Uthman RA 2

Uthman RA 2

CAUSES OF REVOLTS AGAINST UTHMAN:

• First half of Uthmans caliphate was very peaceful - during this time - Muslims gained many victories and the Caliphate expanded

  Later part of his caliphate was marred by terrible civil conflicts - ultimately lead to martyrdom of Uthman in 35 AH.

• Following are the causes of revolts against him:

Was very gentle and soft hearted person

He was a very gentle:and soft hearted person. The people who wanted to create chaos among Muslims took advantage of his soft nature. Umar's stem hand had kept away the undemocratic and non-Islamic customs, and the practices that prevailed in the courts of Persian and Byzantine Empires.

But Uthman sometimes overlooked the faults of the governors and other -- officers in various provinces - though he himself totally and completely followed the ways of the Prophet (SAW) and the first two caliphs. His compassionate nature made the provincial governors bold as a result of which unrest in the provincial capitals grew and ultimately it engulfed the whole Islamic State

Hostility between Arabs and inhabitants of newly conquered lands

The Islamic State contained many tribes and nationalities, which had been subjugated -though some of them had accepted Islam - they still grudged their defeat and Islam had not imbibed their hearts - besides Uthman allowed the Arabs to acquire land in the newly conquered areas - settle in new provinces - Umar didn't allow that in his time - this increased hostility between Arabs and inhabitants of newly conquered lands

Open Ended

Why was there hostility between Arabs & inhabitants of newly conquered lands?

Rivalry between Hashimites & Umayyads

was also one of the factor of the revolt - this rivalry weakened the power of the caliph - this rivalry existed much before the advent of Islam - but was suppressed during the time of Prophet (SAW) and the first 2 caliphs - this rivalry emerged again in the time of Uthman

Abdullah bin Saba

Abdullah bin Saba, a Yemenite Jew who outwardly accepted Islam - only for self-interest and to destroy peace of the Islamic state, took the leading part in the agitation against Uthman - he was having a number of followers who had accepted Islam only to create disharmony among the Muslims

Wasi of Prophet was Ali - supposed to be the caliph

He invented quite a few beliefs and started to preach them. He based his beliefs upon the love of the Holy Prophet (SAW) and his family (Ahl al-Bait).

+ Every prophet left a "Wasi" (administrator) behind him, and the "Wasi" was his relative. He said - Prophet Musa (Moses) made Harun his "Wasi" -consequently the Holy Prophet (SAW) must have a "Wasi", and his "Wasi" was Ali and he is the only rightful man to be the "Khalifah". He went to the extent of declaration that the caliphate of Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman was unlawful. The only way to redress matters was to remove Uthman...

Prophet would come back as Jesus

He said - it was strange for the Muslims to believe that Jesus would descend from the heaven to follow Islam and to fight for Muslims against non-believers, and not to believe that the Holy Prophet would not come back. So he believed that the Holy Prophet (SAW) being superior to Jesus as the Last Prophet and the Leader of all prophets, would also come back.

Brainwashed new converts (wrong commentary of Qur'an & false beliefs)

+ He started to give wrong commentaries of various verses of the Holy Qur'an and twisted their meaning in favour of his beliefs.

+ He  preached his false self coined beliefs secretly and selected the main headquarters of Muslim military power, Kufa, Basrah, Syria and Egypt as centres of his activities. He picked up a number of newly converted Muslims who lent an easy ear to what he said. 

+ Some simple Muslims who were having certain complaints against various governors also joined him. It was the real cause of all the troubles.

False claim that Leading Companions wanted to remove the "Khalifah“.

+ Campaign, against most of the officers was started by calling them irreligious, non-practical and bad Muslims.

+ They sent forged letters from place to place which talked of injustice and unrest in the place from where they were posted - these letters also showed that Ali, Talha, and Zubair had full sympathy with them and with their mission and they disliked the Uthman - these were the three leading Companions in Medina at that time.

+ Thus the people of various places began to believe that there was a widespread unrest and that the leading Companions wanted to remove the "Khalifah“.

Spread rumours against Governers

The Sabaites also worked throughout the state against various governors. They were the real cause of their removal from time to time.

+ They spread rumours against Walid bin Uqbah, governor of Kufa, and wrongly accused him of drinking liquor, and provided false witnesses against him because of which the "Khalifah” punished him - after that they accused the "Khalifah" of punishing innocent Muslims.

Multiple Choice

Sabaites spread rumours against ____________, governor of Kufa, and wrongly accused him of drinking liquor.

