History of Khulafah Rashideen by Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti - translated by Abdassamad Clarke

Mucawiyah had pressed cUmar ibn al-Khattab very persistently about raiding Cyprus and doing so by sea, so cUmar wrote to cAmr ibn al-cAs, ‘Describe the sea to me and the one who travels on it.’ He wrote to him, ‘I have seen a great creation, which a small creation mounts. If it is still, it pierces the hearts, and if it moves, it awes the intellects. In it the intellects grow in littleness, and wrong actions in muchness, and in it they are like grubs upon a timber. If it leans over, it sinks, and if it is swift, it enters into the wave and dives therein.’ When cUmar read the letter he wrote to Mucawiyah, ‘By Allah I will never convey a Muslim upon it.’ Ibn Jarir said, ‘Mucawiyah carried out the expedition against Cyprus during the time of cUthman, and its people made a treaty with him on the basis of their paying the jizyah! I n the year 29 AH, Persepolis was opened by force of arms, and I'asa and other places. In that year, cUthman added to the mosque of Madinah, extended it, and rebuilt it with sculpted stone, making its pillars of stone and its roof of teak. He made its length one hundred and sixty cubits and its breadth one hundred and fifty cubits.

In the year 30 AH, Jur was opened and many provinces of the land of Khurasan; Naysabur was opened by treaty, and it has been said, by force. Tus and Sarkhas were both opened by treaty, and similarly Marw and Bayhaq. When these extensive provinces were taken, cUthman’s revenues became abundant, and wealth came to him from every direction, until he established treasuries and made provisions to flow abundantly. He would order for a man one hundred thousand purses in each of which there were four thousand ounces (of silver).

In the year 31 AH, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, the father of Mucawiyah, died, and also al-Hakam ibn Abi’l-cAs the paternal uncle of 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him.

In the year 32 AH, al-cAbbas ibn cAbd al-Muttalib, the paternal uncle of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died, and cUthman led the (funeral) prayer over him. In that year cAbd ar-Rahman ibn cAwf died, one of the ten from the first outstrippers who had once given away as sadaqah forty thousand and an entire caravan which had come from Syria, just as it was. In that year, ‘Abdullah ibn Mascud al-Hudhali died, one of the four reciters, one of the earliest in Islam, and one of the men of knowledge among the Companions who were famous for the vast extent of their knowledge. In that year the wise and abstinent Abu’d-Darda’ al-Khazraji died; he had been appointed to the position of Qadi of Damascus under Mucawiyah. In that year Abu Dharr Jundub ibn Jinadah al-Ghifari, the truthful in speech, died. In that year, Zaid ibn cAbdullah ibn cAbd-Rabbihi al-Ansari died, the one who was shown the adhan in a dream.

In the year 33 AH, al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad died at his land at al-Jurf, and he was carried to Madinah (for burial). In that year, Abdullah ibn Sacd ibn Abi Sarh mounted a military expedition against Abyssinia.

In the year 34 AH, the people of Kufa ejected Sacid ibn al-cAs and were pleased with Abu Musa al-Ashcari.

In the year 35 AH, there occurred the killing of cUthman.

Az-Zuhri said: cUthman ruled the khilafah for twelve years. For six years he ruled without people criticising him at all. To Quraysh he was preferable to cUmar ibn al-Khattab, because cUmar was severe against them, but when cUthman ruled over them he was gentle with them and made his connections close with them. Then later he flagged in their affair, and appointed his relatives and family in the last six (years of his rule). He decreed for Marwan the khums (the fifth share of the spoils ofjihad that goes to the ruler) of North Africa, and he gave his relatives and family wealth. In that he was interpreting the ‘making close connections (with family)’ which Allah has ordered. He said, ‘Abu Bakr and cUmar gave up and abandoned what of that was theirs (by right), and I have taken it and divided it among my relatives,’ but people rejected and repudiated that from him. [It was his ijtihad]. Ibn Sacd narrated it.

Ibn cAsakir narrated by another route that az-Zuhri said: I said to Sacid ibn al-Musayyab, ‘Can you tell me how was the killing of cUthman? What were people up to and what was he up to? And why did the Companions of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, fail to help him? Ibn al-Musayyab said, ‘cUthman was killed unjustly, whoever killed him was wrongdoing, and whoever failed to help him is free of blame.’ I said, ‘How was that?’ He said, ‘When cUthman was appointed, a group of the Companions disliked his appointment, because cUthman used to love his people.

