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Aisha still needed permission to leave Medina. Uthman eventually agreed to escort Muhammad's widows on a second ''Hajj'', and once again, “we were kept well out of sight.”<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:147.</ref> It is not recorded that Aisha left Medina again until 656. Uthman expanded the mosque at Medina to a size of about 67m x 71m by buying up most of the adjoining buildings, though not the houses of Muhammad’s widows. Aisha therefore exchanged her old neighbours for carved stone walls, stone pillars and a teakwood roof.<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti pp. 159-160.</ref> | Aisha still needed permission to leave Medina. Uthman eventually agreed to escort Muhammad's widows on a second ''Hajj'', and once again, “we were kept well out of sight.”<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:147.</ref> It is not recorded that Aisha left Medina again until 656. Uthman expanded the mosque at Medina to a size of about 67m x 71m by buying up most of the adjoining buildings, though not the houses of Muhammad’s widows. Aisha therefore exchanged her old neighbours for carved stone walls, stone pillars and a teakwood roof.<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti pp. 159-160.</ref> | ||
But Uthman was elderly,<ref>Estimates of his exact age at death in {{Tabari|15|p. 252}} range from 75 to 90 lunar years. (There is also one vote for the “magic number” of 63, but we can ignore this.) Hence he was at least 60 solar years, and perhaps 75, when he became Caliph.</ref> and his competence declined with his age. After 650 the people became disillusioned by his nepotism and his embezzling of the state treasury.<ref>{{Tabari|16|p. 100}}: “We became angry at Uthman on your behalf for three things he did: giving command to youths, expropriating common property and beating with whip and stick.” See also Jarrett/Suyuti p. 161.</ref> The residents of Medina were angry when he appropriated the common pastures around the city for the Umayya clan and forbade anyone else to graze their animals there. Restatement of the History of Islam.<ref></ref> Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, a man of humble birth who had been one of the earliest converts to Islam,<ref>{{Tabari|6|pp. 85, 87}}.</ref> preached against Uthman’s opulent lifestyle: “Your gold and silver shall burn red-hot in Hellfire and brand your foreheads!”<ref>{{Tabari|15|p. 65}}.</ref> Unable to take the criticism, Uthman exiled Abu Dharr to the desert, where he died in penury.<ref> Guillaume/Ishaq 606; {{Tabari|15|pp. 100-101}}.</ref> The Caliph’s only economy was to reduce Aisha’s pension to the same sum allowed to Muhammad’s other widows.<ref></ref> Aisha went to ask Uthman to restore her “inheritance,” but he refused, reminding her that she had actively supported Abu Bakr’s decision not to pay any inheritance to Muhammad’s family as “prophets have no heirs.” After this interview, Aisha invoked the penalty for [[Islam and Apostasy|apostasy]], exclaiming, “Kill this old fool, for he is an unbeliever!”<ref>Ibn Athir, ''History'' vol. 3 p. 206.</ref> Abdullah ibn Masood criticised Uthman for his embezzlements and for exiling Abu Dharr. The Caliph broke off his Friday sermon to call Abdullah “a foul and despicable beast,” at which Aisha (whose front door was directly opposite the pulpit<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:121.</ref>) protested from behind her curtain: “Is this the way to speak of a companion of Allah’s Apostle?” Uthman ordered Abdullah out of the mosque | But Uthman was elderly,<ref>Estimates of his exact age at death in {{Tabari|15|p. 252}} range from 75 to 90 lunar years. (There is also one vote for the “magic number” of 63, but we can ignore this.) Hence he was at least 60 solar years, and perhaps 75, when he became Caliph.</ref> and his competence declined with his age. After 650 the people became disillusioned by his nepotism and his embezzling of the state treasury.<ref>{{Tabari|16|p. 100}}: “We became angry at Uthman on your behalf for three things he did: giving command to youths, expropriating common property and beating with whip and stick.” See also Jarrett/Suyuti p. 161.</ref> The residents of Medina were angry when he appropriated the common pastures around the city for the Umayya clan and forbade anyone else to graze their animals there. Restatement of the History of Islam.<ref></ref> Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, a man of humble birth who had been one of the earliest converts to Islam,<ref>{{Tabari|6|pp. 85, 87}}.</ref> preached against Uthman’s opulent lifestyle: “Your gold and silver shall burn red-hot in Hellfire and brand your foreheads!”<ref>{{Tabari|15|p. 65}}.