Fine Qualities

Anas told that when God's messenger entered the mosque no one but Abu Bakr and `Umar raised his head. They would smile to him and he would smile to them.Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

Ibn `Umar told that the Prophet went out one day and entered the mosque with Abu Bakr and `Umar, one on his right and the other on his left, holding their hands. He said, "We shall be raised thus on the day of resurrection." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharib tradition.

`Abdallah b. Hantab told that the Prophet saw Abu Bakr and `Umar and said, "These are hearing and sight[*]."Tirmidhi transmitted it in mursal form.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God's messenger as saying. "There is no prophet who does not have two wazirs from the inhabitants of heaven and two from the inhabitants of the earth. My two wazirs from the inhabitants of heaven are Gabriel and Michael, and my two wazirs from the inhabitants of the earth are Abu Bakr and `Umar." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharib tradition.

Abu Bakra told that a man said to God's messenger, "I saw as though a scale descended from the sky. You and Abu Bakr were weighed and you were heavier Abu Bakr and `Umar were weighed and Abu Bakr was heavier; `Umar and `Uthman were weighed and `Umar was heavier; then the scale was taken up." God's messenger was grieved about that, meaning that what the man told him grieved him. He then said, "There will be a caliphate on the model of prophecy, then God will give the kingdom to whom He wills." Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn Mas'ud reported the Prophet as saying, "One who will be one of the inhabitants of paradise will come to you;" then Abu Bakr came along. He then said, "One who will be one of the inhabitants of paradise will come to you;" then `Umar came along. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

While God's messenger's head was on my lap on a moonlight night I asked, "Messenger of God, has anyone done as many good deeds as there are stars in the sky?" He replied, "Yes„ `Umar has." I asked how Abu Bakr's good deeds compared and he replied, "All `Umar's good deeds are like one of Abu Bakr's good deeds." Razin transmitted it.

God's messenger was lying in his house with his thighs, or his legs, uncovered when Abu Bakr asked permission to enter and he gave him permission while he was in that condition and he conversed. `Umar asked permission to enter and he gave him permission while he was like that and he conversed. Then `Uthman asked permission to enter and God's messenger sat up and arranged his clothing. When he went out 'A'isha said, "Abu Bakr entered and you did not stir for him or worry about him; then `Umar entered and you did not stir for him or worry about him; then `Uthman entered and you sat up and arranged your clothing." He replied, "Shall I not be modest with one towards whom the angels are modest?" In a version he said, "'Uthman is a modest man, and I was afraid that if I allowed him to enter when I was in that state, he might not tell me what he wanted." Muslim transmitted it.

Talha b. `Ubaidallah reported God's messenger as saying, "Every prophet has a companion, and my companion (i.e., in paradise) will be `Uthman." Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted it on Abu Huraira's authority. Tirmidhi said this is a gharib tradition whose isnad is not strong, and is broken.

I was with the Prophet when he was urging the people to help the army of distress[*]. `Uthman got up and said, "Messenger of God, I shall provide a hundred camels with their cloths and saddles in God's path." Afterwards he urged that help be given the army, and `Uthman got up and said, "I shall provide two hundred camels with their cloths and saddles in God' path." Again, he urged and 'Uthman got up and said, "I shall provide three hundred camels with their cloths and saddles in God's path." I saw God's messenger coming down from the pulpit, and he was saying, "Anything he does will not count against `Uthman after this; anything he does will not count against `Uthman after this." *This is a name applied to the expedition to Tabuk in 9 A.H.Tirmidhi transmitted it.

When the Prophet equipped the army of distress `Uthman brought him a thousand dinars in his sleeve and scattered them in his lap; and I saw the Prophet turning them over in his lap and saying twice, "`Uthman will not be injured by anything he does after to-day." Ahmad transmitted it.

When God's messenger gave orders for the oath of allegiance of God's good pleasure[*] `Uthman had gone to Mecca as God's messenger's messenger. Then when the people had taken the oath of allegiance God's messenger said, "`Uthman is engaged in God's business and in His messenger's business." He then struck one of his hands on the other, and God's messenger's hand on behalf of `Uthman was better than the people's hands on their own behalf. *The oath of allegiance al-Hudaibiya. Cf. Quran, 48:18Tirmidhi transmitted it.