He ruled people for twelve years. He used to appoint people from Bani Umayyah who had not kept company with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. His amirs used to produce matters which the Companions of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would repudiate. cUthman used to ask people to have good will for them and he would not remove them.

'I hat was in the year 35 AH. During the six last years he chose in preference the tribe of his paternal uncle. He appointed them and d id not let anyone share with them. He ordered them to fear Allah, he appointed cAbdullah ibn Abi Sarh in charge of Egypt and he remained in control there for years. The people of Egypt came to complain of him and to complain of his wrongdoing. There had been slights before from cUthman to cAbdullah ibn Mascud, Abu Dharr and cAmmar ibn Yasir. Banu Hudhayl and Banu Zuhrah had what they had in their hearts because of the state of Ibn Mascud.

Banu Ghifar, their allies and whoever was angry because of Abu Dharr, had in their hearts what they had in them. Banu Makhzum were furious at cUthman because of the condition of cAmmar ibn Yasir.

‘The people of Egypt came to complain of Ibn Abi Sarh, so he wrote a letter to him in which he threatened him, but Ibn Abi vSarh refused to accept what cUthman forbade him, he struck one of those of the people of Egypt who came to him from cUthman, one of those who had gone to cUthman, and he killed him. Seven hundred men left Egypt and dwelt in the mosque (of Madinah).

They complained to the Companions at the times of the prayers about what Ibn Abi Sarh had done. Talhah ibn cUbaydullah stood and addressed cUthman very severely. cA’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, sent a message to him saying, “The Companions of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to you and they asked you to remove this man and you refused?

I his one has killed a man from among them so treat them with justice (in their complaint) against your governor.” cAli ibn Abi Talib came to him and said, “They are only asking you for a man in place of (in retaliation for) a man and they have claimed from him (retaliation for the spilling of) blood. Remove him from over them and give a (just) decision between them. If there is anything due against him, be just to them.” He (cUthman) said to them (the Egyptians), “Choose from amongst yourselves a man whom I shalfl appoint over you in his (Ibn Abi Sarh’s) place.” The people indicated to him Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr. They said, “Appoint Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr over us.” He wrote his covenant and appointed himj A number of the Muhajirun and Ansar went with them to look into that (dispute) which was between the people of Egypt and Ibn Abi Sarh. Muhammad went and those with him. When they were about three days’ journey from Madinah they came upon a black slave on a camel beating the camel so much that it was as if he was pursuing or being pursued. The Companions of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, “What is your story? What is your business? It is as if you were fleeing or pursuing someone.” He said to them, “I am the slave of the Amir al-Mu’minin and he has directed me to the governor of Egypt.” A man said to him, “This (Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr) is the governor of Egypt.” He said, “It is not this one I want.” Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr was told of his affair and so he sent a man in search of him who took him and brought him to him. He said, “Slave, who are you?” He began to say, one time, “I am the slave of the Amir al- Mu’minin,” and another time, “I am the slave of Marwan,” until one man recognised that he was the slave of cUthman. Muhammad said to him, “To whom are you sent?” He said, “To the governor of Egypt.” He said, “With what?” He said, “With a message.” He said, “Do you have a letter with you?” He said, “No.” They searched him and didn’t find a letter with him. He had with him an ewer which was dry, in which was something which moved about, so they moved it about to bring it out but it didn’t come out. They broke the ewer and there was a letter in it from cUthman to Ibn Abi Sarh. Muhammad gathered those with them of the Muhajirun, the Ansar and others, then he opened the letter in their presence. There was in it, “When Muhammad, so-and-so, and so-and-so come to you, then find a way to kill them, and declare his letter to be false.

(Consider yourself confirmed in your governorship until my advice on it comes to you, and imprison whoever tries to come to me to accuse you of wrongdoing. My advice on that will certainly come to you, if Allah wills.” ‘When they read the letter they were terrified. Then they became resolved and returned to Madinah. Muhammad sealed the letter with the signet rings of the group who were with him, and then entrusted the letter to a man who was with them. Then they went to Madinah. There they gathered together Talhah, az-Zubayr, cAli, Sacd, and whoever there was of the Companions of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace. He broke (the seals of) the letter in their presence, and told them of the story of the slave. They read out the letter to them, and none of the people of Madinah was left who was not enraged at cUthman. It only increased those who were angry because of Ibn Mascud, Abu Dharr and cAmmar ibn Yasir in fury and rage. The Companions of Muhammad rose and kept to their houses. There was no-one among them who was not incoherent when he read the letter. The people besieged cUthman in the year 35 AH, and Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr raised Bani Taym and others against him.