</ref> Unable to take the criticism, Uthman exiled Abu Dharr to the desert, where he died in penury.<ref> Guillaume/Ishaq 606; {{Tabari|15|pp. 100-101}}.</ref> The Caliph’s only economy was to reduce Aisha’s pension to the same sum allowed to Muhammad’s other widows.<ref></ref> Aisha went to ask Uthman to restore her “inheritance,” but he refused, reminding her that she had actively supported Abu Bakr’s decision not to pay any inheritance to Muhammad’s family as “prophets have no heirs.” After this interview, Aisha invoked the penalty for [[Islam and Apostasy|apostasy]], exclaiming, “Kill this old fool, for he is an unbeliever!”<ref>Ibn Athir, ''History'' vol. 3 p. 206.</ref> Abdullah ibn Masood, who had been persecuted in Mecca for proclaiming the Qur’an in the earliest days,<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 141-142.</ref> and was also of the peasant class,<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 116.</ref> criticised Uthman for his embezzlements and for exiling Abu Dharr. The Caliph broke off his Friday sermon to call Abdullah “a foul and despicable beast,” at which Aisha (whose front door was directly opposite the pulpit<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:121.</ref>) protested from behind her curtain: “Is this the way to speak of a companion of Allah’s Apostle?” Uthman ordered Abdullah out of the mosque under a life-sentence of house arrest and loss of pension, at which his henchmen ejected Abdullah so violently that his ribs were broken.<ref>Ahmad ibn Hanbal, ''Musnad'' vol. 5 p. 197.</ref> | ||
Ammar ibn Yasir, an early convert to Islam<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 117.</ref> who had fought at Badr,<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 329.</ref> also challenged Uthman for embezzling the public treasury. Uthman ordered him to be thrown out of the mosque; the octogenarian Ammar was beaten up to unconsciousness. Baladhuri, ''Ansab al-Ashraf'' vol. 5 pp. 48, 54, 88. Ibn Saad, ''Tabaqat'' vol. 3 part 1 p. 185.<ref></ref> At the next Friday’s prayers Aisha emerged from her house carrying an old shirt and sandal of Muhammad’s and interrupted prayers to address Uthman: “How soon indeed you have forgotten the ''sunna'' of your Prophet, when his hair, shirt and sandal have not yet perished!” Abbott, N. (1942, 1998). ''Aishah: the Beloved of Muhammad''. London: Saqi Books.<ref></ref> When the Governor of Kufa (who was Uthman’s brother) turned up to prayers so drunk that he recited the liturgy wrongly,<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti p. 159</ref> Uthman overlooked it and withheld the customary punishment. A delegation from Mesopotamia arrived in Medina to ask that the drunken Governor be replaced, and the Caliph threatened to punish them for making the request. The Mesopotamians appealed to Aisha, drawing from Uthman the remark, “Can the rebels and scoundrels of Mesopotamia find no other refuge than the home of Aisha?”<ref></ref> When Aisha brought their complaint back to Uthman, he responded that she had no right to approach him since she had been “ordered to stay at home.” Abbott (1942, 1998).<ref></ref> At this suggestion that a woman should not be involved in public affairs, some people “demanded to know who indeed had better right than Aisha in such matters.” Abbott (1942, 1998).<ref></ref> Uthman belatedly sentenced his brother to 80 lashes, which Ali delivered.<ref>{{Bukhari|5|57|45}}; {{Bukhari|5|58|212}}.</ref> | Ammar ibn Yasir, an early convert to Islam<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 117.</ref> who had also been severely persecuted as a slave in Mecca<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 145. His mother, Sumayya, had been the first Muslim martyr. While the majority of Muslim “martyrs” were killed in battles where they were the aggressors, Sumayya probably fits the Western definition of a “martyr”, for her only recorded provocation was her monotheism. However, the dramatic details of her murder seem to be late embellishments; Ibn Ishaq offers no details beyond “they killed her.”</ref> and had fought at Badr,<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 329.</ref> also challenged Uthman for embezzling the public treasury. Uthman ordered him to be thrown out of the mosque; the octogenarian Ammar was beaten up to unconsciousness. Baladhuri, ''Ansab al-Ashraf'' vol. 5 pp. 48, 54, 88. Ibn Saad, ''Tabaqat'' vol. 3 part 1 p. 185.<ref></ref> At the next Friday’s prayers Aisha emerged from her house carrying an old shirt and sandal of Muhammad’s and interrupted prayers to address Uthman: “How soon indeed you have forgotten the ''sunna'' of your Prophet, when his hair, shirt and sandal have not yet perished!” Abbott, N. (1942, 1998). ''Aishah: the Beloved of Muhammad''. London: Saqi Books.