hasan
13th April 2007, 14:37
It is stated as follows in the book Mirat-i-kainat: "Hadrat 'Uthman bin Affan bin Ebil'as bin Umayya bin 'Abd-i-Shams bin 'Abd-i-Menaf bin Quzay, who was the third Khalifa, was the fourth man to have iman in the Messenger of Allah. When hadrat 'Uthman's paternal uncle Hakem bin Ebil'as tied him and told him that he was not going to untie him unless he returned to his grandparents' religion, he said he would rather die than go back (to the former false religion). Upon this his uncle gave up hope and untied him. He was Rasulullah's 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam' clerk of Wahy, (that is, it was his duty to write down the ayats revealed to the Prophet). The Messenger 'alaihis-salam' married his daughter Ruqayya to him with the command of Allahu ta'ala. When Ruqayya passed away in Medina during the Holy War of Badr, the Prophet gave him his second daughter Umm- i-Ghulthum. When she, too, passed away, in the ninth year of the Hegira, the Messenger stated, 'If I had other daughters I would give them, too, to 'Uthman!' When he gave his second daughter Umm-i-Ghulthum, he said to her, 'O my daughter! Your husband 'Uthman resembles your ancestor Prophet Ibrahim and your father Muhammad 'alaihim-as-salam' more than anyone else does.' No one except hadrat 'Uthman has had the lot of marrying a Prophet's two daughters. When hadrat 'Uthman came near the Messenger 'alaihis-salam' the Prophet covered his blessed feet with his skirts. When hadrat Aisha asked him why he did so he stated, 'Angels feel shame in front of him. Should I not?' He stated in a hadith ash- Sharif, ''Uthman is my brother in Paradise and will always be with me.' In the Holy War of Tabuk the number of Muslim soldiers was too high for the food and equipment available. Trouble was ahead. Hadrat 'Uthman brought three thousand camels, seventy horses and ten thousand golds out of his own commercial property. After distributing these to the soldiers, Rasulullah stated, 'From today on, no sins will be recorded for 'Uthman.' It is stated in a hadith ash-Sharif, which exists in the book Jami'us-saghir by hadrat Imam-i- Suyuti 'rahmatullahi ta'ala alaih': 'With 'Uthman's intercession, seventy thousand Muslims who are to go to Hell will enter Paradise without any questioning.' Hadrat 'Uthman possessed very much religious lore. He and hadrat 'Umar would have such ardent discussions on religious knowledge that people who heard them would think they were quarrelling."
It is stated in the book Tuhfa: During his caliphate hadrat 'Uthman would employ everyone at a place suitable for his personality. He would assign everyone a duty within his capability. The Khalifa is not supposed to know the unknown. Hadrat 'Uthman appointed people he trusted, people he knew as good businessmen, people he considered to be trustworthy and just, and people he thought would obey his commands to administrative positions. No one has the right to censure him on account of this. People who are against him are trying to misrepresent his rightful behavior as unrighteous. Hadrat 'Uthman's governors and commanders were the choicest people in their attachments to him, in doing his commandments, in military skills, in conquering countries, and in their studious habits. In his time they widened the Islamic countries to Spain in the west and to Kabel and Balh in the east. They carried the Islamic armies from one victory to another at sea and on land. Iraq and Khorasan had become hubs of fitna and instigation during the reign of the second Khalifa. They purged these places so efficiently that it was impossible for the mischief makers to recover. If some of these governors displayed behavior contradictory with hadrat 'Uthman's expectations, why should the blame be put on him? He would never be silent when he saw such behavior. Or he would make an investigation to find out whether it was only a matter of slander spread by the enviers. For statesmen naturally have many enemies and those who envy them. Replacing officials upon a mere complaint will throw a country's administrative system into disorder. Therefore, he would first investigate and, if the complaints proved true, immediately dismiss the official concerned. Indeed, he dismissed Walid. Hadrat Muawiya did not revolt against him. He was very popular in Damascus. No one under his authority suffered the smallest harm. He was governing Muslims with justice and performing Jihad against disbelievers. Who would dismiss such a hero? Why should he have dismissed Abdullah bin Sad, the governor of Egypt? After hadrat 'Uthman, this person resigned and stood away from commotions. The complaints against him which Medina received from Egypt were all fabrications of the Jew named Abdullah bin Saba'. In short, hadrat 'Uthman did his duty perfectly. However, destiny's disposition acted against his proposition and he failed to extinguish the fire made by Jews.
