Uthman Desertations

Speeches of Uthman

As Caliph Uthman had to deliver frequent addresses. No record of such addresses has been preserved. Only some stray remarks of Uthman here and there have come down to us. It appears that Uthman was a man of few words, but whenever he spoke his words were surcharged with wisdom. Hereunder we present some of the sayings of Uthman by way of sample.

Useless things

Uthman said. that four things were useless, and these were:

Knowledge without practice;
Wealth without expenditure in the way of Allah;
Piety for the sake of show prompted by worldliness;
Long life with no stock of good deeds.

The things he loved

Uthman said that he loved three things, namely:

To feed the hungry;
To clothe the naked;
To read and teach the Holy Quran.

Fear God

In his addresses, Uthman tried to inculcate in the people the fear of God. He said, "Fear God, for to Him you are to be gathered".

Quarrels and disputes

He always advised the Muslims to avoid quarrels and disputes, and maintain unity in their ranks. He said, "Do not quarrel, and do not create differences among yourselves. Hold fast to the rope of God, and maintain unity in your ranks".

Spiritual and terrestrial worlds

He distinguished between the spiritual and the terrestrial worlds in the following terms:

"The thought of the spiritual world sheds light on the soul, but the thought of the terrestrial world casts darkness thereon"

Patience

Uthman highlighted the virtues of patience in the following terms:

"Under all circumstances, a person should be patient, otherwise disgrace would be his lot".

Habits to be acquired

Uthman exhorted the people to acquire two habits, namely:

the habit to speak the truth;
the habit to do good deeds.

Uthman's concept of history

Uthman conceived history as a means of acquiring wisdom. He said: "Acquire wisdom from the story of the dead".

Pride

Uthman condemned pride in the following terms: "The world is proud. Leave it alone lest it entraps by its guises, and teaches you pride which will keep you away from God".

Essential things

Uthman held the following four things as essential:

To associate with the worthy is laudable, but to follow them is essential.
To read the Holy Quran is virtue, but to act according to its injunctions is essential.
To visit the sick is meritorious, but to cause them to make their behests is essential,
To visit the shrines of holy men is piety, but to be prepared for death is essential.

His surprise at the conduct of persons

Uthman said that he was surprised at the conduct of a person:

Who knows the world to be transient, yet loves it;
Who knows death to be certain, yet does not take it seriously;
Who believes in hell, yet commits sin;
Who believes in the existence of God, yet seeks assistance from others,
Who is aware of paradise, yet is engaged in worldly pleasures;
Who knows Satan to be his enemy, yet obeys its dictates;
Who believes in predestination, Yet feels aggrieved with what happens;
Who knows that account is to be rendered on the day of resurrection' Yet hoards wealth.

Unity and faith

Uthman said:

When the Muslims are disunited they would falter in their faith, and would be bereft of their inherent strength
O people, if I give you all the world, that would not suffice as the price for your faith.
You will not be conscious of the reality of faith till love for God is held dearer than the passion to acquire wealth.
The highest degree in faith is that you always regard yourself in the presence of God.

Fears for a man of piety

A man of faith and piety is always subject to the following fears:

the fear of God, lest by any disobedience there is any faltering in faith;
the fear of the angels lest they may record anything against you which may be a cause of remorse for you on the day of resurrection;
the fear of the Satan lest he may tempt you to any evil.
the fear of the angel of death, lest your life is taken before you have sought pardon for you sins;
the fear of the world, lest by its temptation it makes you oblivious of the next world; and
the fear of the family members lest by your attachment to them you become oblivious to your duty to God.

Happiness and grief

Uthman said, "One should not feel happy at the acquisition of wealth, nor should be feel grieved at its loss".

Delicious food

Uthman said, "He who is fond of delicious food, let him bear in mind that ultimately he is to be food for worms".

Justice

Uthman laid down the criteria for justice in the following terms: "The dictates of justice demand that a proper equation should be maintained between the rights and obligations of the people. Whatever is their right should be conceded to them, and steps should be taken to ensure that whatever is their obligation is duly fulfilled?'.

Backbiting

Uthman condemned backbiting in the following terms:

"A backbiter harms three persons, firstly himself, secondly the person whom he is addressing and thirdly the person whom he is backbiting".

Heedlessness

Uthman said:

"O people, do not be heedless of your obligations for God is s ever heedless. If you are heedless of your obligations, Allah is aware of what you do. He is ever watchful".

Drinking

About drinking, Uthman said: "Drinking is at the roots of all evils"

Good deeds and death

Exhorting the Muslims to good deeds, Uthman said: "See that during your lifetime you amass a number of good deeds, for after death it would not be possible for you to do any deed".

Guidance from the Holy Quran

Uthman said, "He who makes the Book of God as his guide would remain safe from sin, and he would be counted among the best of men".

Cause of contempt

Uthman said, "No one is to he held in contempt on account of poverty. Only he is to be held in contempt who is oblivious of his religious duties"

Rights of the people

Uthman said: "Allah has created the people to establish the truth and do the right. Allah accepts only what is true and right. Therefore give to the people what is their right and is due to them, and see that they perform whatever are their obligations to Islam".