UTHMAAN’S FIRST ADDRESS
As soon as ‘Abdur-Rahmaan gave the pledge of allegiance to ‘Uthmaan, people gathered to pledge loyalty to him while he was standing on the pulpit. That was on a Monday towards the end of Dhul-Hijjah, 23 year AH So he officially came to office at the start of the month of Muharam, 24 AH.
After he was given the pledge of allegiance, he went up the pulpit of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and addressed the people saying: “Praise and Glory be to Allah, may He be exalted. Peace and blessings be upon the Prophet. We all live in an ephemeral world as passers-by. So make the best use of your lives according to your capacity for this world is full of deception. Let not this (worldly) present life deceive you, nor let the chief deceiver (Satan) let you astray.
“Learn a lesson from the lives of those before you. Then work hard and always remember Allah, for He forgets you not. Where are all the people who lived and populated this world and lead a luxurious life? Their lives came to an end. Discard this world as Allah expects you to and seek the Hereafter which Allah describes saying:
“Set forth to them the similitude of the life of this world: it is like the rain which we send down from the skies: the earth’s vegetation absorbs it, but soon it becomes dry stubble, which the winds do scatter: it is (only) Allah who prevails over all things. Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this world: but the things that endure, good deeds, are best in the sight of thy Lord, as rewards, and best as (the foundation for) hopes. ” (Al-Kahf: 45-6)
It is obvious that the address ‘ Uthmaan gave conveyed no agenda at all, as it made no reference to the policy he intended to follow in the future. Perhaps he thought he already did in the answer he gave ‘ Abdur-Rahmaan while giving him the pledge of allegiance; that he would implement the Glorious Qur’an, the Prophetic tradition and the Rightly- Guided principles of the two caliphs that preceded him. On the other hand, this address was rich in deep meanings as it portrayed the character of the new caliph, who turned seventy when he came to office, who refrained from all worldly pleasures seeking Allah’s reward instead. One is not to be surprised that his first address to his subjects would be to admonish and guide them righteously so that they would follow his example of piety and asceticism.
It was not too long before the new caliph publicly announced his policies in running the Muslim state. They were expressed in the messages and announcements he sent to the governors in the various provinces of the state. In his very first read, he admonished his governors to spare no effort in serving the people and never to exploit them. He advised them to take care of Muslims’ affairs, give them their due rights and have them fulfill their obligations.
The second message was sent to the commanders of armies on borderlines. ‘Uthmaan reminded them that they were the defenders of Muslims. He asked them to follow the clear guidelines ‘ Umar had laid down for them with no alterations.
He next wrote to the Kharacij collectors wherein he reminded them that Allah accepts nothing but what is right. They therefore ought to take none but what is their due and let people have what is rightfully theirs. He urged them to treasure what they are entrusted with and warned them not be the first to betray those who placed their trust in them. He further warned them not to oppress the orphans and those under their protection, for Allah will take revenge on those who oppress them.
As regards his message to the public, ‘ Uthmaan called on his subjects to closely abide by the rulings of Islam. He warned them not to not let worldly goals distract them from what is in their best interest. He warned them that this nation would turn from consensus and truths to innovation of ideas. He pointed that the Muslim nation would witness three things in the time to come: people will amass wealth, have children begotten by their slaves, and Arabs and non-Arab will read the Qur’an, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Ignorance is the cause of disbelief.” for when people are ignorant of something, they will resort to innovations.
(Source: Biographies of the rightly guided Caliphs )
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