Murder of Uthman: Difference between revisions

===Appointing the Umayyads to Key Roles===

Some scholars have called Uthman's way of appointing his Umayyad relatives to important roles an attempt at the "Umayyadization" of the state. Some of the key positions given by Uthman to his relatives were as follows:  

The fact that Uthman made his relatives in charge of the Muslim community's affairs and their misuse of their positions were among the main factors that led to protests. Some of these favored relatives did not have a good reputation either. For instance, Abd Allah b. Amir had once become an [[apostate]], Walid b. Amir was called ''fasiq'' (wicked) in the [[Quran]], and Marwan b. al-Hakam was banished by the [[Prophet (s)]] from Medina together with his father.  

“The third came to power … and his paternal kin came to his help and plundered the public treasury like a camel which eats spring plants eagerly. Consequently, he was rooted out and his actions brought about his end.”

Unjust distribution of public treasuries was a major problem during Uthman's caliphate. He would bestow great amount of wealth from the pubic treasury on his relatives, which created wide-spread resentment among people. For instance, it is reported that he bestowed on Marwan b. al-Hakam the entire [[khums]] that he had received from Africa, and on another occasion he bestowed it upon Abn Abi Sarh. He also gave huge amounts of wealth to Harith b. al-Hakam, [[Hakam b. Abi l-As]], and Abd Allah b. Khalid, among others.  

A few Sunni historians maintain that [[Abd Allah b. Saba']] had a major role in propagating against Uthman and encouraging the revolt against him. However, other [[Shiite]] and Sunni scholars have doubted the existence of such a person. Others also have stated that it is unlikely that the Muslim community was so weak that a new convert could have formed a revolt against the caliph.  

Uthman is said to have been murdered on [[Friday]] [[Dhu l-Hijja 18]], [[35 AH]]. The incident came to be called "the Incident of the Day of the House" (''Waqi'a yawm al-dar'').  

Some Sunni historians and scholars maintain that none of the [[Companions]]—whether the Immigrants or the Helpers— were involved in Uthman's murder. Some of them were against murdering him but were forced to remain silent; others did not intervene; and a third group just left [[Medina]]. These scholars believe that the reports about the involvement of the Companions in besieging and murdering Uthman are unreliable.  

Other companions too accused Uthman of not helping Uthman and of looking forward to his murder.

[[Al-Tabari]], the well-known historian of the fourth/tenth century, and some other historians have reported that [[A'isha]] would say about Uthman: "Kill Na'thal ! Kill Uthman, as he has become an infidel!" When the rebels were in Medina, Marwan b. al-Hakam visited A'isha and asked him to mediate between the [[caliph]] and the rebels. A'isha refused to do so by saying that she was going to [[hajj]]. At the end she said that she wished to see Uthman killed and mutilated and his body thrown to the sea.  

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[[fa:ماجرای قتل عثمان]]