Some persons, who acted according to the politics and exigency of the times,
and were accompanied with mischiefs and disturbances, from plundering Public
Treasury, lands were inhabited, luxurious houses and castles were built, and
amassed excessive wealth, and through this Umayyad financial policy, a lot of
wealth was amassed, as opposed to Quran, traditions and practice of former
Caliphs. They usurped a large amount from wealth of Muslims.
Among them being: Zubair bin Awwam: As mentioned in Sahih Bukhari in
the book of Jihad, Chapter of getting excessive wealth for the fighter,1 when he
died, he left behind eleven houses in Medina, two houses in Basra, a house in
Kufa, a house in Egypt; and he had four wives; after deducting one-third of his
property, each of them got one million and two hundred thousand dirhams or
dinar remained.
Bukhari has written: On the basis of this, his total wealth was fifty million
and two hundred thousand.
Ibne Haim has written that:2 On the contrary, the right thing is that on the
basis of what is fixed, his total wealth comes to fifty-nine millions and eight
hundred thousand.
Ibne Battal and Qadi Ayaz and others have clarified: The right thing is what
Ibne Haim has mentioned and Bukhari has made a mistake in calculation.
We found this same amount in Sahih Bukhari and there is no specification of
whether it was dirham or dinar. Only in Tarikh Ibne Kathir, it is specified as
dirhams.3
And among them is Talha bin Ubaidullah Teemi: He constructed a house in
Kufa in the Kinasa area, which was famous as Darul Talhateen – house of two Talhas. And his agricultural revenue from Iraq came to one thousand dinars per
day and more than this is also mentioned. And it is mentioned in the Seerah4 that
he earned more than that. He constructed in Medina, a house of bricks, mortar
and teak.
Ibne Jauzi has written: Talha left behind three hundred camel loads of gold.
Balazari has narrated through channels of Musa bin Talha that: During his
Caliphate, Uthman gave two hundred thousand dinars to Talha.5
And among them being Abdur Rahman bin Auf Zuhri: Ibne Saad has written
that Abdur Rahman died leaving behind a thousand camels, three thousand sheep
and a hundred horses, which grazed in Baqi. Twenty camels drew water from the
river to water his fields.
And Masudi has written that he constructed his house and expanded it and
he had a hundred horses in his stables; and had a thousand camels and ten
thousand sheep; and after his death, one-eighth of his wealth came to eighty-four
thousand.6
And among them was Saad bin Abi Waqqas: Ibne Saad has written that on
the day he died, he left behind two hundred and fifty thousand dirhams and he
died in his castle in Aqiq.7
And among them was Yaala bin Umayyah8 : He left behind five hundred
thousand dinars and people also owed him money; he had lands and other
properties valued at a hundred thousand dinars.9
And among them being: Zaid bin Thabit, who was the only defender of
Uthman. Masudi has written: He left such huge quantity of gold and silver that it
was cut through axe and this was in addition to his other properties valued at a
hundred thousand dinars.10
These are some examples of excessiveness materialism during time of
Uthman and it is clear that history has not compiled all such revenue operations
in most events and mischiefs in all these matters, especially when wealth was
accumulated gradually.
Regarding what the Caliph amassed for himself, whatever you may say, you
would not have exaggerated and no one would object to you. He filled his teeth
with gold and dressed in royal garments.
Muhammad bin Rabia has said: I saw Uthman wearing a cloak of fur, which
cost a hundred dinars. Then he said: This is property of Naila [Uthman’s wife and
daughter of Farafisa] from which I have bought this dress, and I wear it to make
her happy.
And Abu Aamir Sulaym said: I saw a Yamani cloak on Uthman valued a
hundred dinars.11
Balazari has written: In the Public Treasury of Medina, there was a basket
containing ornaments and jewelry and Uthman took some of it for his family
members. People criticized for this, which infuriated him and he said: “This is the
property of God, I can give to whoever I like and deny it to whoever I like. May
God degrade those, who are critical of this.”
It is mentioned in a traditional report that: “We fulfilled our needs from this
booty, though some people dislike this and they are humiliated.”
So Ali (a.s.) said: “In that case, you will be denied this and a distance would
come between that and you…”
Ibne Saad has written in Tabaqat:12 On the day Uthman was killed, there
were thirty million and five hundred thousand dirhams and a hundred and fifty
thousand dinars, which were plundered.
He had a thousand camels in Rabdha, and endowments in Baradees, Khaiber
and Wadiul Qura13 valued at two hundred thousand dinars.
Masudi has written in Murujuz Zahab:14 His house in Medina was
constructed of stones and lime; its doors were made of teak and juniper and he
owned other properties and orchards in Medina.
Dhahabi has written in Daulul Islam,15 that he had amassed huge wealth,
including a thousand slaves.