The case with hadrat 'Uthman is similar in many respects to that of hadrat Ali. Various precautions taken by hadrat Ali, for instance, came to naught. Only, hadrat 'Uthman's governors were always attached and obedient to him. They regularly sent the booties to the Khalifa. All Muslims had sufficient property and lived in peace and comfort. In fact, these well-to-do conditions contributed to the arising of fitna. Hadrat Ali's governors, on the other hand, revolted against him. They did not do their duties. State administration was impaired. Hadrat Ali's own relatives, e.g. his paternal first cousins, joined this remiss. If those people who attempt to vilify hadrat 'Uthman will not believe Sunnite scholars, let them read Shiite books. Then they will realize the facts. The book Nahj-ul-belagha, which is valued very highly by Shiites, quotes a letter which hadrat Ali wrote to his paternal first cousin. In this letter he expresses the trust he put on that munafiq. Then the book Nahj-ul- belagha goes on and gives a detailed account of that man's acts of treason. Munzir bin Jarut, another governor appointed by hadrat Ali, proved to be a traitor. The letter of threat which the Khalifa wrote to him exists in most Shiite books. Hadrat Ali could not be vilified on account of these governors of his. Even Prophets fell for the soft words of munafiqs. However, Wahy would be sent to Prophets and thus the inner malice of most munafiqs would be revealed. Shiites maintain that Imams have to be aware of the unknown. And they blame hadrat 'Uthman for failing to do so. With this conviction of theirs, they denigrate hadrat Ali 'karram-allahu wajhah', too. According to their fallacy, hadrat Ali appointed traitors to positions over Muslims although he knew that they would turn into treason. The infamous villain named Ziyad bin Abih was another governor appointed by hadrat Ali.
Another event they use as a ground for casting aspersions on hadrat 'Uthman is his admitting Marwan's father Hakem bin As into Medina. Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam' had deported Hakem from Medina because he had made friends with munafiqs and aroused fitna among Muslims. During the reigns of the first two Khalifas disbelievers were purged and there were no munafiqs left. Therefore, it was not necessary for Hakem to live in exile any longer. The former two Khalifas would not allow him to return home. For he was likely to resume his former mischievous acts. Hakem belonged to the Bani Ummayya tribe. And the two Khalifas belonged to the Tamim and Adiy tribes. They could relapse into the tribal hostilities prevalent in the era of nescience (before Islam). Hadrat 'Uthman, however, was Hakem's brother's son. There was therefore no longer any reason for such anxiety. Hadrat 'Uthman explained this decision as follows: "I had had Rasulullah's permission to bring him back to Medina. When I told Khalifa Abu Bakr, he asked me to prove it by witnesses. I was silent because I did not have any witnesses. Hoping that Khalifa 'Umar would accept my statement, I told him, too. Yet he, too, asked for witnesses. When I became Khalifa, I gave him permission (to return to Medina) because I knew." Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam' stated during his illness, "I wish someone pious came to me and I said something to him." When they asked if they should send for Abu Bakr, the Messenger said, "No." They asked if he would like to see 'Umar, he said, "No" again. Their third suggestion was Ali and the Prophet's answer was again, "No." Finally they suggested to send for 'Uthman. This time the answer was, "Yes." When hadrat 'Uthman came, Rasulullah said something to him. In the meantime, perhaps he interceded for Hakem and his intercession was accepted. It is a known fact that Hakem gave up his habits of instigation and mischief and made tawba towards his death. Besides, he was too old to do anything when he was back in Medina.
