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ʿUthmān b. Affān
ʿUthmān b. Affān (d. 655 (AH 35)). Third caliph (khalīfa), who was an early convert to Islam. He married the Prophet Muḥammad's daughters, Rukaiya and (after her death) Umm Kulthum. Upon election as caliph he promised to follow and develop ʿUmar's policies of uniformity in religion and government. It was during his time that Islamic conquests reached their peak, bringing with them novel problems of the relation between the original community and the newly acquired territories. ʿUthmān, already old, was unequal to these difficulties. He began to rely on his ʿUmayyah family, and was consequently accused of nepotism and corruption. Opposition to ʿUthmān came to be represented in the figures of ʿĀʾisha ( Prophet Muḥammad's favourite wife) and ʿAlī, with the introduction of a religious accusation that ʿUthmān was not following the precepts of the Qurʾān and the Prophet. ʿUthmān's circulation of the official edition of the Qurʾān, to preserve uniformity in religion, precipitated a chain of events that led to his assassination: the Qurra (‘Qurʾān-reciters’) had been the expositors of the sacred text and had exercised great influence over the new converts, which gave them religious prestige and authority in the provinces. ʿUthmān's official Qurʾān deprived these monopolists of control over divine revelation. The religious grievance over the Qurʾān now became allied to social, economic, and political discontent; anti-ʿUthmān feeling spilled over into open rebellion. Rebel forces from Egypt, Kūfā, and Basra advanced on Madīna, declared ʿUthmān unfit to rule, and murdered him. The bloody end to ʿUthmān's rule marks a turning point in Islamic history: political and religious unity was at an end and the period of schisms and civil wars had begun. The murder of ʿUthmān raised the complex issue of just murder and unjust killing, and this too created further division amongst the Muslim community: had ʿUthmān acted in ways that contravened Islam, and, if so, had he so ceased to be a Muslim that he could be treated accordingly and be legitimately killed? For the main parties to this dispute, see ĪMĀN.
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Cite this article
JOHN BOWKER. "ʿUthmān b. Affān." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "ʿUthmān b. Affān." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-UthmnbAffn.html JOHN BOWKER. "ʿUthmān b. Affān." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-UthmnbAffn.html |
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Uthman
Uthman or Othman , c.574-656, 3d caliph (644-56), also known as Uthman ibn al-Affan; son-in-law of Muhammad . He belonged to the great Umayyad family and was selected as caliph after the murder of Umar . Muslim conquests were continued and extended to Bactria and Cyprus. To strengthen his control over the distant provinces, he replaced the generals and governors appointed by Abu Bakr and Umar with members of his own family. Uthman ordered the compilation of the first official version of the Qur'an . In 656 a mob of malcontents in Medina stormed Uthman's house and murdered him. Ali succeeded to the caliphate. Osman is the Turkish form of Uthman. |
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"Uthman." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Uthman." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Uthman.html "Uthman." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Uthman.html |
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Uthman
Uthman (or Osman) (c.574–656) Third CALIPH of Islam (644–56). He restored representatives of the old Meccan aristocracy to positions of influence, creating considerable discontent. His personal weakness led to rivalry to his authority from Aisha, the youngest wife of MUHAMMAD, from Ali, his cousin and son-in-law, and others. He was murdered by mutinous troops from Egypt. His lasting memorial was the authorized version of the KORAN, compiled at his order.
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Cite this article
"Uthman." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Uthman." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-Uthman.html "Uthman." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-Uthman.html |
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῾Uthmān
῾Uthmān, ῾Usmān ♂ (Arabic) ‘Bustard’ (the bird). ‘Uthmān ibn-‘Affān was the third rightly guided caliph (644–56), noted for his generosity and loyalty.
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Cite this article
PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "῾Uthmān." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "῾Uthmān." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Uthmn.html PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "῾Uthmān." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Uthmn.html |
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Uthman
Uthman See Othman
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Cite this article
"Uthman." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Uthman." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Uthman.html "Uthman." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Uthman.html |
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