The merits of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him)

It is narrated from Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him) that two men mentioned Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), and one of them said: "He was martyred." At this the other seized him and brought him to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "This man claims that Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred?!" Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the man: "Did you say that?" He replied: "Yes. Do you not remember the day when I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them) and you were present there? I asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and he (peace and blessings be upon him) gave to me; I asked Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and he too gave to me; I asked Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and he too gave to me; I asked Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and he too gave generously to me; but when I asked you, you did not give me (anything). Then I said: O Messenger of Allah! Supplicate to Allah that He bless me. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said three times: 'Why would you not be blessed, when a Prophet, a Siddiq and two martyrs have given to you?'" Hearing this, Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Let him go."
The Book of Virtues, Chapter: The Virtues of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Muhammad bin Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him) that a man in Kufah testified that Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was killed attaining the rank of martyrdom, whereupon the officials there seized him and brought him to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "Had you not forbidden us from killing anyone, we would certainly have killed him. This man claims and testifies that Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) is a martyr."
At this the man addressed Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "And you yourself will testify to this, or you will remember, that I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and he (peace and blessings be upon him) gave to me; then I came to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him, and he too gave generously to me." Then the narrator mentioned the full hadith.
[Musnad Abi Ya'la: 3905]

Sayyiduna Abu Thawr al-Fahmi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Udays al-Balawi (may Allah be pleased with him), who was among those who gave the pledge of Ridwan under the tree, that he climbed the minbar, praised and glorified Allah Almighty, then mentioned Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and began to find fault with him. Abu Thawr says: I went to Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was besieged (in his house by the rebels), and I said that Ibn Udays had said such and such things about him. Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "On what basis can he say that, when I have stored with Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, ten such virtues (for reward)? I am the fourth of the first four people to embrace Islam; the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) married one of his daughters to me and then (after her death) married his other daughter to me as well; with the hand with which I gave the pledge at the blessed hand of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), I have never touched my private part (out of honour for it); I have never sung; I have never wished (for falsehood or vanity); and I never drank wine, neither in the time of ignorance (Jahiliyyah) nor after embracing Islam."
I (Ibn Hajar) say: Part of this narration is also narrated by some of the other hadith scholars.

It is narrated from a narrator concerning Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him): "Sayyiduna Uthman al-Ghani (may Allah be pleased with him) (presented this example of abundant worship, that he) would regularly fast by day and spend the whole night standing in prayer before Allah, except for resting a little while in the early part of the night."
Imam Ahmad bin Mani' (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Ukaym (may Allah be pleased with him) that when Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) heard the call of the adhan, he would say these words: 'Marhaban bil-qa'ilina 'adlan wa bil-salati marhaban wa ahlan' (Welcome to those callers who proclaim justice and truth (the testimony of faith), and to the prayer a hundredfold welcome and a warm greeting).
Imam Ibn Abi Shaybah recorded this athar in his al-Musannaf (hadith: 3908); however, the hadith scholars have criticised one narrator in its chain, Abd al-Rahman bin Ishaq al-Wasiti.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "One night I saw Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) near the Maqam of Ibrahim; he stepped forward to pray, then recited the entire Noble Qur'an in a single rak'ah, and after that he finished the prayer and went back."
Imam al-Nasa'i narrated this hadith in 'al-Sunan al-Kubra' (hadith: 3924), and its chain is of hasan (good) grade.

It is narrated from Abu Layla (may Allah have mercy on him) that on the Day of the House (the day his house was besieged) Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) looked down upon us from above and said: "O people! Do not kill me, for if you kill me, you will become like this (at one another's throats and caught in trials)," and to show a picture of it, he (may Allah be pleased with him) interlaced the fingers of both his hands.
[Al-Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3910, Musnad Ahmad: 489; the chain of this narration is hasan (good)]

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that once we were with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in a house, in the company of a group of the Muhajirun, among whom were Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, Sayyiduna Umar, Sayyiduna Uthman, Sayyiduna Ali, Sayyiduna Talhah, Sayyiduna al-Zubayr, Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Awf and Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with them). Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Let every man rise and go to his equal (his matching companion)." So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself rose towards Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), embraced him and said: "You are my close friend and helper in this world and the Hereafter."
Al-Hakim narrated it in al-Mustadrak and declared it sahih (authentic); however, he overlooked the weakness of Talhah bin Zayd, for he is a matruk (abandoned) narrator.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was seated and Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was (sitting) behind him, when Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked permission to enter and came in; then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked permission and he too came in; then Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) asked permission and he too came in; then Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) asked permission and he too came in. At that time the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was talking, and the cloth had moved away from his (peace and blessings be upon him) blessed knee. Then when Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) asked permission and entered, he (peace and blessings be upon him) adjusted his garment over his knee and said to his wife: "Move back from me." So they all talked for a while and then left. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: I said: O Messenger of Allah! Your (other) Companions came to you, but you did not straighten the cloth over your knee, nor did you tell me to move back, until Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) entered? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Should I not feel shy before a man who feels shy before Allah and His Messenger? Had he entered while you were close to me, he would not have even raised his head (out of extreme modesty) nor said anything until he left."
In the chain of this hadith Abu Ma'shar is weak; however, on the basis of other supporting reports, the basic meaning of this hadith is sound, and Imam Ahmad narrated it in his Musnad.