On the other hand, the gifts he gave to his relatives were not from the Bayt-ul-mal as is alleged by Hurufi books and by Sayyid Qutb. They were from his personal property. Hadrat Abd-ul-Ghani Nabulusi states as follows in the seven hundred and nineteenth page of the second volume of his book Hadiqa: "Three of the four Khalifas received their salaries from the Bayt-ul-mal, that is, from the state treasury. Hadrat 'Uthman would not accept a salary because he was very rich. He did not need a salary." The book Bariqa, after giving the same information in its fourteen hundred and thirty-first page, adds the following statement: "On the day when 'Uthman 'radi-allahu anh' was martyred, one hundred and fifty thousand dinars of gold, one million dirhams of silver and clothes that were worth two hundred thousand golds were found among his servant's personal belongings." He was a cloth-merchant. His gifts were not only to his relatives. He was generous to everybody. He would do many charitable deeds for Allah's sake. He would emancipate a slave every Friday. He would give a feast to the Ashab al-kiram every day. No one would say that property given for Allah's sake is property squandered. And it is stated in a hadith ash-Sharif that alms given to one's relatives will earn one twice as much thawab. Hadrat 'Uthman convened the Ashab al- kiram. Ammar bin Yaser was among them. Hadrat 'Uthman said, "I call you to witness that the Messenger of Allah 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam' granted precedence to the Quraish and Bani Hashimi (tribes) among people who deserve kindness. If they gave me the keys to Paradise I would put them all into Paradise. I would not leave any one of them outside." The Ashab al-kiram 'radi-allahu ta'ala anhum ajmain said nothing in response to these statements of hadrat 'Uthman's. It would be sheer bigotry and pertinacity to suppose that he gave all his gifts from the Bayt-ul-mal. It is a symptom of enmity against him. When he was asked, his answer was, "Do not burden me with something incompatible with justice and taqwa." When hadrat 'Uthman married his son to Marwan's brother Haris' daughter, he sent one thousand dirhams of silver out of his own property. As he married his daughter Ruman to Marwan he gave them one thousand dirhams, too. Neither of these gifts were from the Bayt-ul-mal.
The allegation, "He donated one-fifth of the booties coming from Afrikiyya to Marwan," which Sayyid Qutb adopts from Hurufi books and Abbasid histories, is another falsification. In the (Hijri) year 29 hadrat 'Uthman sent Abdullah bin Sad to Africa with one thousand strong army of cavalry and infantry troops under his command. Upon this, bloody combats took place in the Tunisian capital city Afrikiyya. Muslims won and obtained many booties. Abdullah Marwan went to the Khalifa with one- fifth of the booties. The number of coins alone was more than five thousand golds. It was a distance of several months' traveling and therefore it would be difficult and dangerous to transport all these booties to Medina. Marwan sold one thousand dirhams of these and brought the remainder to Medina. He also reported the good news, which in turn earned him earnest benedictions. In return for Marwan's onerous trek and the good news he gave, the Khalifa forgave him for failing to deliver all the money he had received for the property sold on the way. It was within the Khalifa's authority to do so. Moreover, all this happened in the presence of the Sahaba 'radi-allahu ta'ala anhum ajmain'. If a person is sent one thousand golds and he donates one or more golds as a tip to the person who brings them, no one will call this extravagance. As a matter of fact, Allahu ta'ala commands that the zakat-collector be paid as much as he needs. Another slanderous allegation is that "he gave Abdullah bin Khalid one thousand dirhams." He ordered that this person be lent some money. Abdullah paid his debt later. When he heard that his son-in-law Haris was doing injustice in collecting the zakat from the merchants in Medina, he dismissed him from office and punished him.
'Uthman-i-Zinnureyn 'radi-allahu anh' would give the uncultivated lands in Hijaz and Iraq to people he trusted and to his relatives, buy them agricultural implements and have them cultivate these lands, thus providing arable land for the people. He improved agriculture and reared vineyards and orchards. He had wells dug and canals opened. The arid lands of Arabia became the most fertile places in his time. This consequently brought safety and peace to the country. Thieves and wild beasts were now historical subjects. Guest-houses and inns were built in the places formerly occupied by their dens. And all these gave birth to consequent facilities in traveling and transportation. These were tremendously wonderful events for Arabia. These feats cannot be accomplished with the motorized tools of the twentieth century. It seemed as if the hadith ash-Sharif, "Crack of doom will not happen unless rivers flow in Arabia," had been uttered to point to the degree of civilization that would be attained in the time of hadrat 'Uthman. In another hadith ash-Sharif the Messenger of Allah had stated to Adi bin Hatem Tai: "If your life is long enough, you will see how a woman travels from the city Hira to Kaba easily and without fearing anyone except Allah." There are many hadith ash-Sharifs foretelling that in the time of hadrat 'Uthman, there will be an increase in property and wealth and improvements in business life. When the Ashab al-kiram saw this prosperity and peace they admired hadrat 'Uthman's administration and accomplishments. They began to work like the Khalifa. Hadrat Ali tilled fields and made vineyards at places called Yenbu' and Fedek and Zuhra, Talha followed his example at Ghabed, and Zubair did so at Zihasheb. The land of Hijaz became prosperous. If hadrat 'Uthman's caliphate lasted a few years longer, the rose gardens of Shiraz and the woods of Hirat would have been surpassed. It is permissible for any person to till dead lands as if they were his own property, provided he be granted permission by the Khalifa. Why should it not be permissible for the Khalifa himself, then? And why should the crops he thus raises not be halal for him? Hadrat 'Uthman enlivened many lands with his own property. He made vineyards and orchards. He had many wells dug. He had many irrigation systems built. He set an example for others. He provided business for people. He established a new precedent. As it is expressed in the saying, "Property will breed property," the people's revenues became many times more. In his time there was no one who did not cultivate the land or rear vineyards. If Mawdudi of India or Sayyid Qutb of Egypt had read Islamic histories, or at least the book Tuhfa, which was written in India, they would feel shame to defame Rasulullah's Khalifas 'radi-allahu ta'ala anhum ajmain'. Realizing that they could not even praise and laud those great people in due manner, they would mind their manners.
