Hazrat Uthman (RA)

Hazrat Uthman (RA) belonged to the “Ummayah” family of Quraish. It was a noble and reputed family of Makkah. The descendants of this family are known as as "Banu Umayyah" or "Umawwin". Hazrat Uthman (RA) was among those few people in Makkah who knew how to read and write. He grew up and started his own business of cloth and became very rich. His kind and helping nature earned him a great respect among the Makkahans. He did not hesitate to accept Islam and acknowledged the prophet hood of Prophet Muhammad (saw). The Quraish became his enemies after his acceptance of Islam. They tried to rebuke and chastise him severely. The Holy Prophet (saw) married one of his daughters to him after she was divorced by Abu Lahb son. When the hardships of the evil Quraish began to become unbearable Uthman (RA) along with his wife migrated to Abyssinia. He was the first Muslim to migrate. Uthman (RA) married the second daughter of Prophet when his wife died hence he was given the title of “Dhun-nurain" i.e., the man with two lights. 

Hazrat Uthman (RA) served Islam by all means. His services are prominent and inspiring. He fought in all the battles of Islam except Badr. He bought a well for free use of Muslims of Madinah at the cost of twenty thousand dhirams from a Jew. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) gave his the tidings of paradise for this kind act. He also extended the mosque of Madinah to accommodate the increasing population by buying a land. His other services include for bearing the expenses of one third army (10000 men) in the expedition of Tabuk. The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu'alaihi wa Sallam) remarked on this, "Nothing will do any harm to Uthman from this day, whatever he does." Hadrat Uthman (R.A.) was one of the scribes of the “Wahy" (Revelation) and also used to write other documents (letters and messages etc.) of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam).

He became the third Muslim Khalifa. Muslims conquered a number of new areas under his regime. They took over Antalya and Asia Minor in the west including Cyprus. Afghanistan, Samarkand, Tashkent, Trukmennistan, Khurasan and Tabrastan in the East and North East; and Libya, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco in North Africa. In this way Muslims were ruling over a vast part of Asia and Africa viz. Afghanistan, Turkmennistan, Uzbekistan, Persia or Iran, Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and of course Arabia (now Saudi Arabia) and Yemen including the Gulf states. Sayyiduna 'Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) himself was made Shaheed by rebels while he was reading the Holy Quran inside his house. This happened on Friday, the 17th of Zil Hajj in 35 A.H.. He was 84 years old.