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Bay'a of Uthman ibn Affan

بيعة عثمان بن عفان

c. November 644 CE · Dhu al-Hijja 23 AH

Uthman was given the bay'a three nights after Umar's burial. Before dying, Umar had sent Abu Talha al-Ansari (may God be pleased with him) to stand with fifty Ansar at the door of the house where the six-man shura met, letting none enter and giving them three days to name one of themselves. Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf (may God be pleased with him), who had withdrawn his own candidacy, sounded each candidate in private — Uthman named Ali, Ali named Uthman, al-Zubayr named 'Ali or Uthman', Sa'd named Uthman — then consulted the notables and found most inclined to Uthman. He first offered Ali the bay'a on the Book, the Sunna and the conduct of Abu Bakr and Umar; Ali answered 'to the best of my ability', while Uthman answered 'yes'; so Abd al-Rahman took Uthman's hand and pledged, and the Muhajirun and Ansar pledged. Ibn Mas'ud said when Uthman was pledged: 'we have invested the best of those remaining, and we did not fall short' 1.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Rashidun Caliphate
Region
Arabia
Review
Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it

In time

630640650660 c.
The Prophetic Era · The Rashidun Caliphate

Overview

Uthman ibn Affan was given the oath of allegiance to the caliphate three nights after Umar was buried, at the end of Dhu al-Hijja 23 AH, according to al-Suyuti. 2

The council

Before his death Umar sent to Abu Talha al-Ansari that he should be with fifty of the Ansar at the door of the men of the council, and let no one enter to them, and not let them pass the third day before they appointed one of them. 2

Consulting Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf

Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf removed himself from candidacy, and people began to consult him. He asked Uthman in private whom he would advise if he did not pledge allegiance to him, and Uthman said Ali. He asked Ali, and Ali said Uthman. Then he consulted the notables and saw that the inclination of most of them was toward Uthman. 3

He offered Ali to pledge allegiance to him on the Book of God, the Sunna of His Messenger and the conduct of Abu Bakr and Umar. Ali said: "As far as I am able." He offered it to Uthman, who said: "Yes." So Abd al-Rahman gave him his allegiance, and then the Muhajirun and the Ansar pledged to him. 3

al-Suyuti quotes Ibn Mas'ud: "Our amir is the best of those who remain, and we did not fall short." 4

Connections

Explore the connections

Had participant
Uthman ibn Affan· Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf· Ali ibn Abi Talib· Abu Talha al-Ansari

People and things also explored

The three years of the secret call· Umar judges the dispute of al-Abbas and Ali over the Prophet's property· Ali's stance during the siege of Uthman· Ali carries out the drinking penalty on al-Walid ibn Uqba· Ali refuses to lead prayer while the caliph is besieged· The Battle of Badr· The burial of the Prophet· The Writing of the Diwan and the Stipend

Sources

  1. Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition) , p. 266-267
  2. Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition) , p.266
  3. Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition) , p.266-267
  4. Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition) , p.267
  • Asma al-Matalib fi Sirat Ali ibn Abi Talib, vol. 1 — Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Bay'a of Uthman ibn Affan”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/baya-of-uthman/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-22.

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Time

Eras, timelines, this day in history, any year in the Islamic world. Related

The three years of the secret call

The first stage of the call to Islam — individual and secret for three years — in which the first band believed: Khadija, Ali, Zayd and Abu Bakr on the first day, then those whom Abu Bakr called, then a company Ibn Hisham numbers at over forty from every clan of Quraysh; during it prayer was first prescribed.