When Muhammad B. Abu Bakr had departed with the people of Egypt and had marched a few stages, they perceived a fellow mounted on the camel of O’thmân, and riding in all haste on the road to Egypt. According to the tradition of the author of the ‘Ghoniah,’ that individual was Aa´ur B. Sofiân Salmy, but the majority of historians have recorded in their compositions that the said camel-rider was the slave of O’thmân, and (making allowance for this discrepancy) the Egyptians asked the camel-rider: ‘Who art thou, and where art thou going?’ He replied: ‘I am a messenger of O’thmân, and bear a message from him to the Governor of Egypt.’ They continued: ‘The Governor of Egypt is here with us.’ The man rejoined: ‘My address is to A’bdullah B. Sa’d Abu Sarj.’ They asked whether he had any letter with him, and he replied in the negative; but when they had well searched him, they found in his baggage a writing headed as follows: ‘From O’thmân the Commander of the Faithful to A’bdullah B. Sa’d Abu Sarj.’ This writing having been perused, revealed this injunction: ‘When the Egyptians have arrived in their country, kill such and such a one, and having done the same to so and so, hang him on a gallows, and cast all the rest of them into prison. Execute immediately what thou hast been ordered to do, carry on the administration of affairs, and expect further orders from me.’ When Muhammad B. Abu Bakr and his companions had become aware of the contents of this letter, they despatched couriers to the people of Kûfah and Bossrah, to return to Madinah as speedily as possible, while they themselves also quickly hastened back to their own country, the great men of which they induced to assent to the murder of O’thmân, and then again departed to Madinah. When they had reached the city they narrated what had taken place to the lord and receptacle of the Vicariate, as well as to the most prominent companions of his holy and prophetic lordship, showing them the letter, and saying: ‘After this treachery of O’thmân has been ascertained, it is licit to shed his blood.’ Most of the inhabitants of Madinah thereon fell away from O’thmân, and made common cause with the rebels. A’li and Ttolhah and Zobeyr, and Sa’d B. Abu Woqqâss, with many others, now hastened from the fort of Musrakah to the residence of the Khalifate, and, meeting O’thmân, A’li, among others, asked: ‘Who is the owner of the slave that went to Egypt?’ O’thmân replied: ‘I.’ He further queried: ‘Whose is the camel?’ He answered: ‘Mine.’ He asked: ‘Was this letter which he carried written with thy cognizance?’ He said: ‘No.’ He asked: ‘Whose is the seal on that letter?’ He said: ‘It is my seal.’ A’li Murtadza continued: ‘How can this be weighed in the balance of intellect, that the slave and the camel are thine, and that the writing of the letter was not by thy orders?’ O’thmân then swore an oath that he knew nothing about the sending of the slave and the writing of the letter. All the companions knew that he would not swear a false oath, and after an investigation it was ascertained that the letter was in the handwriting of Merwân. Accordingly Merwân, who was living in the house of O’thmân, was summoned, and O’thmân having failed to lay his hand upon the breast of acquiescence to their wishes to surrender him to them, those blessed men departed from the assembly in anger, disapproving of O’thmân’s protection of Merwân. Although the great companions knew that O’thmân could not act treacherously and fraudulently, there were others who said: ‘Unless he surrenders Merwân to us that we may ascertain the true state of the case, our minds will never be set at rest.’—On this occasion A´ayshah openly displayed her enmity to O’thmân by encouraging the people to rebel against him, while many of the companions of the apostle —u. w. bl.—remained sitting in their houses and shut their doors against the people, and others, departing to their fields and estates, sought to keep aloof from the disturbances.