The allegation that "he donated one thousand dirhams to Zayd bin Thabit 'radi-allahu ta'ala anh' from the Bayt-ul-mal" is an expression of looking at the events from the evil side. One day he (hadrat 'Uthman) ordered distribution of property from the Bayt-ul-mal to those who deserved payment. His order was carried out. When it was seen that one thousand dirhams was in excess, he ordered that this money be used in public services. Zayd used this money in repairing the Masjid an-Nabi.
A hadith ash-Sharif, which exists in the book Mashihat written by Hafiz Ahmad bin Muhammad Abu Tahir Silafi, a Shafi'i scholar who passed away in 576, and which is reported also by Ibni Asakir Ali bin Muhammad, states, "Loving Abu Bakr and thanking him is wajib for all my Ummat." Imam-i-Munawi also quotes this hadith ash-Sharif from Dailami. It is stated in a hadith ash-Sharif, which exists in the book Wasila by Hafiz 'Umar bin Muhammad Erbili, "As Allahu ta'ala has made namaz, zakat and fasting fard for you, so He has made it fard for you to love Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman and Ali." Another hadith ash-Sharif, which is reported by Abdullah Ibni Adi and written in Munawi, states, "Loving Abu Bakr and 'Umar is from iman. And enmity towards them is being munafiq." According to a report given by Imam-i-Tirmuzi, a janaza (dead person ready for interment) was brought to the Messenger of Allah. He would not perform the namaz of janaza for him, and said, "This man felt animosity towards 'Uthman. Therefore, Allahu ta'ala bears animosity towards him." The hundred and first ayat of Tawba sura purports, "Allah loves the early believers among the Muhajirs and Ansar and those people who follow them. And they love Allah. Allah has prepared Gardens of Paradise for them." The first three Khalifas are among the early believers. And hadrat Muawiya and Amr Ibni As are among those people who followed them. Those who malign these great Islamic leaders are opposing the ayat al-karima and the hadith ash-Sharifs by doing so. And a person who opposes an ayat al-karima or a hadith ash-Sharif, in his turn, will go out of Islam and become a disbeliever. His claiming to be a Muslim will only betray the fact that he is a munafiq or a zindiq.
