Uthman Ibn Affan (ra): The Possessor of Two Lights

The Firsts Series by Imam Omar Suleiman

The Lineage of ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān (ra)

ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān ibn Abī al-ʿĀṣ ibn Umayyah came from the powerful and well-known tribe of Banū Umayyah. His lineage meets that of the Prophet ﷺ at ʿAbd Manāf, through Qusayy ibn Kilāb. From that point upward, the genealogies of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ and ʿUthmān (ra) converge.

The maternal side of ʿUthmān (ra) is particularly noteworthy, although less commonly discussed. His mother, Arwā bint Qurayz, was the daughter of Umm Ḥakīm al-Bayḍāʾ bint ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib. This means that ʿUthmān’s maternal grandmother was the full sister of ʿAbdullāh, the father of the Prophet ﷺ. Some narrations even state that Umm Ḥakīm and ʿAbdullāh were twins.

As a result, ʿUthmān (ra) was the second cousin of the Prophet ﷺ — an important family link that is not widely known.

ʿUthmān’s father passed away during the pre-Islamic period of Jāhiliyyah. Because of this, ʿUthmān (ra) inherited a considerable fortune at a young age. His mother, however, embraced Islam and lived well into the period of his caliphate. She passed away during his rule, and he himself led her funeral prayer. May Allah be pleased with them both.

Before Islam, people referred to him by the kunyah “Abū ʿAmr,” anticipating the child he was expected to have. However, he did not have children before becoming Muslim. His entire family life, including his marriages, unfolded after the beginning of the Prophet’s mission.

Age and Physical Description

ʿUthmān (ra) was approximately six years younger than the Prophet ﷺ and was born in Ṭāʾif. His physical features were often described in a manner strikingly similar to the Prophet’s ﷺ appearance.

He is narrated to have been:

• neither short nor tall
• broad-shouldered and large-boned
• soft-skinned — “softer than silk”
• thick-bearded
• with hair reaching just below his ears
• strikingly handsome, with one of the most beautiful faces among the people
• possessing exceptionally white teeth with a small gap between them

Companions noted that if a person’s gaze fell upon ʿUthmān (ra), they would not wish to look away due to the beauty that Allah had placed in him. His speech, too, was eloquent and gentle. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Ḥazm said, “I never saw a man more handsome than ʿUthmān.”

Of all people, ʿUthmān (ra) most resembled the Prophet ﷺ in appearance and character. While a few Companions shared some degree of resemblance, ʿUthmān’s likeness to him was especially noted.

The Prophet ﷺ once said to his daughter Ruqayyah (ra): “No one resembles your father Muḥammad more than your husband ʿUthmān — except your forefather Ibrāhīm (as).”

Thus, just as the Prophet ﷺ resembled Prophet Ibrāhīm (as), ʿUthmān (ra) resembled the Prophet ﷺ.

Physically, ʿUthmān (ra) was strikingly handsome. He was soft-spoken, gentle in manner, pleasant to look at, and pleasant to listen to. Despite being both wealthy and influential, he carried none of the arrogance typically associated with power.

One of his most endearing qualities was his ḥayāʾ — a deep sense of modesty and shyness. This quality is especially remarkable when considering his background: he came from the powerful tribe of Banū Umayyah, a tribe known for its pride and strong personalities.

Family Background

Through his mother, ʿUthmān (ra) was the brother of al-Walīd ibn ʿUqbah ibn Abī Muʿīṭ. His maternal uncle — Uqbah ibn Abī Muʿīṭ — was notorious for torturing the Prophet ﷺ, including the infamous incident in which he placed the entrails of a camel on the Prophet’s back and mocked him along with Abū Jahl. Despite coming from a family with such individuals, ʿUthmān (ra) did not resemble them in arrogance or cruelty.

He was wealthier than many of his tribesmen, more handsome than them, and more respected — yet he remained defined by his modesty. This is the quality for which he was most known.

Modesty as a Defining Islamic Trait

The Prophet ﷺ taught that every religion has a defining characteristic, and the defining characteristic of Islam is ḥayāʾ (modesty). He also said that ḥayāʾ is part of faith, and the more a person possesses of it, the stronger their faith.