The rebels, having surrounded the house of O’thmân, deprived him of water; whereon he, distressed by thirst, despatched a messenger to A’li Murtadza to ask for some. The latter then sent by the slaves of the Bani Hâshem several leather bags full of water to O’thmân.—It is on record that when the rebels had returned to Madinah and had interviewed O’thmân, they said to him: ‘If thou art cognizant of the sending of the slave with the letter it will be licit to shed thy blood; but if thou be not cognizant thou art deserving of removal for having entrusted the affairs of the Khalifate to a traitor capable of such acts without thy command.’—Some reporters of traditions have narrated that when the people of Egypt, Kûfah, and Bossrah had returned from their journey with the intention of exciting a rebellion, and had arrived in Madinah, most of the inhabitants of that pleasant locality agreed with them concerning the abdication of O’thmân, who thereon considered the matter, and had no other remedy but to apply to A’li. He therefore sent A’bdullah B. Hâreth B. Naufaly to wait upon A’li the Commander of the Faithful to request him again to quell the fire of the insurrection and dissension. According to another statement, he called Ali, and said to him: ‘O father of Hasan, thou seest how far this matter has progressed! My life is not secure from those people, and if thou canst dissuade them from their intention, I shall grant them whatever they have a right to, but no more, even if all my blood be shed.’ The Amir of the Faithful replied: ‘Those persons who are quarrelling and contending with thee prefer thy abdication to thy death. I have quieted them with the promises thou hast given, but thou hast fulfilled none of them; therefore they will now care nothing for thy promises.’ Now O’thmân swore an oath, and said: ‘I shall spread out the carpet of justice and conciliation, and shall willingly grant them whatever is in conformity with the law [of the religion].’ After this agreement, the Commander of the Faithful had an interview with the insurgents, and said: ‘O’thmân has made an agreement with me that he will put a stop to all oppression, and will pull out by the roots the tree of tyranny which is growing on the river [i.e., in the country] of the rebels, by drawing the line of removal upon the pages of the careers of tyrannical governors, and abasing them.’ A document to this effect having been drawn up, and respite given [for the execution of the promised reforms], the notable Mohâjer and the noble Anssâr affixed their signatures to it; but when the day they had appointed elapsed without any change in the administration, the insurgents began to entertain suspicions concerning their affairs, and the malcontents heard that O’thmân was engaged in warlike preparations, and had sent couriers in various directions to summon troops for defeating them. While these events transpired, most of the denizens of Madinah occupied themselves in besieging O’thmân, to whom they sent messages that if he was willing to abdicate the Khalifate his life would be spared, and safety accorded to him; but in vain. When the insurgents had beleagured O’thmân twenty days, they heard that Qa’qa’ B. O’mar and Habyb B. Fahrâz had marched from Syria with bloodthirsty troops to Madinah, for the purpose of reinforcing the Khalifah. For this reason they pressed the siege more closely, and prohibited everyone from carrying food or drink to O’thmân, and to those who were confined with him, such as Sa’d B. Ala´ass and Merwân. A’li Murtadza, being apprised of these disgraceful proceedings of the rebels, addressed to them the following admonition: ‘The Persians and the Byzantines do not withhold food and drink from their prisoners, and you, who are adherents of Islâm, are now practising this blamable trick! Abandon this pressure, and allow food and drink to be conveyed to the court of the Khalifate.’ The people, however, replied: ‘No, by Allah! As long as a spark of life remains in our bodies, O’thmân shall not be refreshed with a drink of water or a morsel of food.’—It is related that during the time of the siege O’thmân sent a messenger to A’li the Commander of the Faithful with the following words: ‘Wilt thou allow the son of thy uncle to be killed with the sword of tyranny in abasement and misery, and thyself likewise to be robbed of the country and the Khalifate?’ A’li Murtadza replied: ‘I shall not allow the son of Khadzramah, namely, Ttolhah, to encompass thy death and to sit on the masnad of the administration.’—At the time O’thmân was being besieged, Ttolhah had obtained command over the public treasury, and considered himself as an autocrat in the administration of affairs.—In short, the lord and receptacle of the Vicariate ordered the Commander of the Faithful Hasan, and the Emâm Husain, to attend with drawn swords at the court of the Khalifate, and not to allow anyone to approach O’thmân [with evil intentions]. Zobeyr likewise despatched his son A’bdullah to aid those two blessed individuals in the watch; whereon also Ttolhah, desirous to clear himself of surmises, sent his son with them, so that these four companions, having girded their loins for the preservation of the honour of the Khalifah of the period, did their best to bar the way of access.
It is said that in the days when O’thmân was besieged, A´ayshah departed to the Hejâz to perform the ceremonies of the pilgrimage, and to visit the house of Allah [i.e., the Ka’bah]. At that time, which was the season of the pilgrimage, also O’thmân mounted to the roof of the castle and called A’bdullah B. A’bbâs, wherefore the insurgents fancied that O’thmân would divest himself of the office of Khalifah in his presence, and accordingly sent a man to invite him to come. When Ebn A’bbâs arrived, O’thmân asked his lordship to assume the command of the pilgrimage, to start with them to Mekkah, and to perform the pilgrimage of Islâm with travellers from every region; some, however, allege that also at that time Ebn A’bbâs kept company with Hasan the Commander of the Faithful, and Husain, attending at the court of the Khalifate and warding off enemies. When O’thmân encouraged him to go to Mekkah, Ebn A’bbâs replied: ‘I prefer to wage a Jehâd [holy war] with these people, than to travel to the Hejâz.’ O’thmân would not approve of this excuse, and insisted more; accordingly, Ebn A’bbâs made preparations for visiting the sanctuary, and departed to it.—A’bdullah B. Abu Rabya’h says: ‘Before the siege had become very close, I waited on O’thmân, mounted with him to the roof of the castle, and stood there. On that occasion Ttolhah made his appearance [outside], and whispered secretly a great deal to A’bdu-r-rahman B. A’dys Albalwy, who was one of the chiefs of the insurgents, whereon A’bdu-r-rahman said to his followers: “Admit no one hereafter to enter to O’thmân, and likewise allow no one to come out.” O’thmân then said to me: “Ttolhah has excited this rebellion and instigated these men against me.” Then he raised the hand of helplessness to Him who stands in need of no help, and said: “O God! keep off the wickedness of Ttolhah from me; and I hope that he will be disappointed in his wish, and that his blood will be shed.”’
