The Outset of Dissension in Islam — Page 10
10 H A D RAT MIRZA BASHIR-UD-DIN MAHMUD AHMAD STATUS OF H A D RAT ‘ UTHM A N RA IN THE EYES OF THE HOLY PROPHET SA The Holy Prophet sa held a great deal of respect for Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra. On one occasion, the Holy Prophet sa was lying down when Hadrat Ab u Bakr ra arrived, but the Holy Prophet sa remained lying. After some time, Hadrat ‘ Umar ra arrived, but again, he remained lying. When Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra arrived, he instantly adjusted his clothes and said, “There is a great deal of modesty in the disposition of Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra , and it is in consideration of his feelings that I have done this. ” 9 He was one of those rare men who had never consumed alcohol and had never approached adultery even prior to accepting Islam. In the country of Arabia, where drinking alcohol was thought to be a source of pride and adultery a daily indulgence, these were qualities which could not be found in more than a handful of people before Islam. Therefore, Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra was no ordinary man. He possessed very high moral qualities. With respect to worldly rank he was exceptional. He was the foremost in Islam. The Holy Prophet sa was very pleased with him. Hadrat ‘Umar ra has declared him as being among the six men who, up to the demise of the Holy Prophet sa , held his utmost pleasure. Furthermore, he was from among the ‘asharah mubashsharah, 10 9. S a hih Muslim, Kit a bu Fa da ’ ili s-S a ha bah, B a bu Min Fa da ’ ili ‘ Uthm a nibni ‘ Aff a na, H ad i th No. 6210 10. In actuality, ‘ asharah mubashsharah has become a renowned term, otherwise, there were many more companions about whom the Holy Prophet sa had prophesied that they would enter paradise. The term ‘ asharah mubashsharah refers to those ten muh a jirin , who were a part of the majlis-e-sh u r a [consultative body] of the Holy Prophet sa and who he especially trusted.