ʿUthmān (ra) embodied this reality. Despite his beauty, wealth, status, and influence, he was remembered more for his modesty than for any worldly advantage.

His humility manifested in many ways, and people loved him because he remained approachable and gentle despite his prestige. Both the wealthy and the poor respected him. People of powerful tribes respected him, and those with no tribal support respected him as well — because of the character he displayed.

His Purity Before Islam

Even before the advent of Islam, ʿUthmān (ra) lived a life of remarkable purity and discipline:

• He never prostrated to an idol in the days of Jāhiliyyah.
• He never committed zinā (fornication or adultery) despite his striking appearance.
• He never drank alcohol, even though it was common and not yet prohibited. He said: “Alcohol destroys reason, and reason is a gift from God.”
• He refused to look at a person’s ʿawrah, even though pre-Islamic practices included performing ṭawāf unclothed. He said: “I never looked at a nakedness before or after Islam.”
• He avoided the entertainment, songs, and revelry that Quraysh were known for, saying he had no interest in such gatherings.

These qualities mirror the character of the Prophet ﷺ. If his name were not mentioned, much of this description — purity, modesty, disdain for idol worship, avoidance of immorality — could easily be mistaken for a description of the Messenger ﷺ himself. They were also qualities shared by Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (ra).

His Knowledge, Travel, and Charity

ʿUthmān (ra) was well-versed, eloquent, poetic, and deeply knowledgeable about Arab lineage and history. He was also well-traveled. Before Islam, he journeyed to:

• Syria (al-Shām)
• Abyssinia (al-Ḥabashah)
• Yemen

He learned the customs and cultures of these lands and became highly successful in trade.

Whenever he returned from his trade expeditions, he would distribute charity among the people of Makkah. He never returned from a journey without giving generously, and the people would feel his kindness every time he came home.

Because of his noble character, Quraysh loved him deeply. His goodness was so well-known that mothers would say to their children the famous expression:

“I love you, by the Most Merciful, like Quraysh loves ʿUthmān.”

This was a proverb expressing the highest form of affection.

ʿUthmān (ra) possessed all of the noble qualities — akhlaq, attributes, and characteristics that Islam later emphasized — even before he heard the message of the Prophet ﷺ. According to some narrations, he inherited over 30 million dirhams from his father, giving him a powerful financial position in Meccan society.

Despite his wealth and status, he appears not to have married before Islam. Some narrations hint at the possibility, but the stronger indications suggest he remained unmarried prior to Islam. His focus was entirely on business and trade, and he remained well-loved among his people. He was known for his hayāʾ (modesty), his beauty — both outward and inward — and his noble character.

Embracing Islam

So what happened? How does a man like this become among the first to accept Islam? How does he come into the story of the Prophet ﷺ in the way that the others came into the story of the Prophet ﷺ? Usually, a person who has the most to lose — the most to lose — would hesitate when the message of the Prophet ﷺ came. Uthman (ra) is different from all the rest. He did not hesitate when he heard of the message of the Prophet ﷺ.

He was out on a trade route to Ash-Sham, to Syria. And according to a narration in Tabaqat Ibn Sa’ad, he actually said that on his way back he had a dream. He went to sleep and he had a dream on his way back from Ash-Sham. In that dream, it was said to the sleepers, to those who were asleep, “Get up. Qad kharaja Ahmad fee Makkah — Ahmad has come out in Mecca. Ahmad has appeared in Mecca, has emerged in Mecca.” So Uthman (ra) said that he had this dream. And when they got back to Mecca, he heard that the Prophet ﷺ had called to Islam, and right away Uthman (ra) accepted the message of Islam.

Who would invite him to Islam? And this is, of course, something to think about: Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (ra). Abu Bakr, as we said when speaking about him, did not just embrace Islam; he immediately became the ultimate ambassador of Islam. He immediately went and started bringing in some of the luminaries of Islam. And so the ajr of Uthman (ra) — all the good that Uthman is going to do — is to the credit of Abu Bakr. All the good that AbdurRahman ibn ‘Awf is going to do is to the credit of Abu Bakr. All the good of Talha and az-Zubair is to the credit of Abu Bakr.

