'Uthmān ibn 'Affān — The Possessor of Two Lights
🕊️ 'Uthmān ibn 'Affān — The Possessor of Two Lights
"أَلَا أَسْتَحِي مِنْ رَجُلٍ تَسْتَحِي مِنْهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ"
"Should I not be modest before a man whom the angels are modest before?"
— The Prophet ﷺ [Muslim 2401]
📖 Introduction
Among all the Companions, he was the most handsome.
Among all the wealthy, he was the most generous.
Among all men, he was the most modest.
Even the angels felt modesty before him.
His name: 'Uthmān ibn 'Affān — Dhū al-Nūrayn, the Possessor of Two Lights.
📋 Identity Card
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | 'Uthmān ibn 'Affān ibn Abī al-'Āṣ al-Qurashī al-Umawī |
| Nickname | Abū 'Abdullāh |
| Title | Dhū al-Nūrayn (ذو النورين) — The Possessor of Two Lights |
| Birth | ~576 CE, Mecca (6 years after the Prophet ﷺ) |
| Conversion | Among the first (4th or 5th man) |
| Death | 35 AH (656 CE), Medina — ~82 years old, assassinated |
| Caliphate | 23-35 AH (12 years) |
| Wives | Ruqayya then Umm Kulthūm (daughters of the Prophet ﷺ), and others |
| Children | 'Abdullāh, 'Amr, Abān, and others |
🌅 Before Islam: The Noble Merchant
A Distinguished Man
'Uthmān was a man of remarkable beauty and considerable wealth:
- Handsome face — fair skin, thick beard
- Wealthy merchant — one of the most prosperous in Quraysh
- Modest — even before Islam, he avoided indecency
- Educated — he could read and write
"'Uthmān never worshipped an idol, never drank alcohol, nor committed any indecent act, even during the Jāhiliyya."
— Reported by historians
The Title of Dhū al-Nūrayn
Why "the Possessor of Two Lights"?
Because he successively married two daughters of the Prophet ﷺ:
- Ruqayya — who died during the Battle of Badr
- Umm Kulthūm — who died in 9 AH
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"لَوْ كَانَ لِي أَرْبَعُونَ بِنْتًا لَزَوَّجْتُهُ وَاحِدَةً بَعْدَ وَاحِدَةٍ حَتَّى لَا تَبْقَى مِنْهُنَّ وَاحِدَةٌ"
"If I had forty daughters, I would have married them to him one after another until none remained."
⚡ His Conversion
Among the First
'Uthmān was among the very first to embrace Islam, even before Dār al-Arqam.
It was Abū Bakr who invited him to Islam. Without hesitation, he accepted.
His conversion provoked the fury of his uncle al-Ḥakam ibn Abī al-'Āṣ who tied him up and tortured him:
"You abandon the religion of your fathers for a new religion? I will not release you!"
But 'Uthmān replied:
"وَاللهِ لَا أَدَعُهُ أَبَدًا"
"By Allah, I will never abandon it."
Faced with his determination, his uncle eventually released him.
🏆 His Accomplishments for Islam
1. The Two Hijras
'Uthmān was the only Companion to make two hijras with his family:
| Hijra | Detail |
|---|---|
| First | To Abyssinia with Ruqayya |
| Second | To Medina |
The Prophet ﷺ said about them:
"إِنَّهُمَا لَأَوَّلُ مَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَى اللهِ بَعْدَ لُوطٍ"
"They are the first to emigrate to Allah after Lūṭ."
2. The Purchase of the Well of Rūma
In Medina, Muslims suffered from lack of water. A Jew owned the well of Rūma and sold water at high prices.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"مَنْ يَشْتَرِي بِئْرَ رُومَةَ فَيَجْعَلَهَا لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَلَهُ الْجَنَّةُ"
"Who will buy the well of Rūma for the Muslims? Paradise will be for him."
'Uthmān bought it for 35,000 dirhams and made it a public endowment.
3. Equipping the Army of Tabūk
During the expedition of Tabūk (the most difficult), the Prophet ﷺ asked for contributions.
'Uthmān brought:
| Donation | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Camels | 300 equipped |
| Horses | 50 |
| Gold | 1,000 dinars (poured into the Prophet's ﷺ lap) |
The Prophet ﷺ, his hands full of gold, turned it over saying:
"مَا ضَرَّ عُثْمَانَ مَا عَمِلَ بَعْدَ الْيَوْمِ"
"Whatever he does after today will not harm him."
4. The Expansion of the Mosque
'Uthmān bought the lands adjacent to the Prophet's ﷺ Mosque to expand it, in Medina and again during his caliphate.
5. The Compilation of the Quran
The greatest accomplishment of 'Uthmān as caliph was the official compilation of the Quran.
The context:
After the conquests, Muslims from different regions were reciting the Quran with minor variations. Ḥudhayfa ibn al-Yamān warned:
"O Commander of the Believers! Save this Umma before they differ over the Book like the Jews and Christians."
The solution:
📜 The Compilation of the Quran
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Gathering of original manuscripts |
| 2 | Commission led by Zayd ibn Thābit |
| 3 | Writing of a standard muṣḥaf (Quraysh dialect) |
| 4 | Sending copies to major cities |
| 5 | Destruction of non-conforming versions |
Thanks to 'Uthmān, the Quran is unified until today.