• Khalid bin Waleed

• Walid bin Uqbah

• Abdullah bin Saad

+ When Abdullah bin Amir was appointed as the governor of Basrah to replace Abu Musa Ash'ari they incited the public against him and against the Khalifah that he was related to the Khalifah because of which he was given the governorship in his young age.

+ On one side they incited the people against the governors and on the other they accused the Khalifah. 

+ On the basis of complaints when Uthman removed the governors they him to be unduly kind to his relatives by appointing them to big posts

Multiple Choice

When _______________ was appointed as the governor of Basrah to replace Abu Musa Ash'ari they incited the public against him and against the Khalifah that he was related to the Khalifah because of which he was given the governorship in his young age.

• Abdullah bin Amir

• Abdullah bin Zubair

• Walid bin Uqbah

Conclusion

Uthman did not take timely action against him

o  Even some of -the noblest actions of his were mis-projected before the public; for example, the standardization of the Quran and the expansion of the compound of the Kaabah

o    The uprisings in Iraq, Kufa and Egypt. Finally in 35 AH troops from all three provinces arrived at Medina to take their complaints directly to the Caliph.

o     Uthman had pacified them and they were on their way home when they got a hold of a letter supposedly from Uthman to the Governor of Egypt to have the leaders of the group put to death on their return. Seeking vengeance they returned and killed him.

Charges against Uthman (RA)

• Nepotism - favored his relatives

• Ameer Muawiyah- Governor of Syria - appointed by Umar - able leader

• Abdullah bin Sa'ad - Governor of Egypt - Conquered North Africa

• Walid bin Uqbah - Governor of Kufa -Successful campaign of Azerbaijan & Armenia

• Abdullah bin Amir - Governor of Basra - Conquered Fars, Seestan, Khurasan

• Uthman's leniency

• Sabaites incited Banu Hashimites against Banu Umayyad

• Extravagance - Money from Bait ul Maal

• Burning of Qur'an

• State Pastures

Conclusion

+He gave a convincing reply to each of the charges in the presence of the Prophet's companions. His explanation was accepted. The rebels however stuck to one point and demanded to depose the Caliph.

To achieve this end, finally in 35 All troops from Egypt, Kufa and Basra marched to Medina and encamped outside the capital.

Uthman had pacified them and they were on their way home when they got a hold of a letter supposedly from `Uthman to the Governor of Egypt to have the leaders of the group put to death on their return. Seeking vengeance they returned and killed him.

THE REVOLT:

The Sabaites were planning to cause a general rising when the Governors were away to attend the conference - however the plot could not be carried out...

Then they chalked out another plan and decided that their ring leaders should meet at Medina...

According to the plan three delegations came - one from Egypt - the second from Kufa and the third from Basrah

When these Sabaites entered Medina some Companions suggested to Uthman to kill them but he told that without sufficient legal grounds no man can be executed - and that he would try to remove the misunderstandings - he told them, "I would be kind to them and if kindness failed to work I would rather sacrifice myself for Allah's Will."

+Uthman listened to them and gave a long address in which he replied to all the charges which were put against him

+He even agreed to their demand - recalled the governor of Egypt and replaced him with Abdullah ibn Abu Bakr

But the aim of these ring leaders was to create mischief - they returned to their places and instead of telling the truth told them that the "Khalifah" was not ready to set things right - then they planned to send strong contingents from places like Basrah, Kufa and Egypt for the forthcoming Hajj.

+ The parties were to leave their places pretending to perform Hajj but there aim was to go to Medina and decide the matter with the sword i.e. to change the "Khalifah" by force - though the "Khalifah" knew about this plan from before hand but he did not want to use force and was determined to win over his

enemies with love and compassion.

As the time of Hajj in the year 35 A.H. came near they started to put their plans into action.

In the month of Shawwal 35 A.H. they started coming in small groups from various places.

In all about three thousand Sabaites came - one thousand from each place viz. Basrah, Kufa and Egypt and stayed at three different places near Madinah

When Uthman heard about the rebels he sent some of the leading Companions including Ali to them

Ali assured the rebels that their complaints would be listened to - they put certain demands -

Uthman agreed to their demand without any question.

Ali again assured the rebels and they seemed to be satisfied and started to go back- the Muslims at Medina thought that the trouble had ended....

However a foul trick was played and a forged letter of Uthman to the governor of Egypt was produced that commanded him to disregard the previous orders and kill the rebels and execute them-that made rebels return to Madinah and asked the caliph to abdicate or remove by force...