بيعة عثمان بن عفان

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 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 Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, who had withdrawn his own candidacy, sounded each candidate in private — Uthman named Ali, Ali named Uthman, al-Zubayr named 'Ali or Uthman', Sa'd named Uthman — then consulted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' {cite:tarikh-khulafa-minhaj-1434 p. 266-267}.