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Conversion to Islam and AfterTravels abroadAs a trader, Uthman traveled frequently to Yemen, Syria, Abyssinia and elsewhere. In the year 610, Uthman went as usual with a trading caravan to Syria. This year the business of Uthman had been particularly brisk, and he had earned a huge profit. On the return journey the caravan halted for the night at a way side station between Zarqa and Ma'an in Syria. As Uthman lay on his bed beneath the star-studded sky, he felt impressed with the vastness and dimensions of space. He thought that the universe with such vast dimensions could not be without a master. In his heart of hearts he felt that some transcendent Being would surely be the master of the universe complex. While he was thus lost in thoughts, and was half-awake and half asleep, he heard a voice, "O, you who are asleep, wake up, for in Makkah the Prophet Ahmad has appeared". Uthman looked around, but there was no body to be seen. The voice that Uthman had heard was not a human voice: it appeared to come from outer space. Conversion to IslamWhen Uthman came to Makkah, he came to know that Muhammad (peace be upon him) had declared his Prophetic mission. Uthman called on Abu Bakr, and they talked long about Muhammad (peace be on him). Uthman told Abu Bakr of the voice that he had heard while travelling in Syria. Abu Bakr told Uthman that he had taken the oath of allegiance to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), and he advised Uthman to do likewise, for verily Muhammad (peace be on him) was the Apostle of Truth. Abu Bakr took Uthman to the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet welcomed Uthman, and told him of his experience in Mt. Hira, the visitation of the angel Gabriel, and the call to prophethood. Uthman felt thrilled on hearing this account. He told the Holy Prophet of the voice that he had heard in the course of his journey in Syria telling of the advent of a Prophet at Makkah. Uthman said that he had full faith in the Holy Prophet and believed in his mission. The Holy Prophet stretched his hand. Uthman grasped it in reverence, and declared "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet". After Abu Bakr, Uthman was the second person to be converted to Islam. Reaction to the conversion of UthmanThe conversion of Uthman to Islam led to a violent reaction. There was already outstanding rivalry between the Umayyah and the Hashimite sections of the Quraish, and the Umayyads could not tolerate that a young man of the house of the Umayyah should owe allegiance to the prophethood of a scion of the house of Hashim. Affan the father of Uthman was dead by this time, and Hakam b Al A'as, an uncle of Uthman was the head of the family. Hakam was a neighbor of the Holy Prophet, and when he came to know that his nephew had been converted to Islam he was infuriated, and he took Uthman to task. He bound Uthman with a cord, and wanted him to repudiate his allegiance to the Holy Prophet. When Urwa the mother of Uthman came to know of his conversion to Islam, she was very bitter, and exhorted Uthman to recant and return to the faith of his forefathers. The stepfather of Uthman, Upba b Abi Muheet whom Urwa the mother of Uthman had married after the death of Affan was in the forefront in the opposition to Islam. Uthman was warned that unless he recanted from his faith in Islam, he would have to suffer serious consequences. Uthman remained firm in his resolve. He told all concerned that he was prepared to face the consequences but he could not abandon Islam which was the way of Truth. Triumph of UthmanIn this ordeal, Uthman remained steadfast and firm. He did not waver for a moment in his faith in Islam. On the other hand, the greater the pressure on him, the greater became his faith in Islam. Seeing that nothing could deter Uthman from his faith in Islam, his uncle left him to himself. His mother gave expression to her annoyance by enforcing a boycott against him. In this ordeal two persons in the family supported the cause of Uthman. Out of these one was Saadi, a maternal aunt of Uthman, and a sister of Urwa. The other was Umm Kulsum, a step-sister of Uthman, a daughter of Urwa from Uqba bin Abi Muheet. Saadi was a poetess and she composed some verses praising the stand of Uthman. She said:
