The martyrdom of ʿUthman ibn ʿAffan (may Allah be pleased with him)

The rebels stormed the house of the aged caliph ʿUthman ibn ʿAffan after a forty-day siege and killed him while he was fasting and reciting the Qur'an. He had refused that a Muslim's blood be shed in his defence, so his killing was the door to strife to this day.

Bands from the provinces, incited by the detractors, came to Madinah and besieged ʿUthman's house and cut off his water — he who had bought the well of Ruma for the Muslims. The Companions offered to fight in his defence, but he refused and adjured them to hold back, saying: I will not be the first to succeed the Messenger of Allah over his Ummah by shedding blood.

He reminded them of the Prophet's ﷺ words on the Day of Hiraʾ, when he gave him glad tidings of Paradise upon an affliction that would befall him, and said: I heard the Messenger of Allah say, "The blood of a Muslim man is not lawful except in one of three cases," and by Allah I have done none of them.

On Friday 18 Dhu'l-Hijja 35 AH the people scaled the wall upon him and killed him while he was fasting, reading the Mushaf, and his blood dripped upon Allah's words: "Allah will suffice you against them, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing." He was buried in al-Baqiʿ, and by his killing arose the strife of which the Prophet ﷺ had said to ʿUthman decades before: "Hold fast until you meet me."