The Caliph killed inside his own home

It is never certain which stops a person will visit on their life's journey, or what kind of events they will encounter and where. We do not know if a person would still pass through the same stops and live the same life if they knew their tomorrow or were aware of the events they would experience later. However, what we live through can influence our tomorrow and provide clues about the future; at the very least, we can have some foresight on this point.

Uthman ibn Affan is one of the important figures in Islamic history. Did he ever think about the course of his life, or did he ever consider the possibilities regarding the events he would encounter after what he had lived through? The answer to the question is difficult, but perhaps in the final moments of his life, he may have thought about the future. Before we reach that end, let us go back a little and say a few words about the life of Uthman, the third caliph of Islam.

Please, go ahead.

Although the exact date is not certain, it is reported that Uthman ibn Affan was born in 576 or 580. We know that he was a close relative of the Prophet on both his mother's and father's sides. Another fact we know is that his father, Affan ibn Abi al-As, was one of the important wealthy men of the period. Uthman lost his father at an early age. Thus, he suddenly found himself in the world of trade. He was fifteen or sixteen years old in those years. We do not have much data about his life before he became a Muslim. The person who was instrumental in his conversion to Islam is also a familiar name; the first caliph, Abu Bakr. The caliph became a Muslim upon his return from Damascus, where he had gone for trade, along with Talha ibn Ubaydullah, who was also one of the important wealthy men of the period. Uthman ibn Affan, who entered the new religion in his early thirties, soon became even closer to the Prophet.

For not much time passed before he became the Prophet's son-in-law. He first married the Prophet's daughter Ruqayyah, and upon her death, he married his other daughter, Umm Kulthum. Now, one of the family was the Prophet's son-in-law. We know that he had close relations with Caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar. For this reason, he did not object to their caliphates, but the same was not true for Ali. Indeed, the two names faced each other in the third caliphate elections. The result was in Uthman's favor; on the other hand, according to Ali, the caliph candidates were practically set up to choose Uthman. In this sense, Ali was not pleased with the situation, and the fact that one of the Umayyads, with whom he had been in conflict for a long time, became caliph drew the reaction of both Ali and his circle. On the other hand, according to the same circle, the one worthy of the caliphate was not Uthman but Ali; therefore, what happened was also a usurpation of rights.

Uthman began his caliphate, at least by one group, with this perception. Although he was the Prophet's son-in-law and one of the first Muslims, his relations with certain circles did not progress in a way that would maintain this level. First of all, as we have stated, he drew the reaction of Ali's circle. Secondly, especially in the sixth year of his caliphate, significant economic and social problems began to emerge. According to some claims, Caliph Uthman was at the source of these problems. Uthman was accused of irregularly giving public property to certain names, distributing spoils of war unfairly, and handing over state positions to the Umayyads. What is more painful is that the caliph remained almost indifferent to all these criticisms and did not even accept them.

He exiled Abu Dharr, one of the leading figures of the period, to Al-Rabadha due to the political-economic criticisms he brought. Similarly, he wanted to exile Ammar ibn Yasir, who was also known for his closeness to Ali. He also reacted to Ali, who strongly opposed this situation, and furthermore, according to some accounts, he uttered words expressing that he also wanted to exile Ali. In the final days of the caliphate, the intensity of the events increased even more.

Violence turned into rebellion after a while. The rebels, who came to Medina in caravans from Egypt, Kufa, and Basra, made various demands of the caliph, but these demands were not met until the last moment. Events had now spiraled out of control. The rebels asked the caliph to resign. Uthman did not respond positively to this demand. Meanwhile, Caliph Umar's son Abdullah also stood by Uthman and said words to the effect of, "God gave you this duty, only He can take it back."

The fire of rebellion was growing day by day. On the last day of the rebellion, the door of the caliph's house was set on fire first. Subsequently, they entered, and Caliph Uthman was beaten to death. According to some accounts, Muhammad, the son of Caliph Abu Bakr, was among the rebels, even if he did not enter. Subsequently, Uthman's house and treasury were looted. At least there are accounts to this effect. The events were not limited to this either. Due to the reactions, Uthman's funeral could only be held three days later with a very limited crowd (three or seventeen people).

As we said at the beginning of our article, what would happen if a person knew their whole life? Let us think of Uthman ibn Affan; he was at the Prophet's table, he was his son-in-law, he equipped almost an entire army during the Tabuk expedition, but afterwards, he was subjected to great criticism. The result is quite thought-provoking: even his funeral could barely be held within his own community, and he was buried in a place far from eyes with great difficulty.

The story of Caliph Uthman can be read as a short summary of Islamic history. Although the dominant Islamic scholars try to explain what happened through discourses of 'fitna' (strife) to cover up the facts, the reality is not like that at all. Behind the events are great power struggles, state officials who do not respect rights and laws, the public's growing anger, and years without results. The truth is actually as clear as day for those who want to see it. But if you have chosen to be blind, no light can reach you.