It is narrated from Shaqiq that Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) met Walid bin Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him), and Walid said to him: "What is the reason that I see you showing such indifference and coldness towards the Commander of the Believers, Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him)?" At this Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: "Convey this message from me to him: that I did not flee from the battlefield on the Day of Aynayn (that is, the day of the Battle of Uhud) (Asim says: by this is meant the day of the Battle of Uhud), nor did I stay behind at the Battle of Badr, nor have I abandoned the sunnah and way of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)." So Walid went and informed Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) of this conversation, whereupon Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "As for his saying that I turned back on the day of the Battle of Uhud, how can he taunt me with a sin which Allah Almighty Himself has forgiven? For Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: 'Indeed, those of you who turned back on the day the two armies met, it was Satan who caused them to slip because of some of what they had earned; and Allah has certainly forgiven them. Indeed, Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Forbearing.' [Surah Al Imran: 155] And as for his saying, 'I stayed behind at the Battle of Badr,' the truth is that I was nursing Sayyidah Ruqayyah (may Allah be pleased with her), the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), until she passed away, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) formally assigned me a share of the spoils; and whoever the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) assigns a share of the spoils is counted as having taken part in the battle. And as for his saying, 'I have abandoned the sunnah of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him),' the truth is that neither I nor he has the strength for it." The narrator says: Then I went to Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Awf and informed him of this reply of Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him).
The chain of this hadith is hasan (good), and Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal narrated it in Musnad Ahmad.

It is narrated from Sa'id bin al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) that Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) raised his voice before Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him), so Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "On what grounds have you raised your voice at me? I took part in the Battle of Badr and you were not present; I gave the pledge at the blessed hand of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and you did not give the pledge; and you turned back from the battlefield on the day of Uhud while I stood firm?" Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: "As for your saying, 'You were present at Badr and I was absent,' (the truth is that) the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) left me behind for his daughter (to nurse her in her illness), then he (peace and blessings be upon him) assigned me my share of the spoils and also granted me its reward. And as for your saying, 'You gave the pledge to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and I did not,' (you should remember that) the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent me (as an envoy) to a group of the polytheists, and you know this well; then when I was detained there (and the occasion of the pledge of Ridwan came), the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) struck his right hand upon his left hand and said: 'This is (the pledge) on behalf of Uthman,' and the left hand of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is far superior and more blessed than my right hand. As for your objection, 'I turned back on the day of Uhud and you did not,' concerning it Allah Almighty revealed this verse: 'Indeed, those of you who turned back on the day the two groups met, it was Satan who caused them to slip because of some of what they had earned; and Allah has certainly forgiven them.' [Surah Al Imran: 155] So why do you taunt me with a fault which Allah Almighty has (Himself, in the Qur'an) forgiven?"
Imam al-Bazzar (may Allah have mercy on him) says: We do not know anyone other than Sallam (Abu al-Mundhir) who narrated this hadith from Ali bin Zayd.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was an eyewitness to the event when Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) presented to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) the wealth and goods with which he (peace and blessings be upon him) arranged the equipping and arming of the "Army of Hardship" (the army of Tabuk in a time of hardship). Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) came at that time with seven hundred uqiyahs of gold.
Imam Abu Ya'la narrated it in his Musnad.

It is narrated from Imam Qatadah (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said: "The first of the Muslims to emigrate with his family to the land of Abyssinia was Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him). Then some delay occurred in news of his well-being reaching the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), so he (peace and blessings be upon him) would go out (in a state of concern) and wait for news from those coming and going. Meanwhile a woman of Quraysh came and said to him (peace and blessings be upon him): O Abu al-Qasim! I saw your son-in-law setting out on his journey; his wife was riding a slow-paced donkey and he was driving it while he himself walked behind her. Hearing this, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated for them: 'May Allah Almighty be the supporter and travelling companion of them both.' Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Indeed, Uthman is the first person after Sayyiduna Lut (peace be upon him) to emigrate with his family for the pleasure of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.'"
Imam al-Bayhaqi narrated this hadith in 'Dala'il al-Nubuwwah'; in its chain Hasan bin Ziyad al-Lu'lu'i is a weak narrator. However, the event of Sayyiduna Uthman's (may Allah be pleased with him) emigration to Abyssinia together with his wife Sayyidah Ruqayyah (may Allah be pleased with her) is established by other reliable historical and hadith evidence.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Shaddad bin Aws (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I was sitting when suddenly Jibril (peace be upon him) came to me and lifted me upon his right wing, then he took me into the Garden of Adn. While I was there, my eye suddenly fell upon an apple; the apple split into two halves and a maiden came out of it." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), describing her qualities, said: "I have never seen anyone more beautiful than her in loveliness nor more perfect than her in beauty. She was glorifying Allah Almighty with such glorification, the like of which none of the earlier or later generations had ever heard. I asked her: 'Who are you?' She replied: 'I am a hur; my Lord, Majestic is His majesty, created me from the light of His Throne.' I asked: 'For whom are you?' She said: 'I am for the trustworthy one, thin of hair at both sides of the forehead, the wronged caliph, Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him).'"
In the chain of this hadith there is a narrator named Musa bin Ibrahim, who according to the imams of narrator criticism is severely weak and a liar; on this basis this narration has been declared mawdu' (fabricated).