It is stated in the book Tuhfa: During his caliphate hadrat 'Uthman would employ everyone at a place suitable for his personality. He would assign everyone a duty within his capability. The Khalifa is not supposed to know the unknown. Hadrat 'Uthman appointed people he trusted, people he knew as good businessmen, people he considered to be trustworthy and just, and people he thought would obey his commands to administrative positions. No one has the right to censure him on account of this. People who are against him are trying to misrepresent his rightful behavior as unrighteous. Hadrat 'Uthman's governors and commanders were the choicest people in their attachments to him, in doing his commandments, in military skills, in conquering countries, and in their studious habits. In his time they widened the Islamic countries to Spain in the west and to Kabel and Balh in the east. They carried the Islamic armies from one victory to another at sea and on land. Iraq and Khorasan had become hubs of fitna and instigation during the reign of the second Khalifa. They purged these places so efficiently that it was impossible for the mischief makers to recover. If some of these governors displayed behavior contradictory with hadrat 'Uthman's expectations, why should the blame be put on him? He would never be silent when he saw such behavior. Or he would make an investigation to find out whether it was only a matter of slander spread by the enviers. For statesmen naturally have many enemies and those who envy them. Replacing officials upon a mere complaint will throw a country's administrative system into disorder. Therefore, he would first investigate and, if the complaints proved true, immediately dismiss the official concerned. Indeed, he dismissed Walid. Hadrat Muawiya did not revolt against him. He was very popular in Damascus. No one under his authority suffered the smallest harm. He was governing Muslims with justice and performing Jihad against disbelievers. Who would dismiss such a hero? Why should he have dismissed Abdullah bin Sad, the governor of Egypt? After hadrat 'Uthman, this person resigned and stood away from commotions. The complaints against him which Medina received from Egypt were all fabrications of the Jew named Abdullah bin Saba'. In short, hadrat 'Uthman did his duty perfectly. However, destiny's disposition acted against his proposition and he failed to extinguish the fire made by Jews.
The case with hadrat 'Uthman is similar in many respects to that of hadrat Ali. Various precautions taken by hadrat Ali, for instance, came to naught. Only, hadrat 'Uthman's governors were always attached and obedient to him. They regularly sent the booties to the Khalifa. All Muslims had sufficient property and lived in peace and comfort. In fact, these well-to-do conditions contributed to the arising of fitna. Hadrat Ali's governors, on the other hand, revolted against him. They did not do their duties. State administration was impaired. Hadrat Ali's own relatives, e.g. his paternal first cousins, joined this remiss. If those people who attempt to vilify hadrat 'Uthman will not believe Sunnite scholars, let them read Shiite books. Then they will realize the facts. The book Nahj-ul-belagha, which is valued very highly by Shiites, quotes a letter which hadrat Ali wrote to his paternal first cousin. In this letter he expresses the trust he put on that munafiq. Then the book Nahj-ul- belagha goes on and gives a detailed account of that man's acts of treason. Munzir bin Jarut, another governor appointed by hadrat Ali, proved to be a traitor. The letter of threat which the Khalifa wrote to him exists in most Shiite books. Hadrat Ali could not be vilified on account of these governors of his. Even Prophets fell for the soft words of munafiqs. However, Wahy would be sent to Prophets and thus the inner malice of most munafiqs would be revealed. Shiites maintain that Imams have to be aware of the unknown. And they blame hadrat 'Uthman for failing to do so. With this conviction of theirs, they denigrate hadrat Ali 'karram-allahu wajhah', too. According to their fallacy, hadrat Ali appointed traitors to positions over Muslims although he knew that they would turn into treason. The infamous villain named Ziyad bin Abih was another governor appointed by hadrat Ali.
Another event they use as a ground for casting aspersions on hadrat 'Uthman is his admitting Marwan's father Hakem bin As into Medina. Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam' had deported Hakem from Medina because he had made friends with munafiqs and aroused fitna among Muslims. During the reigns of the first two Khalifas disbelievers were purged and there were no munafiqs left. Therefore, it was not necessary for Hakem to live in exile any longer. The former two Khalifas would not allow him to return home. For he was likely to resume his former mischievous acts. Hakem belonged to the Bani Ummayya tribe. And the two Khalifas belonged to the Tamim and Adiy tribes. They could relapse into the tribal hostilities prevalent in the era of nescience (before Islam). Hadrat 'Uthman, however, was Hakem's brother's son. There was therefore no longer any reason for such anxiety. Hadrat 'Uthman explained this decision as follows: "I had had Rasulullah's permission to bring him back to Medina. When I told Khalifa Abu Bakr, he asked me to prove it by witnesses. I was silent because I did not have any witnesses. Hoping that Khalifa 'Umar would accept my statement, I told him, too. Yet he, too, asked for witnesses. When I became Khalifa, I gave him permission (to return to Medina) because I knew." Rasulullah 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam' stated during his illness, "I wish someone pious came to me and I said something to him." When they asked if they should send for Abu Bakr, the Messenger said, "No." They asked if he would like to see 'Umar, he said, "No" again. Their third suggestion was Ali and the Prophet's answer was again, "No." Finally they suggested to send for 'Uthman. This time the answer was, "Yes." When hadrat 'Uthman came, Rasulullah said something to him. In the meantime, perhaps he interceded for Hakem and his intercession was accepted. It is a known fact that Hakem gave up his habits of instigation and mischief and made tawba towards his death. Besides, he was too old to do anything when he was back in Medina.