<ref></ref> When the Governor of Kufa (who was Uthman’s brother) turned up to prayers so drunk that he recited the liturgy wrongly,<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti p. 159</ref> Uthman overlooked it and withheld the customary punishment. A delegation from Mesopotamia arrived in Medina to ask that the drunken Governor be replaced, and the Caliph threatened to punish them for making the request. The Mesopotamians appealed to Aisha, drawing from Uthman the remark, “Can the rebels and scoundrels of Mesopotamia find no other refuge than the home of Aisha?”<ref></ref> When Aisha brought their complaint back to Uthman, he responded that she had no right to approach him since she had been “ordered to stay at home.” Abbott (1942, 1998).<ref></ref> At this suggestion that a woman should not be involved in public affairs, some people “demanded to know who indeed had better right than Aisha in such matters.” Abbott (1942, 1998).<ref></ref> Uthman belatedly sentenced his brother to 80 lashes, which Ali delivered.<ref>{{Bukhari|5|57|45}}; {{Bukhari|5|58|212}}.</ref> | ||
Matters came to a head when Uthman’s governor in Egypt committed a murder, and 700 Egyptians arrived in Medina to petition for a new incumbent. Aisha once again took a stand against Uthman: “You have refused the request of Muhammad’s companions to remove this man, yet he has killed one of their people. Therefore do them justice against your Governor.”<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti p. 162.</ref> After similar urgings from Talha and Ali, Uthman promised to appoint Aisha’s brother Muhammad as the replacement governor. But on his journey to Egypt, Muhammad intercepted a letter bearing Uthman’s seal that ordered the old governor to kill him. He returned to Medina to show the letter<ref>{{Tabari|15|p. 184}}.</ref> (which Uthman then denied writing<ref>{{Tabari|15|p. 185}}.</ref>), “and there was not one of the people of Medina but was wroth against Othman, and it increased the wrath and anger of those who were enraged on account of Ibn Masa’ud, Abu Darr, and Ammar-b-Yasir.”<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti p. 163.</ref> Letters signed with Aisha’s name called for Uthman’s assassination, though she later claimed they had been forged:<ref>Ibn Saad, ''Tabaqat'' vol. 3 p. 60; Baladhuri, ''Ansab al-Ashraf'' vol. 5 pp. 596-597.</ref> “No, by the One in whom believed the believers and disbelieved the disbelievers, I did not write to them with the black [ink] on the white [paper]!” Even if, as her friends chose to believe,<ref>Baladhuri, ''Ansab al-Ashraf'' vol. 5 p. 597.</ref> she was telling the truth – even if her specific goal was only Uthman’s abdication – she very obviously did not care what his other enemies might do to him. She even said, “I wish I had him in my baggage so that I could throw him into the sea!”<ref>Baladhuri, ''Ansab al-Ashraf'' part 1 vol. 4 p. 75.</ref> | Matters came to a head when Uthman’s governor in Egypt committed a murder, and 700 Egyptians arrived in Medina to petition for a new incumbent. Aisha once again took a stand against Uthman: “You have refused the request of Muhammad’s companions to remove this man, yet he has killed one of their people. Therefore do them justice against your Governor.”<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti p. 162.</ref> After similar urgings from Talha and Ali, Uthman promised to appoint Aisha’s brother Muhammad as the replacement governor. But on his journey to Egypt, Muhammad intercepted a letter bearing Uthman’s seal that ordered the old governor to kill him. He returned to Medina to show the letter<ref>{{Tabari|15|p. 184}}.</ref> (which Uthman then denied writing<ref>{{Tabari|15|p. 185}}.</ref>), “and there was not one of the people of Medina but was wroth against Othman, and it increased the wrath and anger of those who were enraged on account of Ibn Masa’ud, Abu Darr, and Ammar-b-Yasir.”<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti p. 163.</ref> Letters signed with Aisha’s name called for Uthman’s assassination, though she later claimed they had been forged:<ref>Ibn Saad, ''Tabaqat'' vol. 3 p. 60; Baladhuri, ''Ansab al-Ashraf'' vol. 5 pp. 596-597.</ref> “No, by the One in whom believed the believers and disbelieved the disbelievers, I did not write to them with the black [ink] on the white [paper]!” Even if, as her friends chose to believe,<ref>Baladhuri, ''Ansab al-Ashraf'' vol. 5 p. 597.</ref> she was telling the truth – even if her specific goal was only Uthman’s abdication – she very obviously did not care what his other enemies might do to him. She even said, “I wish I had him in my baggage so that I could throw him into the sea!”<ref>Baladhuri, ''Ansab al-Ashraf'' part 1 vol. 4 p. 75.</ref> | ||