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→The Caliphate of Uthman
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Uthman ibn Affan, a son-in-law of Muhammad from the aristocratic Umayya clan, was elected the third caliph.<ref>{{Tabari|15|p. 252}}</ref> Aisha, who was now 30, had no ties of kinship or friendship with him. He began his reign by increasing the salaries of his officials<ref>Muir (1924), p. 198.</ref> and continued to make extravagant gifts to his personal friends.<ref>Restatement of the History of Islam.</ref> Uthman was well-liked in the early years, for “he treated them with leniency and was attached to them.”<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti p. 161.</ref> He expanded the mosque at Medina to a size of about 67m x 71m by buying up most of the adjoining buildings, though not the houses of Muhammad’s widows. Aisha therefore exchanged most of her old neighbours for carved stone walls, stone pillars and a teakwood roof.<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti pp. 159-160.</ref> In 652 he standardised the Qur’an and burnt variant copies.<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti p. 170.</ref> As Medina prospered under his rule, “the fatness of men reached its height,” and “lax” people could be seen betting on flying pigeons and shooting with crossbows – until Uthman cut the wings of the pigeons and broke the bows.<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti p. 170.</ref> He built a navy to challenge that of Byzantium.<ref>Restatement of Islamic History</ref> Above all, Uthman continued the policy of military conquest, adding Cyprus and Spain as well as the remaining provinces of North Africa, Anatolia (modern Turkey), Persia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, most of modern Afghanistan and parts of western India (modern Pakistan) to the Islamic empire.<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti pp. 159-161.</ref> None of this required help from Aisha. | Uthman ibn Affan, a son-in-law of Muhammad from the aristocratic Umayya clan, was elected the third caliph.<ref>{{Tabari|15|p. 252}}</ref> Aisha, who was now 30, had no ties of kinship or friendship with him. He began his reign by increasing the salaries of his officials<ref>Muir (1924), p. 198.</ref> and continued to make extravagant gifts to his personal friends.<ref>Restatement of the History of Islam.</ref> Uthman was well-liked in the early years, for “he treated them with leniency and was attached to them.”<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti p. 161.</ref> He expanded the mosque at Medina to a size of about 67m x 71m by buying up most of the adjoining buildings, though not the houses of Muhammad’s widows. Aisha therefore exchanged most of her old neighbours for carved stone walls, stone pillars and a teakwood roof.<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti pp. 159-160.</ref> In 652 he standardised the Qur’an and burnt variant copies.<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti p. 170.</ref> As Medina prospered under his rule, “the fatness of men reached its height,” and “lax” people could be seen betting on flying pigeons and shooting with crossbows – until Uthman cut the wings of the pigeons and broke the bows.<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti p. 170.</ref> He built a navy to challenge that of Byzantium.<ref>Restatement of Islamic History</ref> Above all, Uthman continued the policy of military conquest, adding Cyprus and Spain as well as the remaining provinces of North Africa, Anatolia (modern Turkey), Persia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, most of modern Afghanistan and parts of western India (modern Pakistan) to the Islamic empire.<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti pp. 159-161.</ref> None of this required help from Aisha. | ||
But Uthman was elderly,<ref>{{Tabari|15|p. 252}}. His exact age is disputed but he was probably in his late 60s when he became Caliph.</ref> and his competence declined with his age. After 650 the people became disillusioned by his nepotism and his embezzling of the state treasury.<ref>{Tabari|16|p. 100}}; Jarrett/Suyuti p. 161.</ref> The residents of Medina were angry when he appropriated the common pastures around the city for the Umayya clan and forbade anyone else to graze their animals there.<ref>Restatement of the History of Islam.</ref> Abu Dharr al-Ghifari preached against Uthman’s opulent lifestyle: “Your gold and silver shall burn red-hot in Hellfire and brand your foreheads!” Uthman exiled Abu Dharr to the desert, where he died.<ref>Muir (1924), pp. 211-213.</ref> The Caliph’s only economy was to reduce Aisha’s pension to the same sum allowed to Muhammad’s other widows.<ref></ref> This was tactless, and not only because the Islamic state, in forbidding the widows to marry while making it difficult for them to earn a living, had a moral duty to provide for them. Aisha, who worked harder than any of the other widows in promoting the Islamic state through her teaching, probably perceived her pension more in the light of a well-earned salary. She went to Uthman to ask him to restore her “inheritance”. He refused, reminding her that she had actively supported Abu Bakr’s decision not to pay any inheritance to | But Uthman was elderly,<ref>{{Tabari|15|p. 252}}. His exact age is disputed but he was probably in his late 60s when he became Caliph.