Uthman ibn Madhun

ProfileUthman ibn Madhun

Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), known as Abu as-Sa'ib, was of the Banu Jumah of Quraysh. According to the early biographies, he was among the first people to accept Islam, and his brother Abdullah accepted it with him. His sister Zaynab was married to Umar ibn al-Khattab and was the mother of Hafsah and of Abdullah ibn Umar, so he was their maternal uncle. According to the early biographies, he was honest and respected, and never drank wine, even before Islam. When asked why, he said that he would not drink something that took away his reason and made lesser men laugh at him.

According to the early biographies, he was among the first group of Muslims to go to Abyssinia. They came back to Makkah when a report reached them that the Quraysh had accepted Islam, and it was false. He entered the city under the protection of al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah, one of the Prophet's ﷺ bitter enemies. When he saw the other Muslims being beaten while he was safe, he felt ashamed, went to al-Walid and gave the protection back in front of the Quraysh, saying that he wanted only Allah's protection. In a gathering of the Quraysh, the poet Labid recited that everything other than Allah is vain, and Uthman said that he had spoken the truth. The Prophet ﷺ later said that this was the truest line a poet had spoken (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). When Labid added that every pleasure must end, Uthman said that he lied, for the pleasure of Paradise does not end, and one of the men there struck him on the eye. Al-Walid, who was watching, said that his eye had not needed this, and offered him his protection again. Uthman refused, and said that his other eye longed to suffer what the first had suffered in Allah's cause.

He then went to Madinah. When the Ansar drew lots for the Emigrants' lodging, he fell to Umm al-Ala, an Ansari woman who had pledged herself to the Prophet ﷺ. He fell ill in her house, and she nursed him until he died (Sahih al-Bukhari). According to the early biographies, he had fought at Badr, and he was the first of the Emigrants to die in Madinah and the first to be buried in al-Baqi. When he was washed and shrouded, Umm al-Ala said, speaking to him, that she testified that Allah had honoured him. The Prophet ﷺ asked her how she knew, and she asked who else Allah would honour. He said that death had come to him, and that he hoped good for him, but that, though he was the Messenger of Allah, he did not know what Allah would do with him. She said she would never again speak for anyone's goodness in this way. She was sad, and then saw in a dream a stream flowing for Uthman, and the Prophet ﷺ told her that it was his deeds (Sahih al-Bukhari). Aishah saw the Prophet ﷺ kiss Uthman after he died, with his tears flowing (Sunan Abi Dawud, graded sahih). At the burial, the Prophet ﷺ asked for a stone to mark the grave, and when the man could not lift it, he rolled up his sleeves, carried it and set it at Uthman's head, and said that he was marking his brother's grave with it and would bury beside him those of his family who died (Sunan Abi Dawud, graded hasan). According to the early biographies, his wife Khawla mourned him in verse.

He was known for his worship. He asked the Prophet ﷺ to allow him to give up marriage, and the Prophet ﷺ refused. Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas said that if he had allowed it, they would have had themselves castrated (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). Aishah told that the Prophet ﷺ sent for him and asked whether he disliked his way. Uthman said that he did not, and that he was seeking it. The Prophet ﷺ told him that he slept and prayed, fasted and ate, and married, and told him to fear Allah, for his wife had a right over him, and his guest had a right over him, and his own self had a right over him, so he should fast and eat, and pray and sleep (Sunan Abi Dawud, graded sahih). According to the early biographies, the matter came to the Prophet ﷺ after his wife Khawla went to Aishah in a neglected state. A few days later she visited again, dressed and perfumed, and said that her husband was treating her as a woman should be treated.

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