Eulogies on the Death of Hadrath Uthman
In his elegy Hassan b Thabit said:
"O ye miscreants, instead of going to the frontiers to undertake Jihad,
You have come here to fight against the Muslims.
How regrettable and deplorable is your action ?
You have assassinated the Caliph of the Muslims.
Evil was your intention;
And heinous is the crime you have committed.
I grieve for Uthman who suffered from trials and tribulations.
He fell a victim to your high handedness.
The house of Uthman is today empty;
Some doors have been broken and some burnt.
At one time people in need called on him,
And he administered relief to them
And he administered relief to them.
Today this place is desolate,
Uthman the Ghani is no more.
O people of Madina give vent to your grief.
You have lost who was the first citizen of this city.
Mourn his death who was like a father to his people.
Curse the people whose hands are stained with his blood.
His blood will not go unavenged.
The people of Syria will rise to demand vengeance.
O the murderers of Uthman, beware that Allah is most
powerful. He will not forgive you for the murder of Uthman.
Great punishment awaits you both in this world and the hereafter.
In his elegy Ka'ab b Malik Ansari said:
"O Ka'ab b Malik what has happened to the people,
Why have they been bereft of their senses,
Why have they been guilty of the murder of their Caliph.
My eyes are flooded with tears
I am overwhelmed with grief at the death of Uthman.
It appears as if the earth has been rent asunder by an earthquake.
On the death of the Caliph
Even the stars have lost their luster and gone into
mourning;
The sun stands eclipsed,
The earth has been enveloped in complete darkness.
Verily Uthman is a martyr.
He died defending the Truth;
His reward is with his God.
How generous and magnanimous was he?
What large bounties did he give to the people?
What a large number of orphans did he support?
How many widows were cared for by him?
He met every one with a smiling face;
He shared the distress of every one;
His heart flowed with the milk of human kindness.
Alas such a man is now no more!"
He has fallen a victim to the blows of misguided persons.
His murderers have forfeited the right to be called Muslims.
Grievous penalty awaits them both here and in the here after.
They will roast in the fire of hell.
O Uthman, Ka'ab grieves for you,
You were so good, so kind and so noble,
I bear witness to your generosity, your magnanimity and your large
heartedness."
In his elegy Hatab b Yazid Mujashe said:
"With the death of Uthman, the age of good has passed away,
Now evil will stalk the earth.
The people have become estranged to their religion.
Everyone is now treading the path of evil and destruction.
O God have mercy on Uthman,
He was so good and noble.
He stood firm in the cause of Truth,
He welcomed death and did not compromise with the principles for which he
stood;
Those who murdered him stand cursed
They are traitors to Islam.
In his elegy Qasim b Umayya b Abi Al Salat said:
"I swear by God that the murder of Uthman is the most
heinous crime.
By assassinating a person who was so dear to the Holy Prophet.
You have incurred the wrath of the Holy Prophet.
By murdering the Caliph you have betrayed your faith in Islam.
You are traitors to Islam;
And grievous will be your punishment both in this world and the next.
In her elegy the poetess Zainab bint Al Awaam said:
"You kept Uthman thirsty in his house, You deprived him of the
use of water from the well Which he had purchased and dedicated to the public
use. In hell you will have to drink hot boiling water, Which will burn every
limb of yours. None can be more accursed than you; You are guilty of the worst
crime in history."
In her elegy the poetess Laila Akhaylya said:
"Uthman the Caliph, the son of Affan has been assassinated.
All affairs of the Muslims have fallen in the state of disorder.
The good stands suppressed, and evil predominates.
The blood of Uthman cries for vengeance.
O Muawiyah demand the "Qasaas" for the murder of Uthman;
We will not rest content until his death is avenged."
In his elegy the poet Ibn Khazima said:
"Uthman has been killed in the sacred month,
What a heinous crime have the miscreants committed?
They have the dishonor of killing the Caliph of the
Muslims;
They have opened the door to mischief and disunity.
May God curse them;
And may God have mercy on the soul of Uthman"
Walid b Uqba a step brother of Uthman mourned on the death of
Uthman in the following verses:
"What happened to this night,
It is so long and dreary.
The stars have dimmed in their luster.
O miscreants do not plunder the house of Uthman
O Banu Hashim do not be in a hurry about assuming the caliphate !
Before us those who killed Uthman;
And those whom they elevate to the caliphate
Are both guilty.
A river of blood flows between you and us,
By God I can never forget the tragedy of the assassination of Uthman;
How can a thirsty man be indifferent to the well?
They have killed Uthman so that they may succeed him;
We will fight against you.
O Muslims rise up to take revenge for the murder of Uthman.
If you hesitate you will not be your mother's son
The blood of Uthman cries for vengeance
And you must respond to the call.
In his elegy Aiman b Hazim said:
"The people conspired to murder Uthman
They shed the blood of the Caliph in the sacred city of the Holy Prophet.
They have betrayed Islam.
His murderers have forfeited the right to be called Muslims
They stand condemned before man and God;
The murderers of Uthman stand cursed; And grievous will be their end."
|