A’bdullah B. A’bbâs says: ‘When I was about to depart from the residence of the Khalifate, those people were hindering me, but I at last escaped alive from that dangerous position, under the protection of Muhammad B. Abu Bakr.—It is related that one day a companion of the apostle—u. w. bl.—asked leave from O’thmân to mount on the roof of the castle in order to give him [privately] some advice. O’thmân having given him permission, that adviser said: “O’thmân, it will be proper for thee to fold up the carpet of the Khalifate, to remain safe from calamity.” During this conversation, Kathyr B. Alssallat Alkindy shot an arrow from the roof of the castle, wounding him mortally. Hereon the rebels insisted on the surrender of Kathyr by O’thmân that they might retaliate on him; but he replied: “I do not wish to see one killed who may aid me.” After this event the rebels set fire to the door of the Khalifate, and hastened from it, as well as from the roof to the castle of the Amirate. On that occasion Merwân B. Hukum and Sa’d B. Abu Woqqâss were with five hundred slaves of O’thmân standing ready to fight, in the domicile of O’thmân, where they had stood the siege; O’thmân, however, said to them: “Restrain yourselves from hostilities, and do not take useless trouble, because my affair has come to an end.” Being asked how he knew this, he replied: “I have seen the prophet last night in my sleep, and have complained of the nation, but he said: ‘Grieve not; for to-morrow thou wilt breakfast with me.’” Merwân then said: “As long as there is a spark of life in my body, no calamity will befall thine.” — When the turbulent people had entered the mansion, a contest ensued between the two parties, so that the courtyard of the abode of the Khalifate was dyed purple with the blood of the combatants. Merwân advanced to the front, bent on forcing on a victory; the hand of fate, however, struck his neck with a sabre, but as no artery had been cut, death failed to ensue, and one of his slaves, taking him up, carried him out. The people, imagining Merwân to have been killed, became slack, and also Sa’d B. Ala´ass, having received a heavy wound, ceased to fight. The mill of war was yet turning when Muhammad B. Abu Bakr entered the room in which O’thmân was engaged in reading [the Qurân], and taking hold of his blessed beard, said: “O son of O’ffan, what profiteth it thee now with A’bdullah B. Sa’d falling away, Merwân B. Hukum taken away, and Moa’wiah released?” O’thmân replied, weeping: “If thy father Abu Bakr were alive, thou wouldst not have dared to treat me in this way.” Then Muhammad let go the hold of his long beard and went out, whereon Kenânah B. Bashar entered with the intention of making an end of him with his sword, but A’bdu-r-rahman B. A’dys, and Soudân B. Hamrân and Ghâfaqy, shouted from the courtyard of the abode of the Khalifate: “Restrain your hands from such an act, because we do not stand in need of his blood.” Kenânah having thus been checked, they entered the chamber, and said to O’thmân: “Abdicate the Khalifate, that no calamity may befall thee.” He, however, replied: “I have been appointed to this office by God, and no one besides Him can deprive me thereof, and I offer you the book of Allah which is now in my lap.” When the insurgents knew that O’thmân would not divest himself of the Khalifate, Ghâfaqy struck him, and blood issuing, dripped on the noble verse: “Allah shall support thee against them, for He is the Hearer, the Wise.”* When Soudân attempted to strike O’thmân with a sword, his wife Nâylah interposed, so that her wrist with the fingers of her hand was cut off. According to another tradition, Nâylah intended to take the sword of Soudân B. Hamrân from his hand, whereon he cut off her wrist, and then with Qunrah slew O’thmân. The slaves of the oppressed O’thmân rushed into the chamber, killed one man, and Ghâfaqy having gone out, shouted: “Ttolhah, we have killed the son of O’ffan!” Although Ttolhah was not present, Ghâfaqy intended to let the people know that Ttolhah had sided with them in their hostility. When A’li the Commander of the Faithful had been apprised of the murder of O’thmân, he ran from the door of his house, slapped Hasan on the face, struck Husain on the breast, reproved A’bdullah B. Zobeyr and Muhammad B. Ttolhah, saying: “How has the Khalifah of the apostle of God been slain, whereas I had given you orders to protect him from the assaults of his enemies?” As, however, they had a valid excuse, he distressed them no farther. It is said that O’thmân—may Allah be pleased with him—was slain on a Friday in the middle of the Tasharyq days,* and