4. Abu Yaala, Abu Nuaim, Ibne Asakir in Tarikh and Hakim in his
Mustadrak, have narrated from Shaiban bin Farokh, from Talha bin Zaid
Damishqi, from Ubaidah1 bin Hassan, from Ataa Kaikharani, from Jabir bin
Abdullah that:2
“When we were in the house of Ibne Hashfa, in the company of some
Muhajireen, including Abu Bakr, Uthman, Ali, Abdur Rahman bin Auf, Saad bin
Abi Waqqas, the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said:
“Each one of you will tread their own way,” and the Prophet went to
Uthman and embraced him saying: “You are my Wali in the world and the
hereafter.”
Hakim regards this tradition authentic and Dhahabi, after narrating it
Talkhis, states: I say: On the contrary, the report is weak; because of the presence
of Talha bin Zaid among narrators, who was a man of weak faith and who
narrated traditions from Ubaidah bin Hassan, who cannot be called a scholar of
traditions and he has narrated from Ataa.
Suyuti has mentioned in Al-Layali that:3 This report is fake and it is not
possible to reason through Talha, and Ubaidah has attributed fake traditions to
reliable individuals.
Mohib Tabari has mentioned this report in his Riyazun Nazara and Ibne
Kathir in his Tarikh,4 and they remain silent regarding its chains of narrators, as
is their conduct with regard to those they are fond of and are devoted to.
It is an occasion of exceeding regret that similarities are shown between
Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and a companion, who had no value in view of Prophet
and the Prophet did not regard him worthy to occupy chair of Caliphate.
So much so, that on the basis of the statement of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.)
heaviness of stomach weighed him down and his conduct finished the work for
him.
The companions insisted on his enmity till they eliminated him. And no sane
person can understand the reasoning of equality between Messenger of Allah
(s.a.w.a.) and Uthman; because if this similarity is from the aspect of origin, then
from where is this similarity? His Eminence is from the tree, whose roots are strong and whose branch is in the heavens, while that one is from the accursed tree mentioned in Quran.
If the similarity is from the aspect of origin, then without any exaggeration,
between the two, there is as much difference between the east and the west; His
Eminence has a noble origin, whereas he has a filthy source.
If similarity is from the aspect of excellent qualities and noble morals and
manners, then the similarity has ceased to exist, and those two are placed
opposite to each other; His Eminence was truthful, trustworthy, righteous, very
noble and having lofty morals and manners, and Uthman had no capabilities and
morals, as we explained.
If similarity is from the aspect of piety and positive acts, and the dos and
don’ts, there contradiction between these two – and what a contradiction!
ضَرَبَ اللهُ مَثَلًا رَجُلًا فِيهِ شُرَكَاءُ مُتَشْكِسُونَ وَرَجُلًا سَلَمًا لِرَجُلٍ هَلْ يَسْتَوِينِ مَثَلًا
“Allah sets forth an example: There is a slave in whom are
(several) partners differing with one another, and there is
another slave wholly owned by one man. Are the two alike in
condition?”5
This is the Prophet of monotheism, who fully submitted to Almighty Allah
and who is righteous and he worships his Lord, while he has made his religion
sincere for Allah and has come under the standard of ‘there is no god, except
Allah’ and the following words of God are his slogans:
قُلِ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ
“Say: Allah then leave them.”6
And he is always intoning the following words:
وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ
“And with none but Allah is the direction of my affair to a right issue; on Him do I rely.”7
As for Uthman, he was a prisoner of the lusts of Marwan, Muawiyah, Saeed,
and the sons of his clan, who were like these three, and he acted according to
their desires.
So much so that Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) said: “You will not be pleased
with Marwan and he would not be pleased with unless he turns you away from
your religion and reason. You are like a stray camel [a saddled camel, which goes anywhere it is pulled], while he mixed up preferable act with non-preferable ones
and committed sins and he went towards his Lord while being surrounded by
mistakes and errors.
O Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), time has brought down your rank so low that they
considered you equal to the like of Uthman, even though your Lord selected you
from His creatures and made you a Prophet and one having a rightful tongue!
This is indeed a bad recompense from the Ummah for the favors you did towards
it, like the recompense of Sinmar:8
وَسَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَنَّى مُنْقَلَبٍ يَنْقَلِبُونَ
“And they who act unjustly shall know to what final place of turning they shall turn back.”9