On the other hand, the gifts he gave to his relatives were not from the Bayt-ul-mal as is alleged by Hurufi books and by Sayyid Qutb. They were from his personal property. Hadrat Abd-ul-Ghani Nabulusi states as follows in the seven hundred and nineteenth page of the second volume of his book Hadiqa: "Three of the four Khalifas received their salaries from the Bayt-ul-mal, that is, from the state treasury. Hadrat 'Uthman would not accept a salary because he was very rich. He did not need a salary." The book Bariqa, after giving the same information in its fourteen hundred and thirty-first page, adds the following statement: "On the day when 'Uthman 'radi-allahu anh' was martyred, one hundred and fifty thousand dinars of gold, one million dirhams of silver and clothes that were worth two hundred thousand golds were found among his servant's personal belongings." He was a cloth-merchant. His gifts were not only to his relatives. He was generous to everybody. He would do many charitable deeds for Allah's sake. He would emancipate a slave every Friday. He would give a feast to the Ashab al-kiram every day. No one would say that property given for Allah's sake is property squandered. And it is stated in a hadith ash-Sharif that alms given to one's relatives will earn one twice as much thawab. Hadrat 'Uthman convened the Ashab al- kiram. Ammar bin Yaser was among them. Hadrat 'Uthman said, "I call you to witness that the Messenger of Allah 'sall-allahu alaihi wa sallam' granted precedence to the Quraish and Bani Hashimi (tribes) among people who deserve kindness. If they gave me the keys to Paradise I would put them all into Paradise. I would not leave any one of them outside." The Ashab al-kiram 'radi-allahu ta'ala anhum ajmain said nothing in response to these statements of hadrat 'Uthman's. It would be sheer bigotry and pertinacity to suppose that he gave all his gifts from the Bayt-ul-mal. It is a symptom of enmity against him. When he was asked, his answer was, "Do not burden me with something incompatible with justice and taqwa." When hadrat 'Uthman married his son to Marwan's brother Haris' daughter, he sent one thousand dirhams of silver out of his own property. As he married his daughter Ruman to Marwan he gave them one thousand dirhams, too. Neither of these gifts were from the Bayt-ul-mal.
The allegation, "He donated one-fifth of the booties coming from Afrikiyya to Marwan," which Sayyid Qutb adopts from Hurufi books and Abbasid histories, is another falsification. In the (Hijri) year 29 hadrat 'Uthman sent Abdullah bin Sad to Africa with one thousand strong army of cavalry and infantry troops under his command. Upon this, bloody combats took place in the Tunisian capital city Afrikiyya. Muslims won and obtained many booties. Abdullah Marwan went to the Khalifa with one- fifth of the booties. The number of coins alone was more than five thousand golds. It was a distance of several months' traveling and therefore it would be difficult and dangerous to transport all these booties to Medina. Marwan sold one thousand dirhams of these and brought the remainder to Medina. He also reported the good news, which in turn earned him earnest benedictions. In return for Marwan's onerous trek and the good news he gave, the Khalifa forgave him for failing to deliver all the money he had received for the property sold on the way. It was within the Khalifa's authority to do so. Moreover, all this happened in the presence of the Sahaba 'radi-allahu ta'ala anhum ajmain'. If a person is sent one thousand golds and he donates one or more golds as a tip to the person who brings them, no one will call this extravagance. As a matter of fact, Allahu ta'ala commands that the zakat-collector be paid as much as he needs. Another slanderous allegation is that "he gave Abdullah bin Khalid one thousand dirhams." He ordered that this person be lent some money. Abdullah paid his debt later. When he heard that his son-in-law Haris was doing injustice in collecting the zakat from the merchants in Medina, he dismissed him from office and punished him.
