Politics in the time of Uthman

The Holy Prophet

In the time of the Holy Prophet there was hardly any politics among the Muslims. Whatever the Holy Prophet commanded was obeyed by the Muslims faithfully, and there was no occasion for any dissension among the Muslims. In the early days there was some opposition from the Jews and the hypocrites. With the expulsion of the Jews from Madina and the death of the leader of the hypocrites even this opposition ceased.

Abu Bakr

On the death of the Holy Prophet, politics erupted among the Muslims with the demand of the Ansar for the election of the Caliph form among them. The viewpoint of the Quraish was that the Caliph should be chosen from among the Quraish, the tribe to which the Holy Prophet belonged. Wiser counsels prevailed, and the Ansar agreed to the election of the Caliph from among the Quraish. Abu Bakr was accordingly elected as the Caliph and the Ansars offered their allegiance to him. Soon after the election of Abu Bakr, politics took the form of the demand for the non-payment of Zakat by the tribes. Abu Bakr did not accept the demand, and all opposition was suppressed as a result of the apostasy campaigns.

Umar

Umar suppressed all political activity. He took measures to ensure that political power was not concentrated in any particular group. Although he himself was a Quraish he imposed restrictions on the activities of the Quraish. He did not allow the Arabs to acquire lands in the conquered territories. He imposed restrictions on the movements of the Companions, and did not allow them to leave Madina. He even did not permit them to participate in the wars. He declared that whatever eminence the Companions had achieved during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet was quite enough for them, and it was necessary that henceforward they should lead a retired life; neither the world should see them, nor they should see the world. He deposed most of the Governors not because of any lapse on their part, but because he did not want them to become more powerful. He deposed Khalid b Walid from the supreme command of the Muslim army, lest the people should have an impression that all their victories were because of the genius of Khalid b Walid. Umar was not only harsh with other people; he was harsh even with himself and his family members. As such even when the people felt bitter at the harshness of Umar they could not dare complain. Consequently political activity remained suppressed.

Political policies of Uthman

Uthman was temperamentally democrat, kind, liberal and generous. He could not therefore maintain the autocratic policies followed by Umar. Uthman relaxed most of the restrictions that had been imposed on the people by Umar. He allowed the Companions to leave Madina at their discretion. He allowed the Arabs to acquire lands in conquered territories. Uthman removed the restrictions on trade. Consequently the Quraish amassed considerable fortune. With such fortune the Quraish acquired large estates in Iraq. That caused some discontentment among the Iraqis. Realizing the importance of agricultural lands, the army raised the demand that the lands in the conquered territories should be distributed among them. Uthman deposed some Governors because of the requirements of the State. Profiting from the kinds nature of Uthman the deposed functionaries collected groups of people round them, and they began to indulge in the criticism of Uthman. Availing of the freedoms that had been allowed under Uthman some movements were launched. e.g. the movement of Ibn Saba which aimed at the subversion of Islam from within.

Under Uthman, the people became economically more prosperous and on the political plane they came to enjoy a larger degree of freedom. No institutions were devised to channelize political activity, and in the absence of such institutions, the pre-Islamic tribal jealousies and rivalries which had been suppressed under Islam erupted once again. The people ceased to see things from the higher Islamic point of view; they came to be prompted by personal and parochial considerations. Differences between the Quraish and the Ansar grew sharper. While the older generation among the Ansar preferred to remain quiet, the younger generation among the Ansar became restive, and they felt dissatisfied at the dominance of the Quraish. Among the Quraish, the differences between the Umayyads and the Hashimite became threatening in character. The Bedouin Arabs chafed at the centralization of power at Madina. With the extension in conquests, population grew, and then on Arabs joined the fold of Islam in large numbers. Differences grew between the Muslims and the non-Muslims, the Arabs and the non-Arabs. With the growth of population and economic prosperity cities grew. The unscrupulous elements made the cities the hot beds of sedition and discontentment. Under Uthman Fustat, Kufa, and Basra became the three principal centers from where revolt was led against Uthman.

In view of the democratic and liberal policies adopted by Uthman the liberties allowed to the people soon degenerated into licence, and such licence became a headache for the State which culminated in the assassination of Uthman. Uthman fell a victim to the tyrannies of his people not because his rule was tyrannical or unjust, but because in advance of his time, he aspired to be kind and liberal in an age suited for an autocratic rule alone. When the caliphate later gave place to a hereditary monarchical order that was a confession of the fact that in that age of autocracy the caliphate system based on the principles of democracy and liberalism could not prosper.

Nothing succeeds like success and nothing fails like failure. As the caliphate of Uthman ended with his assassination we are precluded from concluding that Uthman's policies were successful. The blame for the failure of such policies, however, does not lie on Uthman. He was a well meaning noble hearted Muslim, and he acted in the best interests of Islam and the State. If in spite of his good intentions he failed as a ruler that was due to the fact that he was in advance of the times and was too democrat, too liberal, and too virtuous.