‘When cAli saw that, he sent for Talhah, az-Zubayr, Sacd, cAmmar and a group of the Companions, all of whom were at Badr. Then he went in to cUthman, with him the letter, the slave and the camel.

Ali said to him, “This slave is your slave?” He said, “Yes.” He said, “And the camel is your camel?” He said, “Yes.” He said, “Then you wrote this letter?” He said, “No,” and he swore an oath, “By Allah I did not write this letter, I did not order it, and I had no knowledge of it.” cAli said, “The seal is your seal?” He said, “Yes.” He said, “How does your slave go out on your camel, with a letter upon which is your seal, and you know nothing about it?” He swore again, “By Allah, I did not write this letter, I didn’t order it, and I never directed this slave to go to Egypt.” As for the handwriting, they recognised that it was that of Marwan, and they came to doubt as to cUthman. They demanded that he should give them Marwan and he refused, while Marwan was with him in the house. The Companions of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, left him in anger, and in doubt about his affair. They knew that cUthman would not swear an oath that was false, but people said, “cUthman will never be free of guilt in our hearts unless he hands Marwan over to us for questioning, so that we know the situation of the letter, and how he could order the killing of a man of the Companions of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, without right. If TJthman wrote it, we will remove him from office. If Marwan wrote it as if it had been written by cUthman, then we will have to look seriously at what we shall do in the case of Marwan.” ‘They stuck to their houses, and cUthman refused to send Marwan out to them, for he feared that he would be killed. People continued laying siege to cUthman, and they prevented water (from reaching him). He looked over the people (from an upper floor) and said, “Is cAli among you?” They said, “No.” He said, “Is Sacd among you?” They said, “No.” He was silent and then he said, “Will no-one reach cAli and ask him to get us water to drink?” That reached cAli, so he sent him three water-skins full of water, but they almost didn’t reach him. Because of them a number of the freed slaves of Banu Hashim and Banu Umayyah were wounded in the course of the water getting to him.

‘It reached cAli that it was intended to kill cUthman, and he said, “We only want Marwan from him. As for the killing of cUthman, no!” He said to al-Hasan and al-Hussein, “Go with your two swords and stand at the door of cUthman and allow no-one to reach him.” | Then az-Zubayr sent his son, Talhah sent his son and a number of the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent their sons to prevent people getting to cUthman, and to demand the surrender of Marwan. When people saw that, they shot arrows against the door of cUthman until al-Hasan ibn ' Ali was reddened with blood at his door, an arrow struck Marwan while he was in the house. Muhammad ibn Talhah was smeared with blood and also Qanbar, the freed slave of cAli, was wounded in the head.

‘Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr was afraid that Banu Hashim would become angry because of the state of al-Hasan and al-Hussein and provoke a tumult. He took the hands of two men and said to them, “If Banu Hashim come and see blood on the face of al-Hasan they will remove these people from around cUthman and what we wanted will be rendered useless. Let us go and scale the wall of the house and kill him, without anyone knowing about it.” Muhammad and his two men got over the wall from the house of a man of the Ansar and entered cUthman’s house, without any of those who were with him (cUthman) knowing, because everyone with him was up above the houses (on the roofs). There was no-one with him but his wife.

Muhammad said to the two of them, “Stay where you are, because his wife is with him, until I first enter. When I have taken hold of him, then you come in and strike him until you have killed him.” Muhammad went in and took hold of his beard, and TJthman said to him, “By Allah, if your father could see you, your behaviour to me would cause him great distress,” and so his hand slackened (and he held back), and then the two men entered and struck him until they had killed him.

‘They went out in flight by the same way that they had come in, and his wife cried out, but her cry was not heard in the house because of the commotion in the house. His wife went up to the people and said, “The Amir al-Mu’minin has been killed!” The people entered and they found him slaughtered. The news reached cAli, Talhah, az- Zubayr, Sacd and whoever was in Madinah and they went out - and their intellects had gone, because of the news which had come to them — until they came in to cUthman and found him killed. They repeated again and again, “Truly we belong to Allah and truly we are returning to Him.” cAli said to his two sons, “How was the Amir al-Muminin killed while you two were at the door?” He raised his hand and slapped al-Hasan, struck the chest of al-Hussein, abused Muhammad ibn Talhah and cAbdullah ibn az-Zubayr, and went out - enraged - until he came to his house.

