Al-nass Wel-ijtihad

Chapter Three Othman and His Followers Interpretations

  1. His kindness to his relatives

Othman was kind to his relatives[1] (the family of Abul Aass).[2] He loved them too much and preferred them to the all of the umma until he paid attention neither to the blamers nor to the revolters. He violated many Quranic verdicts and many holy texts of the sacred Sunna of the Prophet (s) and the traditions that had been followed before him in order to satisfy his relatives.

Ibn Abul Hadeed said:[3] The prediction of Umar about Othman turned out to be true. Othman made the Umayyads tread on the necks of people. He entrusted them with the emirate of the different countries and gifted them with the wealth of the Muslims. At his


[1] Othman had violated the legal texts in many occasions for the sake of his relatives. We cannot cover them all in this book. They may not be less than the violations of the two previous caliphs together.
[2] The Prophet (s) has said: When the family of al-Aass becomes thirty men, they will distribute the wealth of the Muslims among themselves, make people slaves for them and distort the religion of Allah according to their interests. It has been mentioned by al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, vol.4 p.480, from Imam Ali (s), Abu Tharr, and Abu Saeed al-Khidri and mentioned by ath-Thahabi in Talkhees al-Mustadrak. The prophetic traditions dispraising the family of al-Aass are true and recurrent. The Prophet (s) has declared the reality of those hypocrite people and he has cursed them (that he who would perish might perish by clear proof, and he who would live might live by clear proof). Al-Hakim mentioned in his Mustadrk many other traditions which sufficed in this concern. Refer to our book Abu Hurayra, p.118-128.
[3] Sharh Nahjol Balagha, vol. 1 p.66.

days Armenia was conquered. He took all the khums[1] of its booties and gifted it to Marwan.

Ibn Abul Hadeed added: Once Abdullah bin Khalid bin Usayd asked Othman for a present. He gave him four hundred thousand dirhamshe permitted al-Hakam bin Abul Aass to return to Medina after the Prophet (s) had exiled him from it and Abu Bakr and Umar had refused to let him return. He gave him one hundred thousand dirhams. The Prophet (s) had given the Muslims a place of a market in Medina called Nahrooz as charity but Othman, after being the caliph, gifted it to al-Harith bin al-Hakam, Marwans brother and he gave Fadak to Marwan, which Fatima (s) had asked for after the death of her father as her inheritance one time and as donation the other time but she had been deprived of ithe prevented all the Muslims from grazing their cattle in the pastures around Medina except the Umayyadshe gave Abdullah bin Abu Sarh all the booties the Muslims had got when conquering north Africa, from Tripoli to Tangier, without giving any share to any other Muslimhe gave Abu Sufyan bin Harb two hundred thousand (dirhams) from the public treasury on the same day when he gave Marwan bin al-Hakam one hundred thousand (dirhams) from the treasury when he had married him his daughter Umm Abban. On that day Zayd bin Arqam, who was the keeper of the treasury, brought the keys of the treasury and put them before Othman and began crying. Othman said to him: Do you cry because I help my relatives? Zayd said: No, but I think that you have taken these monies instead of the monies you had spent for the sake of Allah at the time of the messenger of Allah. By Allah, if you give Marwan one hundred dirhams, it will be too much. Othman said: O ibn Arqam, throw the keys! We will find other than you.

Ibn Abul Hadeed added: One day Abu Musa brought him (Othman) great wealth from Iraq (as land taxes) and he distributed it all among the Umayyads. He married his daughter Aaisha to al-Harith bin al-Hakam and he gave him one hundred thousand dirhams from the treasury after deposing Zayd bin Arqam from the treasurybesides these things he committed many other faults that made the Muslims bear grudge against himsuch as exiling Abu Tharr to ar-Rabatha


[1] Fifth.