Can you imagine if you just took Uthman and AbdurRahman ibn ‘Awf and all of the charity that they have done, some of which we benefit from until today? We are not even going to talk about their contributions to the making of the story of Islam, but if we just took the sadaqah of Abu Bakr, Uthman, and Ibn ‘Awf — all of that is to the credit of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (ra) because he was the one who called these luminaries to Islam.

And he knew how to approach them because Abu Bakr (ra) was of the same class as Uthman (ra) — not as wealthy as him, but Abu Bakr (ra) was a man known for his nobility, known for the qualities that the Prophet ﷺ was known by as well. He did not worship idols, did not drink alcohol, and shunned many of the practices of the Quraysh at the time to focus on things that were of more importance. He was known for his benevolence, and so on and so forth.

So Abu Bakr (ra) went to Uthman (ra) as he returned from Ash-Sham and invited him to Islam. Uthman (ra) immediately went to the Prophet ﷺ and embraced Islam. According to Ibn Ishaq, he was the fourth male to accept Islam. So after Abu Bakr, Ali, and Zayd ibn Harithah (ra) — may Allah be pleased with them all — the fourth man to accept Islam, according to these narrations, was Uthman (ra). They say that he even became Muslim before Dar al-Arqam — before the Prophet ﷺ went to Dar al-Arqam and began to teach the companions of the Prophet ﷺ.

SubhanAllah, despite all of the implications of his Islam, he did not think twice about it. And wealth is what many people see in Uthman (ra) — his wealth. It is not just the tribe and what his tribe would think, but wealth — his money. And Uthman (ra) knows very well, he is a smart man, that he can go from being the most beloved of people to the most hated of people very quickly. But that’s not going to stop him (ra) from accepting the message of the Prophet ﷺ as articulated to him initially by Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (ra).

Being Tortured

And when he embraced Islam, as we said early on, the powerful people in Mecca were tortured by their tribes privately. They tended to be tortured privately. It is not that they were not tortured, but they were tortured by their tribes privately because the tribes wanted to save face, even as they wanted to deter their own from becoming Muslim. So he was taken by Al-Hakam ibn Abi al-As, who would torture him with all sorts of torture and tell him to leave Islam, tell him to give up the companionship of the Prophet ﷺ. And Uthman (ra) would respond, saying that he would never give up Islam and he would never part ways from Muhammad ﷺ. And so it was a routine type of torture that would come toward Uthman (ra). And Al-Hakam basically gave up when he saw that Uthman (ra) was not going to give up this message.

It is not that Uthman (ra) was a political person. He was not someone who used to get involved in some of the tribal affairs of Quraysh or of Banu Umayyah specifically. He did not get involved in many things. He was simply known for his nobility, for his richness, for his beauty, for his eloquence, for these types of things — for his modesty. But of course, coming from a tribe like Banu Umayyah, and someone who is that well-loved — someone who is that well-loved — if people found out that he had become Muslim, that would naturally lead people to become Muslim. What happens to the child that grew up hearing, “I love you the way Quraysh loves Uthman,” and looks up to Uthman (ra) for his qualities, and now they know that Uthman is Muslim?

So the threat of Uthman (ra) was not like the threat of Umar ibn al-Khattab or some of the more powerful people who would give a different kind of strength to Islam. The threat was how beloved he was and how much he was worth, primarily, to that society and what the implications of his Islam would be.

So anyway, he underwent torture privately the way that Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (ra) underwent torture privately. And he went on to support the Prophet ﷺ in any way he could, playing a different role — not doing some of the things that we will see from some of the physically more powerful people or those who were more political at the time, but supporting the Prophet ﷺ as he could, and of course accompanying the Prophet ﷺ in Dar al-Arqam.

And there is something to be said about the morale of the companions when you walk into Dar al-Arqam and see that the Prophet ﷺ is sitting with this diverse group of people across class, across all of these different levels and demarcations, and you see the people who are well-loved sitting with the Prophet ﷺ and listening to the Prophet ﷺ teach them the Quran.