according to one tradition he was eighty-two years old, but some also allege that he was more aged. It is said that the duration of his Khalifate amounted to twelve years, less ten days. There is a tradition that a man asked A’li the Commander of the Faithful: “What thinkest thou of O’thmân?” He replied: “The noble verse, ‘Those unto whom the most excellent [reward of paradise] had been predestined by us,’* relates to those whose chief is O’thmân, and the verse, ‘Those who have believed and done good works, and have feared [God] and believed, and persevered in fear [of Him] and have done good,’* likewise relates to them.” — Sa’d B. Almusyb having been asked about the circumstances of O’thmân, said: “He was killed oppressed, and his slayer was the oppressor; and he who fought not for him must be excused on account of the ambiguity of the circumstances. God was satisfied with him as a Khalifah because he was gentle, merciful, magnanimous and liberal; he was the chief of pure and innocent men, the leader of the well-directed and prosperous, the Amir of the just and the slayer of the wicked, praying all night.” Sa’d also said: “He perused the book of Allah fully, and although he was brave when occasion required, he would not countenance hostilities, lest the blood of Musalmâns be shed; after his murder, however, the scimitar of rebelliousness having been drawn from the scabbard, victories came to an end, and the distribution of booty was cut short.”’
It is on record that although A´ayshah had not been on good terms with O’thmân, she was much grieved and distressed when she was apprised of his death. She uttered the verse:
‘We belong to Allah, and to Him we shall surely return.* If in the world a liberal man could be eternal,
Thou wouldst be eternal, but no man living is eternal.’
Which means: ‘If the life of a liberal man were prolonged by his liberality, God would have presented thee with eternal life.’—When Sa’d B. Abu Woqqâss heard of the death of O’thmân, he wept, and said: ‘In the beginnings of Islâm I fled to Madinah to preserve my religion, and now I must depart from it for the same reason.’—In some books it is related that three days after he had been killed, no one cared to inter his blessed body, till at last Jobayr B. Mutta’m went with Hakym B. Khurâm to A’li the Commander of the Faithful to request him to ask A’bdu-r-rahman B. A’dys for permission to bury him in the cemetery of the Musalmâns. After their desire had been granted by the intervention of A’li Murtadza, they required a bier, but, although they asked much, nobody would lend them one, whereon they finally unhinged a door in the house of O’thmân, and placing his august body on it, conveyed it, for fear of a disturbance, between evening and bedtime, to [the cemetery of] Baqyi’; in spite, however, of the dark night, some turbulent fellows pursued them and threw stones at them. On that occasion Jobayr B. Mutta’m wept, and said: ‘Considering all the mercy thou hast displayed, O Amir of the Faithful, I wonder why these persons behave so mercilessly.’ After they had terminated [the funeral] prayers, three Anssâr chiefs arrived in Baqyi’, and would not allow him to be interred in the cemetery of the Musalmâns, therefore they were under the necessity of burying him in an enclosure situated between the cemetery of the Jews and the Musalmâns. When, however, Moa’wiah had assumed the government, the wall of separation was removed, so that his grave was among those of the professors of Islâm.—After the sepulture of O’thmân, his wife Nâylah ordered the slaves who had fallen on the day of the conflict to be buried, but the Egyptians would not allow it, and threw them on the public road, where they were devoured by wolves and dogs.—At the time when O’thmân attained martyrdom, his agent in Mekkah was A’bdullah B. Khidzar; in Ttâyf, Qâsum B. Rabya’h Thaqafy; in Yemen, A’li B. Ommyah, who was also called A’li B. Muniah; and in Bossrah, A’bdullah B. A´amer; in Kûfah, Abu Mûsa Asha’ry; in Syria, Moa’wiah B. Abu Sofiân; in Hamss, A’bdu-r-rahman B. Khâled Wolyd; in Falesttyn, O’lqamah B. Hakym; in Qarqesya, Jaryr B. A’bdullah Albakhly; in Adharbayjân, Ashâth B. Qays Kindy; in Essfahân, Sâyb B. Aqra’; in Hamdân, Bashyr B. Ommyah; in Ray, Say’d B. Qays; in Khorâsân, Ahnaf B. Qays, on behalf of A’bdullah B. A´amer. At that time the Qadzy of Madinah was Zaid B. Thâbet; and of Mekkah, Abu Haryrah; and of Syria, Abu Durd. When Ahnaf B. Qays had in Balkh, the cupola of Islâm, heard of the martyrdom of O’thmân, he departed to Arabia, and, having performed the distance, arrived in Bossrah, where he resided for some time.