😢 His Trial and Martyrdom
The Fitna
The last years of 'Uthmān's caliphate were marked by troubles.
Rebels from Egypt, Kufa, and Basra besieged his house in Medina, accusing him of nepotism.
For 40 days, 'Uthmān was besieged. His water was cut off. The Companions wanted to defend him, but he refused:
"أُقْسِمُ عَلَى كُلِّ مَنْ رَأَى لِي عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا أَنْ يَكُفَّ يَدَهُ"
"I adjure everyone who thinks they owe me anything to hold back their hand."
The Dream of the Prophet ﷺ
The night before his assassination, 'Uthmān saw the Prophet ﷺ in a dream:
"أَفْطِرْ عِنْدَنَا الْلَّيْلَةَ"
"Break your fast with us tonight."
'Uthmān understood. He fasted that day.
The Assassination
On 18 Dhū al-Ḥijja 35 AH, the rebels broke into his house.
'Uthmān was reading the Quran.
They struck him with swords. His blood flowed onto the muṣḥaf, on the verse:
﴾ فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ ﴿
"Allah will be sufficient for you against them. And He is the Hearing, the Knowing."
— [Sūrah Al-Baqara: 137]
He died at 82 years old, fasting, reading the Quran.
💬 His Famous Sayings
| Saying | Context |
|---|---|
| "لَوْ طَهُرَتْ قُلُوبُنَا مَا شَبِعْنَا مِنْ كَلَامِ اللهِ" | "If our hearts were pure, we would never be satiated from the Words of Allah" |
| "مَا أُحِبُّ أَنَّ لِي الدُّنْيَا ذَهَبًا أُنْفِقُهُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ" | "I would not love to have the world in gold to spend in Allah's cause" (because the reward would be finite) |
| "إِنَّ اللهَ لَيَزَعُ بِالسُّلْطَانِ مَا لَا يَزَعُ بِالْقُرْآنِ" | "Allah restrains through authority what He does not restrain through the Quran" |
| "الْحَيَاءُ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ" | "Modesty is part of faith" |
🔗 His Relationship with the Prophet ﷺ
The Exceptional Modesty
📜 At the Prophet's Home ﷺ
One day, the Prophet ﷺ was lying in his home with his legs uncovered. Abū Bakr entered, then 'Umar. The Prophet ﷺ did not change his position.
Then 'Uthmān asked to enter. Immediately, the Prophet ﷺ covered his legs.
'Ā'isha: "O Messenger of Allah, why did you do that for 'Uthmān and not for the others?"
The Prophet ﷺ: "أَلَا أَسْتَحِي مِنْ رَجُلٍ تَسْتَحِي مِنْهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ — Should I not feel shy before a man before whom even the angels feel shy?"
The Prophet ﷺ Announces His Martyrdom
One day, the Prophet ﷺ climbed Mount Uḥud with Abū Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Uthmān. The mountain shook.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"اثْبُتْ أُحُدُ، فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ نَبِيٌّ وَصِدِّيقٌ وَشَهِيدَانِ"
"Be still, Uḥud! You only bear a prophet, a ṣiddīq, and two martyrs."
💎 Key Lessons
1. Modesty Is Not Weakness — It Is Nobility
A man before whom even the angels had modesty! What our era considers "weakness," Allah honored as nobility.
'Uthmān teaches us: be modest, self-confident, and strong at the same time.
2. True Wealth Is What We Give
He bought a well for the Muslims. He equipped an entire army. He expanded the Prophet's Mosque.
He didn't ask: "What's in it for me?" but: "How can I serve the Umma?"
The truly wealthy are those who give, not those who hoard.
3. Patience in the Face of Injustice
Besieged by rebels, the Companions told him: "We will fight for you!" He refused:
"I will not be the first to shed Muslim blood."
He chose martyrdom over fitna. This is true patience.
4. The Quran: Companion for Life and Death
He died with the Mushaf in his hands, reading. His blood flowed onto the pages of the Quran.
Is the Quran our daily companion? Or a book we open occasionally?
5. An Act That Lasts 1400 Years
His compilation of the Quran into one Mushaf has unified the Umma until today.
Billions have read this Mushaf. All in his scale of deeds.
What work will we leave behind?
📊 Summary
| Aspect | 'Uthmān ibn 'Affān |
|---|---|
| Title | Dhū al-Nūrayn — The Possessor of Two Lights |
| Rank | 3rd Caliph, 3rd best Companion |
| Gift | Well of Rūma, army of Tabūk, mosque |
| Legacy | Unified compilation of the Quran |
| Character | Modesty, generosity, gentleness |
| End | Martyr, assassinated while reading the Quran |
| Lesson | Modesty + generosity + patience + love of Quran |
📚 Sources
| Book | Author |
|---|---|
| Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī | Al-Bukhārī |
| Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim | Muslim |
| Tārīkh al-Khulafā' | As-Suyūṭī |
| Siyar A'lām an-Nubalā' | Adh-Dhahabī |
| Al-Bidāya wa-n-Nihāya | Ibn Kathīr |
| Faḍā'il al-Ṣaḥāba | Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal |
And Allah knows best
رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا — "O my Lord, increase me in knowledge"