Marriage to Ruqayyah (ra)

Now, we mentioned last time, when talking about Zainab (ra), that she was already married before Islam. You have Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum, who we mentioned were married but had not consummated the marriage yet, to the children of Abu Lahab. And when Abu Lahab curses the Prophet ﷺ and seeks to punish the Prophet ﷺ in every way, Abu Lahab orders his two sons to divorce the two daughters of the Prophet ﷺ. So Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum — their engagement, if you will, because they had not consummated the marriage — was broken off by the children of Abu Lahab.

And look at how beautiful the replacement is for Ruqayyah (ra). It does not get better than this, right? So Ruqayyah (ra) was, of course, hurt by what had happened, but as soon as this happened, Uthman (ra) — who, as we said, there is nothing to suggest he had ever been married before — came to propose to Ruqayyah. And what a gift, right?

Man taraka shay’an lillah, ‘awwadahu Allahu khayran minhu — whoever leaves something for Allah, Allah will give them something better. You go from the son of Abu Lahab to Uthman ibn Affan (ra) — the most beloved, the most beautiful, the most wealthy, the most noble man known to Quraysh — and he comes to the Prophet ﷺ to propose to Ruqayyah (ra). And of course, the Prophet ﷺ and Khadijah (ra) were ecstatic. You don’t get a better suitor for your daughter than Uthman (ra), and Ruqayyah was ecstatic as well.

SubhanAllah, we find that when Ruqayyah was getting married to Uthman (ra), the Prophet ﷺ came to Ruqayyah and said, “O my daughter, take good care of Abu Abdullah.” So his kunya would change from Abu Amr to Abu Abdullah. “Take care of Abu Abdullah, for he is the closest of my companions to me in his character.”

Remember, the Prophet ﷺ was known for his shyness and modesty — his haya — and as we said, all of these qualities were present in Uthman (ra). And the Prophet ﷺ said he is the closest of his companions to him in character, so “take good care of him, my daughter.”

SubhanAllah, we find that this couple became the most blessed couple known to the people. Uthman (ra) and Ruqayyah (ra) were the best-looking couple, the most beloved couple, and they were in love with one another. The ihsan — the character and quality — for which Uthman (ra) was most beloved to the people, look at how he brought that into his home.

And we’re going to talk about this later on as well: what made these people so blessed is that they were not loved by the people for qualities they displayed out of fame or for social status. Those qualities were even more prominent in their homes.

So all of these wonderful qualities that Uthman (ra) was known for, he brought to his home as well, and he showered Ruqayyah (ra), the daughter of none other than the Prophet ﷺ, with those beautiful qualities and characteristics.

Hijrah

Now, the torture of Uthman (ra), as we said, took place privately. And Uthman (ra) — strategically, as some scholars mention — would benefit from being among those who migrated to Abyssinia, who migrated to Habesha. So you’re not going to see Uthman (ra) play much of a role in the Meccan sīrah, in the early Meccan period, because he was among those who migrated to Abyssinia. As we said, he had been to Abyssinia on trade routes before; he knew the people of Abyssinia, he knew the land, he knew the culture and customs.

There is also something to be said about the Prophet ﷺ dispatching his own daughter to be among those who migrated. There is a level of trust, a level of being with the community in different ways, so as they were going to make this hijrah, among them was none other than the daughter of the Prophet ﷺ.

So Uthman (ra) and Ruqayya (ra) were not only among those who migrated to Abyssinia, but they were the first family to go forth — the first to make the hijrah to Abyssinia. And there is a narration, though there is weakness in its chain, that Uthman (ra) is the first to make hijrah with his family for the sake of Allah (swt) after Nabi Lut (alayhi salam).

He is the first to make hijrah with his family for the sake of Allah (swt). Uthman (ra) then embarks on the journey to Abyssinia with Ruqayya (ra). We’ll speak more about Abyssinia, inshaAllah, when discussing Ja’far ibn Abi Talib and what transpired there. Because Uthman spent that period in Abyssinia rather than Mecca, you don’t see much of his story unfold until Medina. He was among those who made both migrations — first to Abyssinia and then to Medina.