Umm Kulsum in spite of the strong opposition of her parents accepted Islam. The Holy Prophet married her to his adopted son Zaid b Harith. She thus became a daughter-in-law of the Holy Prophet. Marriage with RuqayyaBecause of his conversion to Islam, Uthman had to face another crisis. His wives refused to accept Islam, and Uthman separated himself from his wives. That was a matter of great grief for Uthman, but so great was his love for Islam that he felt no sacrifice too great in the cause of Islam. He felt distressed at the break up of his family life, but Islam was certainly more valuable for him. The Holy Prophet of Islam was much impressed with the sacrifice that Uthman had made in the cause of Islam, and he married his second daughter Ruqayya to Uthman. In the days of ignorance Ruqayya had been engaged to her cousin Utba son of Abu Lahb, an uncle of the Holy Prophet. When the Holy Prophet declared his mission Abu Lahb became hostile to him, and under his instructions Utba repudiated his engagement to the daughter of the Holy Prophet. Uthman and Ruqayya made a unique pair. Uthman was the most beautiful person among men, and Ruqayya was the most beautiful person among the women of Makkah. On the marriage of Uthman and Ruqayya, Saadi the maternal aunt of Uthman composed some verses. She said:
In his book History of the Caliphs, Jalaluddin Suynti tells an anecdote highlighting the comeliness of the Uthman-Ruqayya pair. It is related that one day the Apostle of God sent Usama b Zaid to the house of Uthman with a dish of meat. Usama was then a child of six or seven years. He says that some time he looked at Ruqayya and some time at Uthman, and wondered at their beauty. Usama relates that on return from the house of Uthman, the Holy Prophet asked him, "Have you ever seen a more comely pair than Uthman and Ruqayya"? Usama said "Never, O Apostle of Cod". Migration to AbyssiniaAfter marriage with Ruqayya, Uthman felt most happy. It was a happy union, and Uthman and Ruqayya were lost in the love of each other. That led to jealousies. The wives of Uthman felt very bitter at their separation from Uthman. The mother of Uthman and his other relatives felt unhappy at his marriage to a daughter of the Holy Prophet of Islam. Uthman and Ruqayya felt that the atmosphere in Makkah was not congenial. Uthman had already some business contacts in Abyssinia, and after a good deal of deliberation and consultation with the Holy Prophet, Uthman and Ruqayya decided to migrate to Abyssinia. On their departure the Holy Prophet prayed for their safety and protection. He said that after the Prophet Lot, Uthman was the first to migrate with his family in the way of Allah. After Uthman and his wife had left for Abyssinia, some other Muslims also left for Abyssinia. The Negus of Abyssinia welcomed the emigrants, and provided them with all necessary facilities for their stay in his dominions. The Quraish sent a delegation to Abyssinia to prevail upon the Negus to expel the Muslims from his State. The Negus heard the Quraish as well as the Muslims, and refused to oblige the Quraish by expelling the Muslims. The Quraish delegation saw Uthman, and prevailed upon him to return to Makkah, but they failed in their object. For long the Holy Prophet got no news about Uthman and Ruqayya, and he got worried about their welfare. A Quraish woman came from Abyssinia to Makkah. The Holy Prophet inquired from her about the welfare of Uthman and Ruqayya. She said that she had seen Ruqayya riding a pony and Uthman walking by her side. She added that Uthman and Ruqayya were doing well in Abyssinia. In Abyssinia, Uthman followed the profession of a trader. He worked hard, and although there were some difficulties at the outset, these were soon overcome, and the business of Uthman flourished. A son was born to Uthman and Ruqayya in Abyssinia. They named him Abdullah. Henceforward Uthman came to be known by the surname of Abu Abdullah. A colony of the Muslims had sprung up in Abyssinia. Uthman was most popular with the Muslims, and he provided liberal aid to such Muslims who were poor or in distressed circumstances. Return to MakkahAfter two years, a news spread among the Muslims in Abyssinia that the Quraish of Makkah had accepted Islam. That made Uthman, Ruqayya, and some other Muslims return to Makkah. When these Muslims reached Makkah it transpired that the news about the Quraish having accepted Islam was false. Some of the Muslims who had come from Abyssinia returned there, but Uthman and Ruqayya decided to stay in Makkah. In Makkah, Uthman had to start his business afresh. The contacts that he had established in Abyssinia stood in good stead and the business of Uthman prospered. Although the number of the Muslims steadily grew, there was no relaxation in the persecution of the Muslims by the Quraish. The family of Uthman continued their pressure, but Uthman's faith in Islam was too firm to know of any wavering. In the persecution of the Muslims, Uqba b Abi Muheet, the step-father of Uthman (the man his mother had married) was in the forefront. One day Uqba