REFUTING THE CLAIM THAT MUHAMMAD BIN ABI BAKR ( رضي الله عنهما ) WAS AN ACCOMPLICE IN THE ASSASSINATION OF UTHMAN BIN AFFAN (رضي الله عنه)
A FALSE NOTION PERTAINING TO THE HISTORIC CATASTROPHE OF THE MARTYRDOM OF UTHMAN BIN AFFAN (رضي الله عنه)
A false notion is found among some Muslims that some Noble Companions of the Prophet ( صلى الله علیه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم ) were somehow involved in the revolt against the third rightly-guided Caliph Uthman bin Affan ( رضي الله عنه ) that finally caused his martyrdom. This misinformation is received as a historical fact by some just because it has been quoted in some books of Sunni historians, or theologians. (The truth concerning this is coming ahead __ (.إن شاء الله) And, since reviling the Sahaba ( رضوان الله علیهم أجمعین ) is a defining deviation, or marked misguidance, of the Rafidhi Shias (a.k.a. Rawafidh), they seek to use this wrong notion to support their evil cause of discrediting or misrepresenting the Sahaba (رضوان الله علیهم أجمعین). Nevertheless, theirs is a lost cause forever because Sahaba were the people whose virtue is affirmed by the Qur’an itself.
THE REBELS DECLARED AS MUNAFIQOON IN A PROPHECY OF THE NOBEL MESSENGER ( (صلى الله علیه وسلم)
Well, the incident of the revolt against Uthman bin Affan ( رضي الله عنه ), and his subsequent martyrdom, was foretold by the Prophet ( صلى الله علیه وسلم ) in his lifetime. However, it is of great relevance to the topic under discussion that the Messenger of Allaah ( صلى الله علیه وسلم ) had also declared as a part of his prophecy that the murderers of Uthman ( رضي الله عنه ) will be none but the Munafiqeen as stated in the following Sahih hadith:
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهَِّ بْنِ عَامِرٍ ، عَنْ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِیرٍ ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ، قَالَتْ
It was narrated from ‘Abd Ullaah bin ‘Aamir ( رضي الله عنه ), from Al-Nu’man bin Bashir (رضي الله عنه ) that Aisha ( رضي الله عنها ) said:
أَرْسَلَ رَسُولُ اللهَِّ صَلَّى اللهَُّ عَلَیْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ ، فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَیْهِ رَسُولُ اللهَِّ صَلَّى اللهَُّ عَلَیْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَلَمَّا رَأَیْنَا رَسُولَ اللهَِّ صَلَّى اللهَُّ عَلَیْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَقْبَلَتْ إِحْدَانَا عَلَى الْأُخْرَى ، فَكَانَ مِنْ آخِرِ كَلَامٍ كَلَّمَهُ ، أَنْ ضَرَبَ مَنْكِبَهُ ، وَقَالَ
The Messenger of Allaah ( صلى الله علیه وسلم ) sent a message to Uthman bin Affan ( (رضي الله عنه [asking him to come. Subsequently, he came.] So, the Messenger of Allaah ( (صلى الله علیه وسلم turned his attention towards him [to speak to him]. So when we saw the Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله علیه وسلم ) [in this state that he wanted to have a word with him], we turned to one another [in order to give them some privacy] ; and the last thing he said to him was when he struck his [Uthman’s] shoulder, and said:
” یَا عُثْمَانُ ، إِنَّ اللهََّ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَسَى أَنْ یُلْبِسَكَ قَمِیصًا ، فَإِنْ أَرَادَكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ عَلَى خَلْعِهِ فَلَا تَخْلَعْهُ حَتَّى تَلْقَانِي ، یَا عُثْمَانُ ، إِنَّ اللهََّ عَسَىأَنْ یُلْبِسَكَ قَمِیصًا فَإِنْ أَرَادَكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ عَلَى خَلْعِهِ ، فَلَا تَخْلَعْهُ حَتَّى تَلْقَانِي ” ثَلَاثًا
“O Uthman, Allaah will give you a garment to wear (i.e., the caliphate) so if the hypocrites want you to shed it, do not shed it until you meet me.
O Uthman, Allaah will give you a garment to wear so if the hypocrites want you to shed it, do not shed it until you meet me.
O Uthman, Allaah will give you a garment to wear so if the hypocrites want you to shed it, do not shed it until you meet me.” [He said it] thrice.
فَقُلْتُ لَهَا : یَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ ، فَأَیْنَ كَانَ هَذَا عَنْكِ ؟ قَالَتْ : نَسِیتُهُ وَاللهَِّ فَمَا ذَكَرْتُهُ . قَالَ : فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ مُعَاوِیَةَ بْنَ أَبِي سُفْیَانَ ، فَلَمْ یَرْضَ بِالَّذِي أَخْبَرْتُهُ حَتَّى كَتَبَ إِلَى أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ أَنْ اكْتُبِي إِلَيَّ بِهِ ، فَكَتَبَتْ إِلَیْهِ بِهِ كِتَابًا
I [Al-Nu’man bin Bashir] said to her: O Mother of the Believers, why didn’t you narrate this before? She said: I forgot it; and by Allaah, I did not remember it. He said I narrated it to Ma’uwiyah bin Abi Sufyan and he did not approve of what I told him until he wrote to the Mother of the Believers asking her to write to him about it, and she wrote to him about it.