Uthman (ra) arrived in Medina with Ruqayya (ra) and their son Abdullah, whom Allah had blessed them with. The Prophet ﷺ paired him with Abu Talha ibn Thabit. Uthman, being one of the wealthier Meccans who had maintained and succeeded in his trade even in Abyssinia, did not need much assistance. Shortly after arriving, he was able to purchase his own home, enter the marketplace of Medina, and continue his pattern of building his business and spending generously for noble causes.

Uthman (ra) understood how to work in different markets. Some Muslims had a limited scope in trade, but Uthman had prior business relationships and experience that allowed him to quickly establish himself in Medina. His reputation for honesty in trade made him someone people wanted to work with, unlike others who resorted to cheating. People trusted him, knew him from before, and his character helped him flourish.

His Generosity

Once settled in Medina with his family, Uthman (ra) consistently responded whenever the Prophet ﷺ made a call — especially when the Prophet ﷺ attached the reward of Jannah to it. The stories of this are countless, far too many to cover when speaking about someone like Uthman ibn Affan (ra).

The first instance where this devotion appears is soon after arriving in Medina. The Muslims were struggling with access to water, as they did not own any of the wells. Migrants in particular suffered. There was a specific well — Bi’r Rumah — and the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever buys the well of Rumah, for him is Jannah.” The well belonged to a man from Banu Ghaffar, who did not initially want to sell it.

The owner of the well had a monopoly on it. People needed water, and even though he charged high prices, they still paid, allowing him to grow wealthy from that well. When Uthman (ra) heard the Prophet ﷺ promise Jannah to whoever purchased it, he went to the man and asked for the price. The man said 40,000 dirhams. Uthman then asked how much he would sell half of the well for. The man replied, 20,000.

“Half” did not mean physically splitting the well; it meant alternating days — one day for the owner, one day for Uthman. Uthman (ra), being a smart businessman, agreed and purchased half of the well for 20,000 dirhams.

After that, Uthman announced to the people of Medina — especially the muhajirun who struggled most to access water — that on his day, the water was free. He turned his share into a waqf, an endowment, so anyone could take as much water as they needed.

This created a problem for the original owner. Everyone waited for Uthman’s free day, filled all their containers, and stopped buying water on the other day. His profits collapsed, and the high price he set backfired. He returned to Uthman and asked if he wanted to buy the other half as well. Uthman replied that he had no need for it since people were already benefiting on his day, and he negotiated the man down to half the price for full ownership.

From this well — Bi’r Rumah — Uthman (ra) not only earned one of the Prophet ﷺ’s guarantees of Jannah, but he also established an ongoing charity that continues to this day. The well produced gardens in Medina, and the revenue from those gardens funded additional awqaf for Muslims. Even today, there is a bank account associated with Uthman’s waqf that has financed properties, including hotels in Medina, and the profits continue to be directed toward charity. Estimates vary, but the waqf has generated hundreds of millions of dollars, all counting as ongoing reward (sadaqah jariyah) for Uthman (ra), stemming from that initial response to the Prophet ﷺ’s call.

Another time, the Prophet ﷺ said: “Who will buy the land of so-and-so near the masjid to expand it, and he will have something better in Jannah?” Uthman (ra) again stepped forward and asked the price — 20,000 dirhams — and purchased it to expand the masjid. He immediately financed the extension as the Prophet ﷺ requested, earning yet another promise of reward in Jannah.

The Prophet ﷺ also said that whoever frees a slave, Allah will free that person’s entire body from the Fire. From the day Uthman (ra) heard this until he was no longer able — until the day of his death — he was known for freeing slaves every Jumu’ah, consistently acting on that hadith.

When Uthman (ra) heard the Prophet ﷺ call for support for the expedition of Tabuk, he immediately stood up and said, “Ya Rasulullah, a hundred fully equipped camels for this journey.” The Sahabah looked on in amazement. When the Prophet ﷺ called again, asking who would finance the expedition, Uthman (ra) responded again: “Another hundred camels, Ya Rasulullah.”

This pattern continued, and by the end, Uthman (ra) had donated 940 camels and 60 horses, all fully equipped for the sake of Allah (swt). While the Qur’an mentions the hypocrites who held back, Uthman (ra) was the complete opposite, giving all that he could so the Prophet ﷺ’s call was fulfilled.