'Uthman-i-Zinnureyn 'radi-allahu anh' would give the uncultivated lands in Hijaz and Iraq to people he trusted and to his relatives, buy them agricultural implements and have them cultivate these lands, thus providing arable land for the people. He improved agriculture and reared vineyards and orchards. He had wells dug and canals opened. The arid lands of Arabia became the most fertile places in his time. This consequently brought safety and peace to the country. Thieves and wild beasts were now historical subjects. Guest-houses and inns were built in the places formerly occupied by their dens. And all these gave birth to consequent facilities in traveling and transportation. These were tremendously wonderful events for Arabia. These feats cannot be accomplished with the motorized tools of the twentieth century. It seemed as if the hadith ash-Sharif, "Crack of doom will not happen unless rivers flow in Arabia," had been uttered to point to the degree of civilization that would be attained in the time of hadrat 'Uthman. In another hadith ash-Sharif the Messenger of Allah had stated to Adi bin Hatem Tai: "If your life is long enough, you will see how a woman travels from the city Hira to Kaba easily and without fearing anyone except Allah." There are many hadith ash-Sharifs foretelling that in the time of hadrat 'Uthman, there will be an increase in property and wealth and improvements in business life. When the Ashab al-kiram saw this prosperity and peace they admired hadrat 'Uthman's administration and accomplishments. They began to work like the Khalifa. Hadrat Ali tilled fields and made vineyards at places called Yenbu' and Fedek and Zuhra, Talha followed his example at Ghabed, and Zubair did so at Zihasheb. The land of Hijaz became prosperous. If hadrat 'Uthman's caliphate lasted a few years longer, the rose gardens of Shiraz and the woods of Hirat would have been surpassed. It is permissible for any person to till dead lands as if they were his own property, provided he be granted permission by the Khalifa. Why should it not be permissible for the Khalifa himself, then? And why should the crops he thus raises not be halal for him? Hadrat 'Uthman enlivened many lands with his own property. He made vineyards and orchards. He had many wells dug. He had many irrigation systems built. He set an example for others. He provided business for people. He established a new precedent. As it is expressed in the saying, "Property will breed property," the people's revenues became many times more. In his time there was no one who did not cultivate the land or rear vineyards. If Mawdudi of India or Sayyid Qutb of Egypt had read Islamic histories, or at least the book Tuhfa, which was written in India, they would feel shame to defame Rasulullah's Khalifas 'radi-allahu ta'ala anhum ajmain'. Realizing that they could not even praise and laud those great people in due manner, they would mind their manners.
The allegation that "he donated one thousand dirhams to Zayd bin Thabit 'radi-allahu ta'ala anh' from the Bayt-ul-mal" is an expression of looking at the events from the evil side. One day he (hadrat 'Uthman) ordered distribution of property from the Bayt-ul-mal to those who deserved payment. His order was carried out. When it was seen that one thousand dirhams was in excess, he ordered that this money be used in public services. Zayd used this money in repairing the Masjid an-Nabi.
A hadith ash-Sharif, which exists in the book Mashihat written by Hafiz Ahmad bin Muhammad Abu Tahir Silafi, a Shafi'i scholar who passed away in 576, and which is reported also by Ibni Asakir Ali bin Muhammad, states, "Loving Abu Bakr and thanking him is wajib for all my Ummat." Imam-i-Munawi also quotes this hadith ash-Sharif from Dailami. It is stated in a hadith ash-Sharif, which exists in the book Wasila by Hafiz 'Umar bin Muhammad Erbili, "As Allahu ta'ala has made namaz, zakat and fasting fard for you, so He has made it fard for you to love Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman and Ali." Another hadith ash-Sharif, which is reported by Abdullah Ibni Adi and written in Munawi, states, "Loving Abu Bakr and 'Umar is from iman. And enmity towards them is being munafiq." According to a report given by Imam-i-Tirmuzi, a janaza (dead person ready for interment) was brought to the Messenger of Allah. He would not perform the namaz of janaza for him, and said, "This man felt animosity towards 'Uthman. Therefore, Allahu ta'ala bears animosity towards him." The hundred and first ayat of Tawba sura purports, "Allah loves the early believers among the Muhajirs and Ansar and those people who follow them. And they love Allah. Allah has prepared Gardens of Paradise for them." The first three Khalifas are among the early believers. And hadrat Muawiya and Amr Ibni As are among those people who followed them. Those who malign these great Islamic leaders are opposing the ayat al-karima and the hadith ash-Sharifs by doing so. And a person who opposes an ayat al-karima or a hadith ash-Sharif, in his turn, will go out of Islam and become a disbeliever. His claiming to be a Muslim will only betray the fact that he is a munafiq or a zindiq.