We have dealt with most of the accusations leveled at Uthman by the rebels who did not stop until they had killed him. We have quoted Justice Ibn Al-Arabi and Muhibb Al-Deen Al-Khateeb’s annotation to explain these. But the list of accusations was by no means short. For example, they accused him of making a gift of one-fifth of the spoils gained in the war that liberated today’s Tunisia, which was known as Ifriqiya, to Marwan. Ibn Al-Arabi has the following to say about this: “As for gifting one-fifth of the spoils of Ifriqiya to one person, it is not true. However, Imam Malik and other scholars are of the view that the ruler has complete discretion on how to divide the share of one-fifth, and to act on his discretion. If he wishes to give it to one person, he is free to do so.”
What all this is concerned with is the fact that in Islamic law, one fifth of the spoils of war goes to the Muslim state, and the ruler should give it to those who are descendents of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the needy, orphans and travelers in need. Ibn Al-Arabi makes clear that Imam Malik considers that the ruler has sole and free discretion on how to use it. Other scholars have different views. However, the whole accusation is false. Uthman did not give this one-fifth to any one person.
Al-Khateeb adds the following details: “What is true is that he gave one-fifth of the share of the state, i.e. 20 percent of 20 percent of the spoils of war to Abdullah ibn Abi Sarh, the commander of the army which liberated the region, but he took it back later. Al-Tabari mentions that Uthman ordered Abdullah to launch a campaign from Egypt up to Tunisia, and said to him: ‘If tomorrow God gives you victory and you have Ifriqiya, you will get from the spoils the Muslims gain one fifth of the one fifth of the state as your free share.’ He started his campaign, moving deep into Ifriqiya, securing its plains and mountains. Abdullah divided the spoils of war among the soldiers in line with the Islamic rule, and took for himself his promised share of 20 percent of the one-fifth due to the state, and sent the rest to Uthman. The people who carried it to Madinah complained to Uthman about Abdullah’s share. Uthman said to them: ‘I have given him this share, but if you are displeased, then I will claim it back.’ They said that they were displeased. Therefore, Uthman wrote to Abdullah to give it back, and he did.”
Uthman acted within his jurisdiction. What he did was done before him by the Prophet and Umar, and was done after him by Ali. All of them gave large gifts to certain people because they felt it served the interests of the community.
People claim that Uthman used to favor his relatives with gifts. He certainly did and this is one of his virtues. Ali praised Uthman for being the kindest of all the Prophet’s companions to his relatives. Uthman himself explained his attitude to his relatives saying: “They claim that I love my family and give them gifts. My love of them has never caused me to be unjust to others on their account. Indeed, I make them shoulder more responsibility when dealing with others. What I give them comes out of my own property. I have never considered the property of the Muslim community to be lawful for me to take or to give to anyone else. I used to give generously from my own property during the Prophet’s lifetime and during the reigns of Abu Bakr and Umar, when I was still keen to retain my wealth. Now that I have attained to old age and my life is coming to an end, people would claim this about me!”
What Uthman did was to distribute his own wealth among his relatives, treating his cousins in the same way as his own children. This is indeed the action of one who was preparing to depart this life. Since he felt it unlawful to take any money from the public treasury for himself, he was less likely to take it for his relatives, or indeed anyone else. The allegations of those who rebelled against him thus fall.
The rebels made further allegations against him, some of which are ridiculous indeed. They said, for example: “While Umar used his whip, Uthman used a stick to beat people.” Ibn Al-Arabi says in reply to this allegation: “As for him using a stick to beat people, the truth is that I never heard this from anyone, pious or not. It is all false, and its falsehood would be readily apparent to anyone who investigates it a little.”
But who would Uthman beat with his stick? Certainly not grown up men. And if beating by a ruler was appropriate, considering what they say about Umar, why would using a whip be preferable to using a stick. The whole accusation stinks.
They made a further allegation saying that “Uthman mounted a step up on the pulpit to be at the level used by the Prophet while Abu Bakr and Umar moved a step down.” What this is concerned with is the position where the Caliph stood when addressing the people, either before Friday prayer or indeed at any time he wanted to convey something to them. The fact is that Abu Bakr and Umar each lowered his position a step, but it is not to be expected that every successive ruler will take a further step down. Otherwise, with the passage of time, rulers and speech makers would go down below the floor level.
Ibn Al-Arabi refutes this allegation, saying: “I have never heard this from anyone who has a trace of the fear of God left in his heart. It is all a matter of spreading false rumors in order to change people’s hearts against Uthman. Our leading scholars say that had this been true, it would have been no cause to justify killing him. It is inevitably right for him to do so, because no one of the Prophet’s companions objected to it, because they realized that it is permissible for him. If it was not true, then nothing more can be said about it.”
This is a strong argument by Ibn Al-Arabi, because if Uthman did it and the Prophet’s companions agreed to it, then it is right. Al-Khateeb, however, explains that the Prophet’s mosque was small during the lifetime of the Prophet and the reign of Abu Bakr. One of the generous deeds of Uthman which he did when the Prophet was still alive was that when he saw that the number of the Prophet’s companions has increased, he bought a piece of land adjacent to the mosque and made it an extension. Then Umar extended it further, incorporating in it Al-Abbas’ home. The number of worshipers continued to increase as the population of the city increased and the number of people coming to Madinah from all over the Muslim world increased. Therefore, Uthman once again extended it, making it 160 yards in length and 150 yards wide. With this expansion, it was perhaps necessary for the speaker to move up so that he could be seen and heard by all.
Arab News Islam 20 October 2003