Uthman ibn Affan
Uthman ibn Affan
574 — 656
Hedjaz, califat Rachidun
The third caliph of Islam (644–656), Uthman ibn Affan was one of the closest companions of the Prophet Muhammad. His caliphate was marked by the standardization of the Quran and the expansion of the Muslim empire, but also by internal tensions that ultimately led to his assassination.
Key Facts
- Born around 574 in Mecca, from the Umayyad clan
- One of the earliest converts to Islam, he married two daughters of the Prophet Muhammad
- Elected third caliph in 644 following the assassination of Umar ibn al-Khattab
- Had the text of the Quran compiled and standardized into a single authoritative edition (around 650)
- Assassinated in 656; his murder triggered the first Islamic civil war (fitna)
Works & Achievements
Sous Othmân, une commission de scribes dirigée par Zayd ibn Thâbit établit la version canonique définitive du Coran. Cette entreprise est considérée comme l'une des plus importantes de l'histoire religieuse mondiale, car elle a fixé pour toujours le texte sacré de l'islam.
Les armées du califat, sous le commandement d'Abdallah ibn Saad, lancèrent la première grande expédition en Ifrîqiya (actuelle Tunisie), posant les bases de l'islamisation progressive du Maghreb.
Othmân autorisa le gouverneur de Syrie, Mu'âwiya, à constituer une flotte navale. Celle-ci remporta la bataille des mâts contre Byzance (655) et permit la prise de Chypre, inaugurant la puissance maritime islamique en Méditerranée.
Othmân réorganisa les provinces de l'empire, nomma des gouverneurs et améliora la collecte de l'impôt. Il développa également les infrastructures des villes islamiques, notamment la mosquée du Prophète à Médine.
Les troupes du califat étendirent leur contrôle jusqu'au Caucase, consolidant les frontières nord-est de l'empire et ouvrant la voie à l'islamisation progressive de ces régions.
Anecdotes
Uthmān ibn Affān was nicknamed 'Dhū al-Nūrayn' (the one with two lights) because he successively married two daughters of the Prophet Muhammad: Ruqayyah, and then, after her death, Umm Kulthūm. Such an honor was unprecedented and reflected the deep trust the Prophet placed in him.
Even before becoming caliph, Uthmān was renowned for his extraordinary generosity. During the preparation of the Muslim army for the Battle of Tabūk (630), he personally funded a third of the expedition, providing horses, camels, and supplies — earning him high praise from the Prophet.
It was under Uthmān's caliphate that the canonical version of the Quran was established. Noticing that divergent recitations were spreading throughout the empire, he tasked Zayd ibn Thābit with compiling a single authoritative text. All other versions were subsequently destroyed to prevent discord among the faithful.
Uthmān was the first caliph to die a violent death. In 656, a group of rebels from Egypt and Iraq besieged his home in Medina. He refused to flee or allow his supporters to fight on his behalf, hoping to prevent a civil war among Muslims, and was assassinated while reading the Quran.
A prosperous merchant from the Quraysh tribe before the advent of Islam, Uthmān was one of the earliest converts to the faith. His wealth allowed him to purchase and free enslaved people who had converted to Islam, and to fund the nascent Muslim community at several critical moments.
Primary Sources
The Prophet said: 'Whoever finances the army in the hour of hardship shall have Paradise.' Uthman said: 'I will take care of that,' and he brought nine hundred saddled camels and one hundred horses.
Uthman ordered Zayd ibn Thabit to gather the Quranic pages and collate them, then had faithful copies sent to the major cities of the empire, commanding that all other versions be burned.
The rebels besieged him in his home for forty days. Uthman refused to let blood be shed in his name and told his defenders to return to their homes, then continued reading the Quran until they reached him.
Uthman ibn Affan was a man of extreme modesty; the angels themselves, according to the Prophet, would veil themselves before him. He was among the ten to whom Paradise was promised during their lifetime.
The Prophet said: 'The most deserving person to lead this Islam after me is Abu Bakr, then Umar, then Uthman.' And he thus indicated the order of the caliphs to come.
Key Places
Uthman's birthplace and the cradle of Islam. As a member of the Quraysh tribe — guardians of the Ka'ba — he built his merchant fortune there before joining the first Muslims.
The city where Uthman settled after the Hijra, serving as the seat of Islamic government and the caliph's residence. It was in his home in Medina that he was assassinated in 656.
Capital of the Kingdom of Abyssinia, where Uthman and his wife Ruqayya took refuge during the first emigration of persecuted Muslims fleeing Mecca, around 615.
Capital of the province of Syria, governed by Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, who was appointed by Uthman. Damascus would later become the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate following Uthman's death.
The ancient Sasanian Persian capital, conquered under the previous caliphate and consolidated under Uthman. A symbol of Islam's rapid expansion eastward.
Gallery
Turkish miniature paintings depicting Muhammad and the first four Caliphs of Islam (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali) surrounding him, circa 16th century
Wikimedia Commons, Public domain — Unknown authorUnknown author
Rashidun Caliph Uthman ibn Affan - عثمان بن عفان ثالث الخلفاء الراشدين
Wikimedia Commons, Public domain — Petermaleh
Umayyad dynasty under Abd al-Malik
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Al Ameer son
Mohmmed, Ahl Albit and Alrasheden
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Michel Bakni
Ayasofya 13 (cropped)
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Vikiçizer
The third caliph Uthman
Wikimedia Commons, Public domain — عبدالعزيز علي