(in the desert), beating Abdullah bin Massood until he broke his ribs, appointing doorkeepers (to prevent people from coming to him), deviating from the way of Umar in executing the penalties, judging among people, punishing the transgressors and in being strict to manage the affairs of the citizens. And he ended his bad deeds with his book to Moawiya ordering him to kill a group of the Muslims and then many people of Medina with the people who had come from Egypt revolted against him and killed him; yet they had to depose him from the caliphate and not to hasten in killing himAmeerul Mo'mineen (Imam Ali) was the most innocent of killing him. He had declared that in many of his speeches. He said: By Allah, I have not killed Othman and I have not agreed with the people on killing him. He had said the truth. Blessing be upon him

In short, all the transgressions of Othman had been narrated by the narrators and mentioned by the historians and the scholars of Hadith. Many of the scholars had considered them as true and fixed events. Refer to the resources to see the clear truth.[1]

The speech of Imam Ali (s), called ash-Shaqshaqiyya, suffices in showing the reality of this man he said: until the third of people (of the caliphs-Othman) came (become the caliph) struttingly and his relatives came with him gnawing the wealth of Allah as camels gnawing the grass of spring until his weaving turned over him, his deeds finished him off, his retinue failed him


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[1] Among those, who have considered the transgressions of Othman as true and real with no doubt, was ash-Shahristani in his book al-Milel wen-Nihal. Othman had committed many other violations such as burning the copies of the holy Qur'an in order to gather the Muslims on one reciting of the Qur'an, gifting the warriors from the monies of charity whereas they were not from among the eight classes that Allah had limited charity to by saying: (Alms are only for the poor and the needy, and the officials (appointed) over them, and those whose hearts are made to incline (to truth) and the (ransoming of) captives and those in debts and in the way of Allah and the wayfarer) 9/60, beating Ammar bin Yassir severely, not punishing Ubaydillah bin Umar with the legal penalty when he had killed al-Hurmuzan, his book to the people of Egypt to kill Muhammad bin Abu Bakr and a group of the believers with him and many other transgressions!

 

  1. His prayer in travel

A four rakas prayer is shortened to two rakas in travel whether in the case of fear or safety according to the Sharia. The legality of taqseer or qasr[1] has been proved by the Qur'an, the Sunna and the consensus of the umma. Allah has said: And when you journey in the earth, there is no blame on you if you shorten the prayer, if you fear that those who disbelieve will cause you distress. Qur'an, 4:101

Yala bin Umayya narrated that he had asked Umar: Why do we shorten prayers though we have felt safe? Umar said: I have wondered at what you have wondered at and once I asked the messenger of Allah about it. He said: It is a charity that Allah has endowed you with. Accept His charity![2]

Ibn Umar said:[3] I often accompanied the messenger of Allah (s) in travel. He did not offer more than two rakas (in travel) until he left to the better world. I accompanied Umar (in travel). He did not offer more than two rakas until he died. I accompanied Othman. He did not offer more than two rakas.[4]

Allah has said: Certainly you have in the Messenger of Allah an excellent exemplar. Qur'an, 33:21

Ibn Shayba narrated that the Prophet (s) had said: The best believers of my umma are they who witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah and who when doing good they become pleased, when doing wrong they ask Allah to forgive them and when traveling they shorten their prayers.

Anass bin Malik said: Once we traveled with the Prophet (s) from Medina to Mecca. He offered two rakas two rakas until we returned.[5]


[1] Shortening prayers during travels.
[2] Sahih of Muslim, vol.1 p.258.
[3] As in Sahih of Muslim, vol.1 p.295.
[4] So did Othman during the first six or nine years of his caliphate but after that he offered full (four rakas) prayers in travel until he died. We will mention this soon inshallah.
[5] Sahihs of al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Ibn Abbas said: The Prophet (s) stayed at Mecca for nineteen days shortening the prayers[1] The Prophet (s) shortened the prayers during the nineteen days because he had had no intention of residence.

It has been proved that the Prophet (s), when leading the people of Mecca in offering the prayers after the hijra, had recited tasleem[2] after two rakas in the four rakas prayers. He had told the people (of Mecca) before beginning the prayers to complete their four rakas prayers apologizing to them that he and his companions were travelers.

