Usman‟s Hand - The Hand of The Prophet

manner. Then Umar came and sought permission from the Prophet which he granted still sitting in the same manner. Then other Companions came, to whom also he granted permission. Then Ali ibn Abi Talib came and sought permission which also he granted and did not adjust himself. Then came Usman. The Prophet first covered his legs and then granted the permission. The Companions kept talking to the Prophet for some time and then left. I asked, „O Prophet of Allah! Abu Bakr, Umar, Ali and other Companions came but you kept sitting in the same way, however when Usman came you covered yourself.‟ He said, „Should I not honour the modesty of the man whom even the angels honour‟.”

(Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Tabarani)

 Anas ibn Malik narrates that the Prophet said, “Usman ibn

Affan is the modest of all.” (Tirmidhi 3790)

 Badr ibn Khalid narrates, “On the day Usman‟s house was besieged, Zayd ibn Thabit stood near us and said, „Are you not shy of the man from whom even the angels are?‟ We inquired, „Who is he?‟ He said that he had heard the Prophet saying, „One of the angels was with me. Meanwhile Usman passed by. The angel said that this person is a martyr, his people will assassinate him and we the angels are also shy of him‟.” Badr (the narrator) says, that afterwards they saved

Usman from a group (of kharijites28). (Tabarani)

One of the greatest honours of Usman is that the Holy Prophet called his hand as „the hand of Usman‟. At the time of Treaty of

28 Derived from Arabic term Khawarij ( جرااخو ) literally meaning „to go out, leave or set apart‟. This was the first sect that separated itself from the Muslims on the issue of caliphate. Anyone who does not love the People of Cloak is considered a kharijite i.e. „out of Islam‟.