put his sheet round the neck of the Holy Prophet, while he was praying in the Kaaba, and tried to strangle him. Abu Bakr and Uthman rushed to the aid of the Holy Prophet, and frustrated the evil design of Uqba. In Makkah, Uthman spent most of his time in the company of the Holy Prophet. He liberally helped such Muslims who were poor. He liberated some Muslim slaves. When the Holy Prophet and the members of the Banu Hashim were shut up in the valley outside Makkah as a consequence of social boycott by the Quraish, Uthman took steps to ensure that there was no break in the supply of provisions to the besieged persons. Uthman exercised his influence on the youth among the Quraish to create an opinion in favor of the lifting of the boycott. When after the lifting of the boycott, the Holy Prophet had his experience of the "Miraj" (ascension), there were some persons who were skeptical about it. Abu Bakr and Uthman, however, believed in letter as well as in spirit what the Holy Prophet said. When in 622 C.E., the Holy Prophet advised the Muslims to migrate to Yathrib, Uthman migrated to Yathrib with his wife Ruqayya. Uthman was among the few Muslims who undertook two migrations in the cause of Allah, once to Abyssinia and for the second time to Yathrib. Dhun-NurainTo Uthman belongs the unique honor of having married two daughters of the Holy Prophet, one after the other. For this rare distinction he was called "Dhun-Nurain" the possessor of two lights. RuqayyaAfter his conversion to Islam, Uthman was married by the Holy Prophet to his second daughter Ruqayya. Uthman migrated with Ruqayya to Abyssinia. He returned from Abyssinia and then migrated with his wife to Yathrib in 622. In Yathrib renamed Madina, Uthman carried on his business as a merchant. His business flourished, and Uthman and Ruqayya lived on happily for sometime in Madina. Such happiness was however short-lived. In 624 C.E. Ruqayya fell ill and died when the Holy Prophet and the Muslims were fighting with the Quraish at the battlefield of Badr. The news of the Muslim victory of Badr was received at Madina when the good lady was being buried. The Holy Prophet could not attend the funeral of Ruqayya. HafsaHafsa was the daughter of Umar. She was married to Khunays. Khunays was wounded in the battle of Uhud. The wounds proved fatal and he died soon after. Hafsa became a widow at a young age, and Umar felt much worried about her marriage. After the death of Ruqayya, Uthman felt much distressed and disconsolate. Umar saw Uthman and dropped hints for offering Hafsa to him in marriage. Uthman did not respond favorably to the proposal. He said that after the death of Ruqayya he was too upset to think of another marriage. Umar saw the Holy Prophet, and complained against the conduct of Uthman. The Holy Prophet consoled Umar and said,"Umar, do not worry. Hafsa would get a better husband than Uthman, and Uthman would get a better wife than Hafsa". Umm KulthumTowards the close of the year 625, the Holy Prophet married Hafsa, and Uthman was married to Umm Kulthum the third daughter of the Holy Prophet. While still a child she was engaged to Utaibah a son of Abu Lahb, an uncle of the Holy Prophet. When the Holy Prophet declared his mission, Abu Lahb opposed him, and under his instructions his son Utaibah repudiated his engagement to Umm Kulthum. When the Holy Prophet married Umm Kulthum to Uthman, he said to her, "Verily, your husband resembles most among men your forefather Abraham, and your father Muhammad". Ibn Asakir has recorded on the authority of lbn Umar that the Holy Prophet said," I find a resemblance in Uthman to my forefather Abraham". Uthman's union with Umm Kulthum was as happy as that of the union between Uthman and Ruqayya. Unfortunately such happiness was short lived, and Umm Kulthum died in 630 barely six years after her marriage. Umm Kulthum bore no child. Ruqayya left a son Abdullah, but he died two years after the death of his mother. Other marriages of UthmanAfter the death of Umm Kulthum; Uthman once again became a victim of despair and disconsolation. Touched by the sadness of Uthman, the Holy Prophet asked the people:
Ibn Asakir records on the authority of Ali that the Holy Prophet said to Uthman: "If I had forty daughters, I would have wedded them with you one after the other, until no one of them was left". Thereafter Uthman married a number of wives, but the memories of his union with Ruqayya and Umm Kulthum always remained fresh in his mind. He felt sorry that he could not enjoy the company of the daughters of the Holy Prophet for long, and he had been deprived of the honor of being the son-in-law of the Holy Prophet.
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