‘The people came rushing to him, saying to him, “We will pledge allegiance to you, so stretch out your hand, for there must be an amir.” cAli said, “That is not your business. It only belongs to the people of Badr. Whoever the people of Badr are pleased with is the khalifah.” Not one of the people of Badr remained without coming to cAli and they said to him, “We see no-one who has more right to it than you. Stretch out your hand and we will pledge allegiance to you.” They pledged allegiance to him. Marwan and his son fled.

cAli came to the wife of cUthman and said to her, “Who killed cUthman?” She said, “I don’t know. Two men I don’t know came in to him, and along with them was Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr.” She told cAli and the people of what Muhammad had done, so cAli called for Muhammad and asked him about what the wife of cUthman had said. Muhammad said, “She did not lie. By Allah, I did come into him, I did want to kill him, then he reminded me of my father and I stood back from him, turning in penitence to Allah, exalted is He.

By Allah, I did not kill him, and I did not hold him.” His wife said, “He has told the truth. But he did bring the two of them in.”’ Ibn cAsakir narrated that Kinanah, the freed slave of Safiyyah, and others said: An Egyptian, who was blue-eyed with a ruddy complexion, called Himar killed cUthman.

Ahmad narrated that al-Mughirah ibn Shucbah said that he entered upon cUthman while he was besieged and said, ‘You are the imam of the people, and what you see has happened to you. I offer you three courses; one of them, that you come out and fight them, for there are numbers (of men) and strength with you; you are in the right and they are in the wrong; or we should cut a door for you other than the door over which they stand guard, then sit on your mount and take yourself to Makkah, for they will not consider it lawful to kill you when you are there; or else you should take yourself to Syria, for they are the people of Syria and among them is Mucawiyah.’ cUthman said, ‘As for me going out and fighting, I will not be the first khalifah of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in his ummah to spill (their) blood; and as for me going to Makkah, I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying, “A man of Quraysh will wrangle and dispute in Makkah; there will be upon him half the punishment of the world,” and I shall not be him; and as for me taking myself to Syria, then I will never separate myself from the Abode of the Hijrah and the neighbourhood of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.’ Ibn cAsakir narrated that Abu Thawr al-Fahmi said: I entered upon cUthman while he was besieged and he said, ‘I have hidden ten (things) with my Lord: I was the fourth of four in Islam; I equipped the Army of Difficulty; the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, married me his daughter and then later she died, and he married me his other daughter, and I did not court (her)

and I didn’t wish (for it); I have never placed my right hand upon my private parts since I pledged allegiance with it to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace; and no Jumucah has passed me by since I accepted Islam without my freeing a slave, unless there was something with me (of debt), then I would free him (or her) after that; and I never committed adultery in Jahiliyyah or Islam; and I never stole in Jahiliyyah or Islam; and I memorised the entire Qur’an in the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.’ cUthman was killed in the middle of the Days of Tashriq (the days of the cEid of Hajj) in the year 35 AH; and it has been said that he was killed on the day of Jumucah, the 18th of Dhu’l-Hijjah.

He was buried on the night before Saturday, between the sunset and night prayers, in Hawsh Kawkab in al-Baqic (the cemetery of Madinah) and he was the first to be buried in it (Hawsh Kawkab).

It was said that his killing was on Wednesday, and it was said that it was Monday six days before the end of Dhu’l-Hijjah. On the day he was killed, he was eighty-two years old. It has also been said that he was eighty-one years old, eighty-four, eighty-six, eighty-eight or eighty-nine, and it was said that he was ninety. Qatadah said: Az- Zubayr prayed the funeral prayer over him and buried him and he had requested him to do that.

Ibn cAdi and Ibn cAsakir narrated from Anas in a marfuc hadith, Allah has a sword sheathed in its scabbard as long as cUthman is alive. Then when he is killed, that sword will be drawn and it will not be sheathed until the Day of Resurrection.’ Ibn cAsakir narrated that Zaid ibn Abi Habib said: It has reached me that all of the mounted group who went to cUthman went mad.