After equipping the army, Uthman (ra) brought thousands of gold coins and dirhams to the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ picked them up and said: “Nothing can harm Uthman after what he has done today.” This illustrates Uthman’s ability to seize opportunities presented by Allah (swt), a quality he demonstrated repeatedly throughout his life.

When Ruqayyah (ra) Passed Away

Uthman (ra) was not known as a warrior on the battlefield, yet he consistently supported the Prophet ﷺ in practical ways, contributing resources and effort whenever needed. He witnessed all the battles of the Prophet ﷺ except one — the Battle of Badr.

The reason he missed Badr was personal: Ruqayya (ra), his wife and the daughter of the Prophet ﷺ, fell seriously ill. Uthman (ra), who loved her dearly, was granted permission by the Prophet ﷺ to stay home and care for her. Tragically, he watched her pass away, leaving him deeply heartbroken.

This highlights the human side of the Sahabah. Despite the immense trials he faced, Uthman (ra)’s love, nobility, and dedication were evident — both in his marriage to Ruqayya (ra) and in his service to the Muslim community.

Because of his intention and dedication, even though Uthman (ra) did not physically participate in Badr, the Prophet ﷺ counted him among the veterans of Badr. This exemplifies the principle of “Innamal a’malu binniyat” — actions are judged by intentions. On the day of Badr, Muslims celebrated a great victory, but Uthman (ra) experienced personal grief with the loss of Ruqayya, showing that joy and sorrow often coexist in life.

Here we see the human side of the Sahabah. Uthman (ra), a man who loved intensely, suffered tremendous loss. After the death of his wife Ruqayya (ra), his young son Abdullah also passed away due to a severe infection that started from a minor wound near his eye and spread until he stopped breathing at the age of six. Uthman (ra) had now lost both his wife, the daughter of the Prophet ﷺ, and his son, the grandson of the Prophet ﷺ. His grief was profound and visibly changed him.

The Prophet ﷺ, who deeply cared for Uthman (ra), approached him and asked what was wrong. Uthman replied, “Ya Rasulullah, it is the death of Ruqayya and… something else.” The Prophet ﷺ asked what the “something else” was. Uthman explained, “My closeness to you has been severed by her death. I grieve not only for Ruqayya but also for the loss of my connection to you.”

Marriage to Umm Kulthum (ra)

By the decree of Allah, Jibreel (alaihi salam) came to the Prophet ﷺ and instructed him to marry his next daughter, Um Kulthum (ra), to Uthman (ra), with a similar mahr and the same kind treatment he had shown to Ruqayya. Uthman (ra)’s exemplary love and character for his wife were thus honored once again. This earned him the title Dhun-Nurayn, “the Possessor of Two Lights,” as the only man to marry two daughters of the Prophet ﷺ.

There is also a notable story involving Umar (ra). Umar wanted to marry his daughter Hafsa (ra) to a noble suitor. First, he approached Abu Bakr (ra), who delayed giving a response. Then Umar went to Uthman (ra), who also asked him to return later. When Umar returned, Uthman was in prayer and prolonged it until Umar left, not wishing to decline directly. Umar, confused and upset, went to the Prophet ﷺ, who told him, “Your daughter Hafsa will marry someone better than Uthman, and Uthman will marry someone better than your daughter.” This referred to Um Kulthum (ra), the daughter of the Prophet ﷺ, whom Uthman would marry. Later, Abu Bakr and Uthman explained to Umar that they had not declined earlier because they wished to keep the Prophet’s ﷺ plan secret.

Years later, Um Kulthum (ra) also passed away during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, marking the end of another chapter in Uthman (ra)’s life. There are poignant narrations of the Prophet ﷺ sitting at her graveside, weeping as he bid farewell to his daughter — one of six or seven children he would bury in his lifetime. In witnessing Uthman (ra)’s grief, we see the depth of his love and devotion.

Uthman (ra) had married Ruqayya and lost her, then married Um Kulthum and lost her as well. The Prophet ﷺ, seeing Uthman’s sadness, said, “Wallahi, Uthman, if we had a third daughter, we would marry her to you. We would continue to marry our daughters to you because of the noble position you hold.” This highlights the immense love and respect the Prophet ﷺ had for Uthman (ra).