[ MUSNAD AHMAD , 24045 6/87]
For Ahlul Sunnah wal Jammah, this single hadith is sufficient to reject the narrative that some Sahaba ( رضوان الله علیهم ) were on the side of the rebels because it is the creed of Ahlul Sunnah wal Jammah, by consensus, that the Sahaba were believers of sound Emaan, and hypocrisy is not something befitting them.
WAS MUHAMMAD BIN ABI BAKR ( رضي الله عنهما ) AN ALLY TO THE REBELS ?
Among the names of those who are falsely accused of approving the grave sin and serious crime of assassinating Uthman ( رضي الله عنه ), and taking part in it, the name of a very prominent figure from the earliest generations of the Muslim, Muhammad bin Abi Bakr ( رضي الله عنه ), is also included.
NOTE:
(His status as a Sahabi is a matter of scholarly dispute since some scholars argue that he was a Tabiyee; however, we prefer the position that he was a Sahabi. Nonetheless, his status as Sahabi, or even as a Tabiyee for that matter, does not influence our current discussion.)
So, in this article, we will present a brief account of that claim along with its fair analysis, and subsequent refutation .إن شاء الله
THE ALLEGATION
It is said concerning Muhammad bin Abi Bakr ( رضي الله عنهما ) that he had also offered opposition to Uthman bin Affan ( رضي الله عنه ), and had shown him disrespect by a violent physical gesture but then retracted from his action when Uthman ( رضي الله عنه ) reminded him of how his father, Abu Bakr ( رضي الله عنه ) would have disapproved of it. Following words are quoted in this regard:
دخل محمد ابن أبي بكر یأخذ بلحیته وأهوى بمشاقص معه فیجأ بها في حلقه،
Muhammad bin Abi Bakr ( رضي الله عنهما ) entered [the house of Uthman bin Affan ( رضي الله عنه ) and took hold of his beard and bought a spear that was with him to his [i.e., Uthman’s] throat,
فقال مهلا یا بن أخي، فوالله لقد أخذت مأخذا ما كان أبوك لیأخذ به، فتركه وانصرف مستحییا نادما.
So, he said, “O son of my brother, by Allaah, you have taken a position which your father would not have taken” so he left him, and turned away ashamed and remorseful.
[AL BIDAYAH WAN NIHAYAH: VOL.2, P. 206]
REFUTATION AND REBUTTAL
Well, the aforementioned words cannot be taken as an evidence because:
● First, historians have mostly stated them without any Sanad (chain of narration).
● Secondly, even if any chain of narration has been found, it lacks soundness either due to being disconnected (Munqat’a), or containing a weak (d’aeef) or an unknown (majhool) narrator.
In fact, there is not even a single Sahih or Hasan [i.e. authentic] narration to prove that he had actually grabbed his beard. And, It is quite strange how these people give heed to weak and fabricated narrations concerning the aforementioned incident; however, their eyes are blind to the following statement of Muhammad bin Abi Bakr (رضي اللهم عنهما):
والله! ما قتلته ولا امسكته
By Allaah! I didn’t kill him (i.e., Uthman __ رضي الله عنه ) nor seize him.
[TAREEKH AL-ISLAM LI-IMAM ADH-DHAHABI , 3/134]
And, here, the following narration is worth-mentioning as it clearly indicates that Muhammad bin Abi Bakr ( رضي الله عنهما ) was not at all guilty of the atrocious act that was done against Uthman (رضي الله عنه):
Muhammad bin Talha bin Musraf says, I said to Kinanah, the freed slave of Safiya ( رضي الله عنها):
فهل یدي محمد بن أبي بكر بشيء من دمه؟
So, was there any involvement of Muhammad bin Abi Bakr ( رضي الله عنهما ) in his [Uthman’s] bloodshed?
فقال معاذ الله دخل علیه فقال له عثمان لست ……….وكلامه بكلام فخرج
ولم یند من دمه بشيء
So, he said: [I seek] Allaah’s refuge [from saying so]! He [Ibn Abi Bakr] entered upon him
[meaning his house]………….. and, he [i.e., Uthman] had a word with him; then, he [Ibn Abi Bakr] came out. And, he did not have any involvement whatsoever in his bloodshed.
[ MUSNAD ISHAQ BIN RAHWIYA : 2054]
CONCLUSION
By the preceding discussion, it becomes evident that Muhammad bin Abi Bakr ( رضي الله عنهما ) is absolutely free of, and far above in status from, the allegation that the misguided sect seeks to propagate.
In future, we may also dismantle their such false claims concerning other Sahaba (رضوان الله علیهم) as well, and we seek Allaah’s help and guidance to do so. Only with the help of Allaah alone, we have made here a twofold endeavour to show on the one hand why the statement which signifies that Muhammad bin Abi Bakr ( رضي الله عنهما ) was among the opponents of Ameer ul Momineen Uthman bin Affan ( رضي الله عنه ) cannot be taken as an evidence, and on the other hand to provide an authentic narration in his clear defence.
Now, if anyone still holds the same notion, they are urged to search for evidence; and, bring up a single narration with an acceptable Sanad to support their claim. If anyone finds such a narration, they are requested to leave a comment with the complete text (matan) and chain (sanad) of the narration.
However, please, note that only the comments containing statements that meet the aforementioned criteria will be entertained for analysis and discussion .إن شاء الله
ADAPTED FROM AN ARTICLE OF SHAYKH MUHAMMAD ARSHAD KAMAL (حفظه الله)
TRANSLATED & EDITED BY UMM AMATUL WADUD
Islaah 