He narrated that Hudhayfah said: The first of the trials was the killing of cUthman, and the last of the trials is the emergence of the Dajjal. By the One in Whose hand is my self, a man will not die, in whose heart there is the weight of grain of love for the killing of cUthman, but that he will follow the Dajjal if he reached him (his time), and if he did not reach him he would affirm him in his grave.

He narrated that Ibn cAbbas said: If people had not sought (retaliation) for the blood of cUthman they would have been stoned with stones from heaven.

He narrated that al-Hasan said: cUthman was killed while cAli was away in some land he owned. When it reached him he said, ‘O Allah, I did not approve (of it) and I did not abet (it).’ Al-Hakim narrated, and he declared it sahih, that Qais ibn cAbbad said: I heard cAli on the Day of the (battle of the) Camel saying, ‘O Allah I am clear before You of having taken part in the (shedding of the) blood of cUthman. My intellect was shaken on the day of cUthman’s killing, my soul was repulsed, and they came to me to pledge allegiance to me and I said, “By Allah, I am ashamed to take the allegiance of a people who killed cUthman, and I am ashamed before Allah to be sworn allegiance while cUthman is not yet buried,” so they went away. When the people returned and asked me to accept their allegiance, I said, “O Allah, I am afraid of what I am proceeding to do.” Then the determination (of the people) came, 1 was sworn allegiance, they said, ‘Amir al-Mu mining and it was as if my heart was rent asunder. I said, “O Allah, take from me for the sake of cUthman until You are contented.’” Ibn cAsakir narrated that Abu Khaldah al-Hanafi said: I heard Ali saying, ‘Banu Umayyah claim that I killed cUthman. No, by Allah Whom there is no god but He! I did not kill him, I did not abet it, I forbade it but they disobeyed me.’ He narrated that Samurah said: Islam was in a well fortified fortress, and they made a breach in Islam with the killing of TJthman which will not be closed until the Day of Resurrection. The khilafah was among the people of Madinah and they drove it out and it did not return to them.

He narrated that Muhammad ibn Sirin said: The piebald horses (of the angels) were never missing from the battles and the armies until the killing of cUthman. There was no disagreement on the new moons until the killing of cUthman. This redness which is on the horizons was never seen until the killing of al-Hussein.

cAbd ar-Razzaq narrated in the Musannafthax Humayd ibn Hilal said: cAbdullah ibn Salam came upon those who were besieging cUthman and said, ‘Do not kill him, for, by Allah, any man of you who kills him will meet Allah without a hand. The sword of Allah will remain sheathed, and by Allah, if you kill him, Allah will draw it out and He will never sheathe it again. A prophet was never killed but that seventy thousand were killed because of him, nor a khalifah but that thirty-five thousand were killed because of him before they were again united.’ Ibn cAsakir narrated that cAbd ar-Rahman ibn Mahdi said: There were two qualities that cUthman had which neither Abu Bakr nor cUmar had: his self-collectedness until he was killed, and his uniting the people upon a single mushaf{written copy of the Qur’an).

Al-Hakim narrated that ash-Shacbi said: I have not heard a better elegy upon cUthman than the words of Kacb ibn Malik when he said:

Then he restrained his hands and closed his door, And he was certain that Allah is not forgetful, He said to the people of the house, ‘Do not kill them! May Allah pardon every man who does not fight.” So how you have seen Allah pour out upon them Enmity and hatred after harmony with each other! And how you have seen the good turning back from people After him, the way the driving winds turn (the clouds)

back!’

Ibn Sacd narrated that Musa ibn Talhah said: I saw cUthman going out on the day of Jumucah, upon him two yellow garments. He would sit on the minbar, then the mu’adhdhins would call to the prayer while he would talk, asking people about their prices and their sick.

He narrated that “Abdullah ar-Rumi said: cUthman would take care of his wadu’ (water for wudu’) at night himself. Someone said to him, ‘If only you would tell one of the servants then they would take care (of it for) you.’ He said, ‘No! The night is for them to rest in.’ Ibn cAsakir narrated that cAmr ibn cUthman ibn cAffan said: The engraving on the seal-ring of cUthman was, ‘I trust in the One Who created and completed (His creation).’ Abu Nucaym narrated in ad-Dala’il from Ibn cUmar that Jahjah al-Ghifari stood up against cUthman while he was (upon the minbar)

delivering the khutbah, and he took his staff from his hand and broke it over his knee. The year did not pass until Allah sent gangrene in his foot and he died from it.