Moreover, Uthman beat the companions who objected to his oppression. Among them was Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud1, who was a Hafiz2, Qari3, treasurer of the public treasury, a scribe who recorded the revealed verses, and one of the chief companions of the Holy Prophet (S). Abu Bakr and Umar, both of whom used to take counsel from him, held him in high esteem.

Ibn Khaldun in his History commented that Caliph Umar insisted that Abdullah remain with him because he possessed complete knowledge of the Holy Qur'an and because the Prophet (S) spoke highly of him. Ibn Abu al-Hadid and others have written the same thing.

Sunni ulema agree that when Uthman intended to compile the Holy Qur'an, he obtained all the copies from the scribes. He demanded the copy of the Holy Qur'an from Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud also. Abdullah did not give it to him. Uthman himself went to his house and took the copy of the Holy Qur'an from him by force. Later, when Abdullah learned that, like other copies of the Holy Qur'an, his copy had been burnt, he was much aggrieved.

In social and religious gatherings, he narrated the condemnatory hadith that he knew about Uthman. When this news reached Uthman, he had Ibn Mas'ud so severely beaten by his servants that his teeth were broken, and he was confined to bed. After three days he succumbed to his injuries.

Ibn Abu al-Hadid writes in detail4 about these facts and goes on to say that Uthman went to see the ailing Abdullah. They talked together for some time. Uthman said, “O Abdu'r-Rahman! Pray to Allah for my forgiveness”

Abdullah said, “I pray to Allah to take my right from you” (that is, that justice be done).

When Abu Dharr, a close companion of the Holy Prophet (S), was banished to Rabza, Abdullah went to see him off. For this Abdullah was given forty lashes. So, Abdullah insisted to Ammar Ibn Yasir that Uthman not be allowed to offer Abdullah's funeral prayers. Ammar Ibn Yasir agreed, and after Abdullah's death, he offered the funeral prayers along with a group of the companions. When Uthman learned of the funeral arrangement, he came to Abdullah's grave and asked Ammar why he had said the funeral prayers. He replied that he was constrained to do it because Abdullah had willed it.

Abdullah Ibn Masood was one of the principal companions of the Prophet (S). As noted, before, he was the first man who read Qur’an in Kaaba in the presence of the leaders of the Quraysh and was beaten up by them for doing so. He was one of the most knowledgeable men in Medina. He spent much time in the company of the Prophet (S) and had more familiarity with his practices and precedents than most of the other companions. It was for this reason that Umar had asked him to be always with him. There were many occasions when Umar did not know how the Prophet (S) had solved a problem or had taken a decision in some matter. On such occasions, he consulted Abdullah Ibn Masood, and acted upon his advice. In his later years, Umar had appointed him treasurer of Kufa.

Abdullah Ibn Masood was the treasurer of Kufa when Saad Ibn Abi Waqqas was its governor. Uthman dismissed Saad and made Walid Ibn Aqaba the new governor. Walid took a loan from the treasury. When the stipulated time had passed, and the loan was not returned, Ibn Masood asked him to pay it. He informed Uthman about it. Uthman wrote to him: “You are my treasurer. Do not demand the loan from Walid” Ibn Masood resented this. He threw away the keys of the treasury and stayed at home. From that time, Abdullah Ibn Masood became a critic of Uthman's fiscal and political policies.

Walid wrote to Uthman about him, and the latter asked him (Walid) to send him (Ibn Masood) to Medina. Ibn Masood arrived in Medina and went into the Mosque. When he entered the Mosque, Uthman was reading the sermon. When Uthman saw him entering the Mosque, he said: “A foul and despicable beast is coming toward you”

Ibn Masood said: “That is not so. I am the companion and friend of the Apostle of God. I fought at Badr, and I am a Companion of the Tree”

‘Aisha also heard in her chamber what Uthman had said, and she cried out: “Is this the kind of language you use for a companion of the Apostle of God?!”

Uthman ordered Abdullah Ibn Masood to get out of the Mosque of the Prophet (S). Uthman's servants threw him out of the Mosque, and down on the ground, breaking his ribs.

Ali ('a) rose to upbraid Uthman and said: “You have hurt a friend of the Apostle merely at a report from Walid. You know that Walid is a liar” He then carried Ibn Masood to his home.

Uthman was not satisfied with what he had done. After breaking the ribs of Abdullah Ibn Masood, he stopped payment of his pension, and forbade him to leave Medina. Ibn Masood wished to go to Syria and to take part in the campaigns, but Uthman repeated what he had heard Marwan saying: “He has created enough trouble in Kufa; do not let him do the same in Syria”5

As noted, before, Abdullah Ibn Masood had made his own collection of the verses of Qur’an, and he had arranged them in chronological order. But Uthman had appointed his favourite, Zayd Ibn Thabit, to collect and to arrange the verses of Qur’an. He did not “recognize” the collection of Ibn Masood and ordered him to surrender his copy. Abdullah Ibn Masood refused to do so whereupon the servants of Uthman broke into his house, and forcibly seized the copy of Qur’an from him. This copy was burned at Uthman's orders.

