The Rightly Guided Khalifahs- Hazrat Usman ibn Affan (R.A.)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Asalamualaykum,

 I was planning to give you information on the first four Rightly Guided Khalifah’s, so now I shall continue  with the third  Khalifa Hazrat Usman (R.A.) . Hazrat Usman (R.A.) was born in Makkah, he was also related to our Prophet (S.A.W.) through their great grandfather Abd Manaf. He belonged to the Ummayad tribe of Quraysh, he was also the first to accept Islam from the Ummayads. He was one of the rich merchants of Makkah & even in the days of ignorance he lead a very clean & virtuous life. Hazrat Usman was a wealthy trader and helped poor Muslims and released many of the Muslim slaves from their pagan masters.

Hazrat Usman embraced Islam at the suggestion of Hazrat Abu Bakr but, when his family heard of his reversion his uncle tied him in ropes and beat him, thus he was one of those Muslims who had to suffer persecution, degradation and humiliation at the hands of the pagans of Makkah.

Hazrat Usman (R.A.) and his wife Ruqayya bint Mohammad ( daughter of Prophet Muhammad) along with a few other Muslims decided to migrate to Abyssinia following the advice of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.). In 622 A.D. Hazrat Usman along with his with migrated to Madinah, thus he was one of those persons who performed Hijrat in the way of Allah, twice.

Hazrat Usman took part in all the important battles, Battle of Badr is an exception as the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) asked him to stay back for Ruqayya was in a critical condition. But when the war ended and our Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) went to meet her, he got to know that she had already died before the war ended.

After Ruqayya’s death, Usman (R.A.) married Umm-e- Kulsum, Prophet Muhammad’s (S.A.W.) other daughter. Hazrat Usman from then onwards was called ‘Dhun Nurain’  ie. Possessor of the two lights.

After the treaty of Hudaibiya Hazrat Usman earned the title of ‘Ghani’ for he spent his wealth freely in the service of Islam and the Muslims. In Madinah the Muslims faced the  scarcity of water, so Hazrat Usman bought a well from a Jew for 20,000 Dirhams and gifted it to the Muslims for their use. Pleased with this act Prophet  Muhammad (S.A.W.) gave him the tidings of paradise.

Hazrat Usman was regarded an authority on the Muslim Law of Inheritance. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique, the first Khalifah, and Hazrat Umar Farooq (R.A.) had a high regard for him, and often took his advice for a number of matters and problems of several Muslims, particularly in matters of Fiqh. He was one of the 6 men included in the panel, nominated by Hazrat Umar before his death for succession as Khalifa.

He succeeded  Hazrat Umar as the 3rd Khalifa of the Islamic State in 24 A.H. and remained in the office till 35 A.H. when he was assassinated at the age of 82 and was buried in Jannat Ul Baqi in Madina.

Hazrat Usman (R.A.) was an upright, dutiful and generous man. I feel that a single page of words cannot fulfill the works done by such great personalities, and cannot explain a man of such great abilities.

JazakAllah Khair

– Ain