I was present at the house[*] when 'Uthman looked out on the people and said, "I adjure you by God and by Islam, are you aware that when God's messenger came to Medina and it had no water considered fresh but Bi'r Ruma, desiring that he and the Muslims might dip their buckets in it, he asked who would buy Bi'r Ruma for a better one in paradise, and I bought it from my capital? Yet you are preventing me from drinking of it to-day so that I have to drink salty water." When they swore by God that they were aware he said, "I adjure you by God and by Islam, are you aware that when the mosque became too small for the people God's messenger asked who would buy the plot of the family of so and so for a better one in paradise and add it to the mosque, and I bought it from my capital? Yet to-day you are preventing me from praying two rak'as in it." When they swore by God that they were aware he said, "I adjure you by God and by Islam, are you aware that I equipped the army of distress from my property?" When they swore by God that they were aware he said, "I adjure you by God and by Islam, are you aware that when God's messenger was on Thabir at Mecca accompanied by Abd Bakr, `Umar and me the mountain shook so that its stones were falling one after another to the ground below, so he kicked it with his foot and said, `Be still, Thabir, for there are only a prophet, a friend and two martyrs on you'?" When they swore by God that they were aware he said three times, "God is most great. They have testified by the Lord of the Ka'ba that I am a martyr." *`Uthman's house, when he was besieged during the revolt in which he was killed.Tirmidhi, Nasa'i and Daraqutni transmitted it.

I heard God's messenger when he mentioned the civil wars and their nearness; and when a man who was veiled by a garment passed by, he said, "On that day this man will be rightly guided." I got up and went to him and found he was `Uthman b. `Affan, then making him face the Prophet I asked if this was the man, and he replied, "Yes." Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan sahih tradition.

`A'isha reported the Prophet as saying, "Perhaps God will clothe you with a shirt, `Uthman, and if the people want you to take it off, do not take it off for them[*]." *Mirqat, 5:558, interprets this as referring to the Caliphate which he is told not to resign even though the people should wish him to abdicate.Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying the tradition contains a long story.

Ibn `Umar told that God's messenger mentioned a civil commotion and said of `Uthman, "This one will be wrongfully killed in it." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan tradition whose isnad is gharib.

Abu Sahla told that `Uthman said to him on the day of the house, "God's messenger made a covenant with me and I shall show endurance in adhering to it." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan sahih tradition.

`Uthman b. `Abdallah b. Mauhib told that a man who belonged to Egypt came with the purpose of making the pilgrimage to the House and saw some people seated. He asked who these people were and was told that they were Quraish. He asked who was shaikh among them, and when he was told that he was `Abdallah b. `Umar, he said, "I have a question to ask you, Ibn `Umar, so tell me. Do you know that `Uthman fled at the battle of Uhud?" He replied, "Yes." He asked, "Do you know that he was absent from Badr and failed to be present there?" He replied, "Yes." He asked, "Do you know that he was absent from the oath of allegiance of God's good pleasure and failed to be present there?" He replied, "Yes." The man said, "God is most great," and Ibn `Umar said, "Come and let me explain things to you. As for his flight at the battle of Uhud, I testify that God forgave him; as for his absence from Badr, he was married to God's messenger's daughter Ruqayya who was ill, and he was told by God's messenger that he would have the merit and the portion of a man who had been present at Badr; and as for his absence from the oath of allegiance of God's good pleasure, if there had been anyone more honourable than `Uthman in the valley of Mecca he would have sent him[*], but God's messenger sent `Uthman, and the oath of allegiance of God's good pleasure took place after `Uthman had gone to Mecca. God's messenger then said of his right hand, `This is `Uthman's hand,' and he struck his hands together saying, `This is for Uthman'." Ibn `Umar then said, `Go away now, and keep that with you." *When the Prophet came to al-Hadaibiya, he sent 'Uthman as an envoy to Mecca to explain that the Muslims desired to enter Mecca and perform the rites at the Ka'ba. 'Umar had begged to be excused from this duty as he had no influential friends in the city, and suggested that `Uthman was in a more favourable position in that respect.Bukhari transmitted it.

The Prophet began to tell `Uthman something in private and `Uthman's colour changed. On the day of the house, we asked him if he would not fight and he replied, "No, God's messenger charged me with something and I shall show endurance in adhering to it." Abu Habiba told that he entered the house when `Uthman was besieged in it and heard Abu Huraira asking `Uthman's permission to speak. He granted him permission, so he got up, praised and extolled God, then stated that he had heard God's messenger say, "After I am gone you will encounter civil strife and disagreement (or he said, disagreement and civil strife)." One of the people asked him, "To whom should we adhere, messenger of God?" or, "What do you command us to do? He replied, "Adhere to the commander and his companions," pointing at the same time to Uthman. Baihaqi transmitted the two traditions in Dala'il an-nubuwa

Anas told that the Prophet, Abu Bakr, `Umar and `Uthman went up Uhud and when it quivered because of them the Prophet kicked it with his foot and said, "Keep steady, Uhud, for there are only a prophet, a friend and two martyrs on you." Bukhari transmitted it.