Uthman used the powers of state in dealing with men like Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, Ammar Ibn Yasir and Abdullah Ibn Masood because they refused to compromise with their principles. All three of them had to pay a penalty for this refusal but they gladly paid it.

Uthman, however, also tangled with some of those men who were not too finicky about such things as principles. Among them was Abdur Rahman Ibn Auf and Amr Ibn Aas. Both were directly responsible for his accession to the throne.6

Abu Dharr having returned to Medina from Syria was busy in his preachings when one more heart-rending incident came to pass and that was the burning of the Holy Qur'an. He was already grieved to see that the Islamic State was being ruined. The wealth of Muslim ummah was being spent on relatives and kinsmen of the Caliph. The door of the Public Treasury was completely closed to the needy, the poor, the orphans, and the widows, but it was wide open to the descendants of Umayyah. The poor people were starving while the relatives of the Caliph were purchasing houses, gardens, and lands. All of a sudden, he got the news that the Caliph got different copies of the Qur'an collected from a far and wide, and put them to flames. Therefore, this important incident became the target of his preaching. The historian Abul Fida writes that this happened in 30 A.H.7

The historian Ya'qubi writes in his book that Uthman collected the Qur'an and arranged it in such a way that he placed big surahs (chapters) together and the small surahs together separately, and sending for copies from all sides, got them washed with hot water and vinegar and set fire to them. As a result of it no Qur'an was left except the copy belonging to Ibn Mas'ud which was with him in Kufa. When Abdullah Ibn 'Amir, the Governor of Kufa, asked Ibn Mas'ud for his copy he refused to give it. At this news Uthman wrote to 'Amir to arrest Ibn Mas'ud and send him to Medina. When Ibn Mas'ud came and entered the masjid, Uthman was busy delivering his speech. Seeing Ibn Mas'ud he said, “An ugly and ill-natured animal has come” Ibn Mas'ud also strongly retorted in response. Hearing it Uthman ordered people to beat him. So, the people beat him and dragged him in such a way that two of his ribs got fractured.

It is written in the Persian translation of Tarikh A'tham Kufi8 that Uthman tore off the Qur'an and got it burnt. The same is given in the book “Successors of Muhammad”9

According to “Najatul Mu'minin” by Mulla Mohsin Kashmiri, Uthman got the ribs of Ibn Mas'ud fractured and snatching his Qur'an got it burnt.

According to Rauzatul Ahbab vol. 2, p. 22910, Uthman ordered, “My Qur'an must be given currency in my domain and the remaining Qur'ans should be burnt” Accordingly, all the remaining copies of Qur'an were got burnt.

According to other sources11, Uthman sent word to Hafsah, the wife of the Holy Prophet (S), to send him the Scriptures so that he might copy them out and then return them to her. Hafsah sent those Scriptures which were with her and Uthman appointed Zayd Ibn Thabit, Abdullah Ibn Zubayr, Sa'id Ibn 'As, Abdul Rahman Ibn Harith to collect and copy the Scriptures, and asked all the three men of the Quraysh to write the Qur'an in the colloquy of Quraysh in case there arose some difference on some point in it, because the Qur'an had been revealed in their language. They did accordingly till the Scripture was copied out and Uthman returned the Scriptures to Hafsah as promised and sent one newly prepared copy to her. Now only the copy of the Qur'an prepared by Uthman remained in existence and all the other copies were got burnt.

According to Fathul Bari of Ibn Hajar 'Asqalani vol. 4, p. 226, Uthman sent back the Qur'an of Hafsah but Marwan snatched it forcibly from her and burnt it.12 Uthman got all the copies of the Qur'an burnt except his own and got Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud beaten so much that he developed the disease of hernia. Then he sent him to prison where he died.

According to Tuhfah Ithna ' Ashariyah of Abdul Aziz, Ubayy Ibn Ka'b gave his Qur'an to Uthman, and he escaped beating. That Qur'an was also burnt.13

Another example of Uthman's cruelty was his beating of Ammar Ibn Yasir. Ulema of both sects relate that when Umayyad oppression increased, some companions of the Prophet (S) wrote to Uthman, asking him to relent. They said that if he continued to assist his cruel Umayyad Governors, he would not only be harming Islam, but he would himself be subjected to serious consequences. They asked Ammar Ibn Yasir to deliver the petition since Uthman himself had acknowledged Ammar's virtue. They had often heard Uthman say that the Prophet (S) said that faith was blended with the flesh and blood of Ammar.

So, Ammar took the letter to Uthman. When he arrived, Uthman asked him, “Do you have business with me?”

