, primarily Hz. Ali, tried to end the siege but they failed. Whatever was predestined was going to happen. The troublemakers were determined to martyr Hz. Uthman, who was an example of good manners and modesty and who was innocent. Hz. Uthman addressed them as follows:

“Why do you want to kill me? I heard the Messenger of Allah say, ‘It is haram to kill a Muslim except three cases: A Muslim who commits adultery though he is married; a Muslim who kills a person intentionally; a person who exits the religion of Islam after becoming a Muslim.' I swear by Allah that I did not commit adultery in the Era of Jahiliyyah or after becoming a Muslim. I did not kill anybody. I did not exit the religion of Islam after becoming a Muslim. Then, why do you want to kill me?“ [11]

However, the network for the tumult had already been prepared and the agitation had reached a point that could not be reversed. Hz. Ali (r.a.) left his two sons, Hasan and Husayn, with the Caliph as guards. Abdullah bin Umar and some Companions were also there. There were enough people to fight the troublemakers. Abdullah bin Zubayr, Zayd bin Thabit, Abu Hurayra and other Companions said they were ready to help the religion of Allah and that they wanted to fight the troublemakers if the Caliph allowed them. However, Hz. Uthman did not want Muslim blood to shed. He refused those offers: 

“I never want to be described as a caliph that shed Muslim blood. I take refuge in Allah against shedding the blood of even one person. I know that I will win if I fight them. However, I leave their punishment and those who agitate them to Allah.“ [12]

Hz. Uthman, who was an example of good manners, modesty and merits, saw the Prophet (pbuh) Hz. Abu Bakr and Hz. Umar in his dream one day before he was martyred. The Prophet addressed him as follows: 

“We are fasting; we are waiting for you for iftar.“ When Hz. Uthman woke up that night, he intended to fast. 

He was happy because it was time to rejoin Allah and His Messenger. It was Friday. He started to read the Quran. Meanwhile, some troublemakers managed to get inside the house and martyred Hz. Uthman. Some blood dropped on the Quran he was reading. Thus, another miracle of the Prophet about the future turned out to be true. The Prophet said that he was going to be killed unjustly.

“Why did the Companions not discover the troublemakers with the eye of sainthood and not take measures against them?“ The following answer of Badiuzzaman Said Nursi to the question above sets light to the causes of this murder: “Those who were the cause of those events and instigated the trouble did not consist of a few Jews; so, having discovered them could not have prevented the trouble. For with numerous different peoples entering Islam, many currents and ideas which were opposed to and contrary to one another had confused the situation. Particularly since the national pride of some of them had received awesome wounds at the blows of Umar (RA), they were waiting to take their revenge. For both their old religion had been rendered null and void and their old rule and sovereignty, the source of their pride, had been swept away. Knowingly or unknowingly, they were emotionally in favor of taking their revenge on Islamic rule. It was therefore said that certain clever and scheming dissemblers like the Jews took advantage of that state of society. That is to say, it would have been possible to prevent those events through reforming the social life, and various ideas of that time. They could not have been prevented by discovering one or two troublemakers.“ [13]

* * *

Hz. Uthman reported 146 hadiths from the Messenger of Allah. Some of them included in “Musnad“ of Ahmad bin Hanbal are as follows:

“The grave is the first one of the hereafter houses. If a person attains salvation there, the rest will be easier for him. If he cannot attain salvation there, the rest will be more difficult for him.“

“If a Muslim leaves home with the intention of a journey or something else and says, ‘Tawakkaltu alallahi wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah' (I have placed my trust in Allah, there is no might and no power except by Allah ), leaving home like this will be a means of attaining goodness and keeping away from evil.“

“A person who knows the reality of Lailaha illallah and dies believing in it enters Paradise.“

“A person who performs the night (isha) prayer and the morning (fajr) prayer in congregation is regarded to have worshipped throughout the night.“

“If a person makes wudu properly, goes to the mosque and performs the prayer, Allah forgives his sins he commits between that prayer and the next one.“ [14]
____________________________________

[1] Tabaqat, 3: 55; Insanu'l-Uyun, 1: 446; Istiab, 4: 221
[2] ibid
[3] Muslim, Fadailu's-Sahaba: 26-27.
[4] Tirmidhi, Manaqib: 19.
[5] Usdu'l-Ghaba, 3: 378.
[6] Sirah, 3: 330; Zadu'l-Maad, 3: 290-291.
[7] Tirmidhi, Manaqib: 19; Hayatu's-Sahaba, 2: 97.
[8] Tirmidhi, Manaqib: 19.
[9] Hayatu’s-Sahaba, 2: 14.
[10] Asr-ı Saadet, 1: 293-294
[11] Asr-ı Saadet, 1: 293-294
[12] Tirmidhi, Manaqib: 19; Muslim, Fadailu's-Sahaba: 28.
[13] Mektûbât (Letters), p. 48.
[14] Musnad, 1: 57-75.

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