</ref> and his competence declined with his age. After 650 the people became disillusioned by his nepotism and his embezzling of the state treasury.<ref>{Tabari|16|p. 100}}; Jarrett/Suyuti p. 161.</ref> The residents of Medina were angry when he appropriated the common pastures around the city for the Umayya clan and forbade anyone else to graze their animals there.<ref>Restatement of the History of Islam.</ref> Abu Dharr al-Ghifari preached against Uthman’s opulent lifestyle: “Your gold and silver shall burn red-hot in Hellfire and brand your foreheads!” Uthman exiled Abu Dharr to the desert, where he died.<ref>Muir (1924), pp. 211-213.</ref> The Caliph’s only economy was to reduce Aisha’s pension to the same sum allowed to Muhammad’s other widows.<ref></ref> This was tactless, and not only because the Islamic state, in forbidding the widows to marry while making it difficult for them to earn a living, had a moral duty to provide for them. Aisha, who worked harder than any of the other widows in promoting the Islamic state through her teaching, probably perceived her pension more in the light of a well-earned salary. She went to Uthman to ask him to restore her “inheritance”. He refused, reminding her that she had actively supported Abu Bakr’s decision not to pay any inheritance to Muhammad’s family as “prophets have no heirs.” After this interview, Aisha exclaimed, “Kill this old fool, for he is an unbeliever!”<ref>{{Tabari|16|pp. 52-53}}; Ibn Athir, ''History'' vol. 3 p. 206.</ref> | ||
A group of Uthman’s detractors composed a letter criticising his “un-Islamic” policies, which was delivered by Ammar ibn Yasir, an early convert to Islam<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 117.</ref> who had fought at Badr.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 329.</ref> Uthman reacted to the criticism by ordering the octogenarian Ammar to be flogged. At this point, Aisha interrupted Friday prayers by addressing Uthman in public as she waved an old sandal of Muhammad's: “How soon indeed you have forgotten the ''sunna'' of your Prophet, when his hairs, a shirt and sandal have not yet perished!” Abbott, N. (1942, 1998). ''Aishah: the Beloved of Muhammad''. London: Saqi Books.<ref></ref> When the Governor of Kufa (who was Uthman’s brother) turned up to prayers so drunk that he recited the litany wrongly,<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti p. 159</ref> Uthman overlooked it and withheld the customary punishment. A delegation from Iraq arrived in Medina to ask that the drunken Governor be replaced, and the Caliph threatened to punish them for making the request. The Iraqis appealed to Aisha, drawing from Uthman the remark, “Can the rebels and scoundrels of Iraq find no other refuge than the home of Aisha?”<ref></ref> When Aisha brought their complaint back to Uthman, he responded that she had no right to approach him since she had been “ordered to stay at home.” Abbott (1942, 1998).<ref></ref> At this suggestion that a woman should not be involved in public affairs, some people “demanded to know who indeed had better right than Aisha in such matters.” Abbott (1942, 1998).<ref></ref> Uthman belatedly sentenced his brother to 80 lashes, which Ali delivered.<ref>{{Bukhari|5|57|45}}; {{Bukhari|5|58|212}}.</ref> | A group of Uthman’s detractors composed a letter criticising his “un-Islamic” policies, which was delivered by Ammar ibn Yasir, an early convert to Islam<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 117.</ref> who had fought at Badr.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 329.</ref> Uthman reacted to the criticism by ordering the octogenarian Ammar to be flogged. At this point, Aisha interrupted Friday prayers by addressing Uthman in public as she waved an old sandal of Muhammad's: “How soon indeed you have forgotten the ''sunna'' of your Prophet, when his hairs, a shirt and sandal have not yet perished!” Abbott, N. (1942, 1998). ''Aishah: the Beloved of Muhammad''. London: Saqi Books.<ref></ref> When the Governor of Kufa (who was Uthman’s brother) turned up to prayers so drunk that he recited the litany wrongly,<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti p. 159</ref> Uthman overlooked it and withheld the customary punishment. A delegation from Iraq arrived in Medina to ask that the drunken Governor be replaced, and the Caliph threatened to punish them for making the request. The Iraqis appealed to Aisha, drawing from Uthman the remark, “Can the rebels and scoundrels of Iraq find no other refuge than the home of Aisha?”<ref></ref> When Aisha brought their complaint back to Uthman, he responded that she had no right to approach him since she had been “ordered to stay at home.” Abbott (1942, 1998).<ref></ref> At this suggestion that a woman should not be involved in public affairs, some people “demanded to know who indeed had better right than Aisha in such matters.” Abbott (1942, 1998).<ref></ref> Uthman belatedly sentenced his brother to 80 lashes, which Ali delivered.<ref>{{Bukhari|5|57|45}}; {{Bukhari|5|58|212}}.</ref> | ||