DESPITE DIFFERENCES

Uthman ibn Affan was the third Caliph of Islam. In the final period of his life, more than a thousand people from Egypt came to Madinah based on false reports. Upon reaching the city, they created a great commotion and eventually surrounded the house of Uthman. Although the accusations against him were completely baseless, these Muslims were so angry with him that they prevented  him from leaving his house or even receiving water. Eventually, on the 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah in the year 35 AH, they attacked and killed him. At the time of his death, he was 82 years old.

The siege of Uthman lasted for around forty days. When the rebels had surrounded him and barred him from leaving his home, it became impossible for him to go to the mosque. As Caliph, he had been leading the prayers. In his absence, the rebel leader Al-Ghafiqi ibn Harb al-‘Akki assumed the role of imam (the one who leads the prayer) and began leading the prayers in the mosque of Madinah.

This was a difficult test for the Muslims of Madinah. On the one hand, they considered it essential to pray in congregation at the mosque; on the other hand, they saw that the man leading the prayer was clearly a troublemaker and wrongdoer. In this delicate situation, one person went to Uthman and asked what they should do. Uthman gave the instruction that they should pray behind him. He said:

“When people do good, join them in their goodness; and when they do wrong, avoid their wrongdoing.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 695)

In this incident from the life of the third Caliph of Islam, there is a powerful example. It shows that no matter how strong our grievance with someone may be, we must always uphold justice in how we speak about them. We must keep our disagreements within limits, and not allow them to carry us beyond the bounds of fairness.