Anass said: Once I offered Dhuhr prayer with the Prophet (s) in Medina in four rakas and offered Asr prayer with him in Thil Hulayfa in two rakas.[3]

The Quranic verse has confirmed the legality of shortening prayers by a traveler in the state of fear. The true traditions after that have confirmed the legality of shortening the prayers by a traveler at all and on this has been the consensus of the umma with no disagreement except from Aaisha and Othman. It has been mentioned that both of them offered full prayers during travel. This was the first thing that the people began criticizing Othman for as the historians had recorded it from among the events of the year twenty-three of hijra.[4]

Al-Bukhari and Muslim mentioned in their Sahihs a tradition narrated by Nafi that ibn Umar had said: The messenger of Allah (s) always offered two rakas (instead of four) in Mina. So did Abu Bakr after him. Umar did the same after Abu Bakr. Othman offered two rakas during the first period of his caliphate but then he offered four rakas (in Mina)

They (al-Bukhari and Muslim) also mentioned that Abdurrahman bin Yazeed had said: Othman bin Affan led us in offering the prayer in Mina and he offered four rakas. It was said to Abdullah bin


[1] Sahih of al-Bukhari, vol.1 p.131.
[2] Saying peace, mercy of Allah and blessing be upon you to finish prayers.
[3] Sahih of Muslim, vol.1.
[4] Al-Kamil by Ibn al-Atheer, vol.3 p.49, Tareekh aof at-tabari, vol.3 p.322.

Massood about that. He sighed and then said: I offered two rakas with the Prophet (s) in Mina, two rakas with Abu Bakr and two rakas with Umar. I hope that two of these four rakas will be accepted!

They mentioned too that Haritha bin Wahab al-Khuzaiy had said: Once the Prophet (s) led us in offering the prayer where the people were so many. His prayer was two rakas.[1]

Muslim mentioned in his Sahih a tradition narrated by az-Zuhri from Urwa that Aaisha had said: First the prayer has been legislated as two rakas and then the prayer in travel has been fixed (as two rakas) whereas the prayer in residence has become full (four rakas). Az-Zuhri said: I asked Urwa: Then why does Aaisha offer full prayers in travel? He said: She has interpreted (the verdict according to her own opinion) as Othman has done.[2]

Al-Fadhil an-Nawawi said when explaining this tradition of Muslim: The ulama disagreed on their (Othman and Aaishas) interpretations; it was said: Othman was Ameerul Mo'mineen (the commander of the believers) and Aaisha was Ummul Momineen (the mother of the believers) so as if they were always at home (in residence and not in travel). He added: The scholars have denied this justification saying that the Prophet (s) would be worthier of this than Othman and Aaisha and the same would be with Abu Bakr and Umar. It was also said that Othman had got married in Mecca.


[1] Ahmad bin Hanbal mentioned in his Musnad, vol.4 p.94 a tradition narrated by Abbad bin Abdullah bin az-Zubayr that his father had said: Once when Moawiya has come (to Mecca) to offer the hajj, we came with him from Mecca. He led us in offering Dhuhr prayer. He offered two rakas. But when Othman came to Mecca as traveler, he offered Dhuhr, Asr and Isha prayer four rakas and when he came to Mina he also offered full prayers (in Mina and in Arafat). When Moawiya offered Dhuhr prayer as two rakas, Marwan bin al-Hakam and Amr bin Othman said to him: No one has faulted your cousin (Othman) with worse than you have done! He said to them: How is that? They said to him: Have you not known that he (Othman) has offered full prayer in his travel? Moawiya said: Has it been other than what I did? I have offered it (the prayer) with the messenger of Allah (s), with Abu Bakr and with Umar as qasr (shortened form). They said to him: But your cousin has offered it in full and your doing so would fault him. Then Moawiya offered Asr prayer four rakas after he had offered Dhuhr prayer two rakas.
[2] Sahih of Muslim, vol.1 p.258.

The scholars have denied this too saying that the Prophet (s) had traveled with his wives but he had shortened his prayers. It was also said that Othman and Aaisha had done so for the sake of the nomads, who had been with them, so that they would not think that prayers were two rakas whether in residence or in travel. The scholars have refuted this too by saying that this meaning was existing at the time of the Prophet (s). In fact the matter of prayer has become more famous at the time of Othman and Aaisha than before. It was also said that Othman and Aaisha had intended to reside in Mecca after offering the hajj. This has also been refuted by saying that residing in Mecca for more than three days was impermissible for the Muhajireen. It was said too that Othman had had a piece of land in Mina. The scholars have refuted this by saying that this did not require offering full prayers or residing. They (Othman and Aaisha) might think that offering qasr prayer was permissible and offering full prayer was also permissible and so they followed one of the two.

In fact, their objection to the legal texts was not limited to this act, which had not led to profaning sanctities, shedding bloods, violating honors or extorting properties as their other interpretations. This was simple in comparison with their other interpretations against the legal verdicts.