He replied: “I have no business of a personal nature. But a group of the Prophet's Companions has written in this letter some suggestions and advice for your welfare. They have sent them to you through me”

After reading a few lines, Uthman threw the letter down. Ammar said: “It was not good of you. A letter from the companions of the Holy Prophet of Allah (S) deserves respect. Why did you throw it on the ground? It would be proper for you to have read it and replied to it?”

“You are lying!” Uthman shouted. Then he ordered his servants to beat him, and Uthman himself kicked him in the stomach. He fell, unconscious; his relatives came and took him to the house of Umm Salma (one of the Prophet's wives). From noon until midnight, he remained unconscious. The tribes of Hudhail and Bani Makhzun turned against Uthman because of his cruelty to Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud and Ammar Ibn Yasir. 14

Ammar Ibn Yasser was also one of the earliest converts to Islam. As noted, before, the pagans in Makkah tortured his mother and father to death. They were the first and the second martyrs of Islam, and this is a distinction that no one in all Islam can share with them. Like Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, Ammar was also one of the few favourites of Muhammad, the Apostle of God, who once said: “Ammar is the embodiment of all Iman (Faith)”

Just like Abu Dharr al-Ghifari and a few others, Ammar also was not very popular with the brokers of economic and political power of his time, and a head-on collision between him and them was inevitable.

Ammar migrated first to Abyssinia, and then to Medina. He was the first Muslim to build a Mosque. He built it in Makkah itself, and he prayed in it. And he built, with others, the Mosque of the Prophet (in Medina). While other Muslims carried one brick at a time, he carried two. He also dug, with others, the trench at the siege of Medina. He was covered with dust. The Apostle of God himself removed dust from his head and face.

When Ammar heard the news of the death of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, he mourned for him. Uthman interpreted his lamentations (for Abu Dharr) as a reproach to himself. He was highly incensed, and ordered him also to leave Medina, and to go to Rabza (in exile). When Ammar got ready to leave Medina, the Banu Makhzoom whose client he was, were infuriated. Ali ('a) was also displeased. He went to see Uthman, reproved him for banishing Abu Dharr, and told him not to do the same to Ammar. Uthman said to him: “You are no better than Ammar, and you too deserve to be banished from Medina” Ali ('a) answered: “Go ahead and do that” Then the other Muhajireen intervened and told Uthman that he could not banish everyone with whom he happened to be displeased.

On one occasion, Uthman had taken a piece of jewellery from the treasury for his own family. Among those men who raised objection to this act, was Ammar Ibn Yasir. Uthman was beside himself with rage. “How do you dare to question me?” he roared. He then ordered his servants to seize him. They seized him, and Uthman beat him up brutally until he lost consciousness. He was taken from the mosque in that state to the house of Umm Salma, the widow of the Prophet (S). Ammar was unconscious the rest of the day. When he regained consciousness at last, he rose, took ablutions, offered his prayers, and said: “Thank Allah, it's not the first time that I have been tortured for speaking the truth” (the first time when Ammar was tortured for upholding the truth of Islam, he was in Makkah. In those days, it was Abu Jahl who tortured him).

On another occasion, some companions of the Prophet (S) drafted a letter of advice to Uthman, and they requested Ammar to present it to him. When Ammar presented the letter to Uthman, he again lost his temper. Once again, he ordered his servants to knock him down. They knocked him down, and Uthman kicked him in his groin, and beat him up until he fainted”1516

• 1. Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud was not a Shia, but it would benefit to know his story to expose the cruelty and injustice of Uthman.
• 2. A person who memorized the whole Qur’an.
• 3. Qur'an reciter.
• 4. In Volume I, pages 67 and 226 of Sharh Nahj ul-Balagha (printed in Egypt) under "Ta'n VI,"
• 5. (p. 160) (al- Fitna-tul-Kubra {The Great Upheaval}, published in Cairo in 1959).
• 6. A Restatement of the History of Islam and Muslims by Sayed A A Razwy
• 7. Tarikh Abul Fida, vol. 2, p. 100, printed in Amritsar, 1901 A.D..
• 8. Printed in Bombay vide page 147 line 8.
• 9. W. Irving p.160 printed in London, 1850 A. D..
• 10. Printed Lucknow.
• 11. Tarikh al-Qur'an by Abdul Qadir Makki, p. 36 printed Jeddah 1365 A.H. Sahih Bukhari vol. 6, p. 26 printed Bombay, Mishkit Sharif printed Dehli, p. 150, and Tafsir Itqan Suyuti, printed Ahmadi, vol. 1, p. 84.
• 12. According to Tarikh Khamis p. 270, Isti'ab p. 373 and Sawa'iq Muhriqah p. 68.
• 13. The great companion of the Prophet Abu Dharr chapter 18.
• 14. Peshawar Nights by Sultanul Waizin Shirazi.
• 15. al- Fitna-tul-Kubra {The Great Upheaval}, published in Cairo in 1959.
• 16. A Restatement of History of Islam and Muslims by Sayed Ali Asgher Razwy.