Chapter: The virtues of Uthman bin Affan رضي الله عنه

The Prophet (ﷺ) entered a garden and ordered me to guard its gate. A man came and asked permission to enter. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Admit him and give him the glad tidings of entering Paradise." Behold! It was Abu Bakr. Another man came and asked the permission to enter. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Admit him and give him the glad tidings of entering Paradise." Behold! It was `Umar. Then another man came, asking the permission to enter. The Prophet (ﷺ) kept silent for a short while and then said, "Admit him and give him the glad tidings of entering Paradise with a calamity which will befall him." Behold! It was `Uthman bin `Affan. `Asim, in another narration, said that the Prophet (ﷺ) was sitting in a place where there was water, and he was uncovering both his knees or his knee, and when `Uthman entered, he covered them (or it).

Al-Miswar bin Makhrama and `Abdur-Rahman bin Al-Aswad bin 'Abu Yaghuth said (to me), "What forbids you to talk to `Uthman about his brother Al-Walid because people have talked much about him?" So I went to `Uthman and when he went out for prayer I said (to him), "I have something to say to you and it is a piece of advice for you " `Uthman said, "O man, from you." (`Umar said: I see that he said, "I seek Refuge with Allah from you.") So I left him and went to them. Then the messenger of `Uthman came and I went to him (i.e. `Uthman), `Uthman asked, "What is your advice?" I replied, "Allah sent Muhammad with the Truth, and revealed the Divine Book (i.e. Qur'an) to him; and you were amongst those who followed Allah and His Apostle, and you participated in the two migrations (to Ethiopia and to Medina) and enjoyed the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and saw his way. No doubt, the people are talking much about Al-Walid." `Uthman said, "Did you receive your knowledge directly from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ?" I said, "No, but his knowledge did reach me and it reached (even) to a virgin in her seclusion." `Uthman said, "And then Allah sent Muhammad with the Truth and I was amongst those who followed Allah and His Apostle and I believed in what ever he (i.e. the Prophet) was sent with, and participated in two migrations, as you have said, and I enjoyed the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and gave the pledge of allegiance him. By Allah! I never disobeyed him, nor did I cheat him till Allah took him unto Him. Then I treated Abu Bakr and then `Umar similarly and then I was made Caliph. So, don't I have rights similar to theirs?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Then what are these talks reaching me from you people? Now, concerning what you mentioned about the question of Al-Walid, Allah willing, I shall deal with him according to what is right." Then he called `Ali and ordered him to flog him, and `Ali flogged him (i.e. Al-Walid) eighty lashes.

During the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ) we considered Abu Bakr as peerless and then `Umar and then `Uthman (coming next to him in superiority) and then we used not to differentiate between the companions of the Prophet.

(the son of Muhib) An Egyptian who came and performed the Hajj to the Ka`ba saw some people sitting. He enquire, "Who are these people?" Somebody said, "They are the tribe of Quraish." He said, "Who is the old man sitting amongst them?" The people replied, "He is `Abdullah bin `Umar." He said, "O Ibn `Umar! I want to ask you about something; please tell me about it. Do you know that `Uthman fled away on the day (of the battle) of Uhud?" Ibn `Umar said, "Yes." The (Egyptian) man said, "Do you know that `Uthman was absent on the day (of the battle) of Badr and did not join it?" Ibn `Umar said, "Yes." The man said, "Do you know that he failed to attend the Ar Ridwan pledge and did not witness it (i.e. Hudaibiya pledge of allegiance)?" Ibn `Umar said, "Yes." The man said, "Allahu Akbar!" Ibn `Umar said, "Let me explain to you (all these three things). As for his flight on the day of Uhud, I testify that Allah has excused him and forgiven him; and as for his absence from the battle of Badr, it was due to the fact that the daughter of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was his wife and she was sick then. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to him, "You will receive the same reward and share (of the booty) as anyone of those who participated in the battle of Badr (if you stay with her).' As for his absence from the Ar-Ridwan pledge of allegiance, had there been any person in Mecca more respectable than `Uthman (to be sent as a representative). Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) would have sent him instead of him. No doubt, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had sent him, and the incident of the Ar-Ridwan pledge of Allegiance happened after `Uthman had gone to Mecca. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) held out his right hand saying, 'This is `Uthman's hand.' He stroke his (other) hand with it saying, 'This (pledge of allegiance) is on the behalf of `Uthman.' Then Ibn `Umar said to the man, 'Bear (these) excuses in mind with you.'

The Prophet (ﷺ) ascended the mountain of Uhud and Abu Bakr, `Umar and `Uthman were accompanying him. The mountain gave a shake (i.e. trembled underneath them). The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O Uhud ! Be calm." I think that the Prophet (ﷺ) hit it with his foot, adding, "For upon you there are none but a Prophet, a Siddiq and two martyrs."