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Islamiyat IGCSEPDF 167

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PDF 167

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Administration: Hazrat ‘Uthman’s caliphate started in 644 and ended in 656. His mercy, generosity and efficient administration of the Islamic empire won him the respect of his people. He proved skilful in handling the vast caliphate. As the Khalifa, Hazrat Usman followed the sunnah of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) and the practice followed by the first and the second caliphs. 1. He started his reign with a popular gesture by adding 100 dirhams to the annual stipends and at the same time began to increase the central government’s control over the affairs of the garrison cities. 2. He continued the administrative arrangements made by Hazrat Umar, though he regrouped some of the provinces and created new provinces for the newly conquered territories. He brought about administrative changes in some areas e.g. Jordan and Palestine were united into one province Syria. 3. He continued with ‘Umar’s policy of gradually splitting up the immense authority exercised by the provincial governors, who also doubled as army commanders. He did this by creating the new post of financial administrators who exclusively looked after tax revenue. He established a permanent secretariat for the above task and appointed a salaried ‘Inspector of Markets’, which remained a key position in future Islamic states. 4. The Majlis-e-Shura or council of consultation was maintained. He started the practice of holding periodic conference of the district authorities in order to keep himself informed of the conditions in country. Hazrat Usman also used to hear public complaints after Friday prayers. He did keep a strict watch on governors and other administrators, e.g. Saad bin Abi 2. It was also alleged that he was too lenient and did not keep a check on his governors. He, unlike Umar, gave the governors a free hand in running the provinces and did not interfere in their day to day affairs. 3. He decided to allocate to his governors the wealth amassed in the campaigns(spoils), rather than divide it between the fighting men themselves, he was accused of favoring his own family though he may well have been trying to place funds for state purposes with the officials best able to administer them. 4. He was alleged to make unreasonable expenditure from Bait ul Maal. His uncle Hakam bin Aas was given one Lac dirham from Bait ul Maal. Similarly his cousin Marwan bin Hakam was given 1/5th of the spoils of war. Similarly, he was accused of favouring his relatives during theexpediture on state pastures. 5. The daily wages of Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood and Ubbay bin Kaab were cancelled. Some prominent companions of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) e.g. Hazrat Abu Zar Ghaffari left Madina. 6. It was alleged that Hazrat Usman demolished the old structure of Holy Prophet’s mosque but he did this to extend the mosque and with the permission of all senior companions. 7. When he burnt the false copies of the Quran which had been gathered from the different parts of the empire, when he circulated the official version prepared by Zaid Ibn Sabit, (this has been known as the “uthmanic version” 4 ever since), he was condemned for destroying the Word of Allah, though he may have intended to ensure that only the correct version should be read. 8. Some people also thought that he was surrounded by people who gave bad advice and took advantage of his age. 9. When he lost the Prophet’s (pbuh) ring, his adversaries took it as a divine sign that he should no longer be the caliph. He gave a convincing reply to each of the charges in the presence of the Prophet’s companions and his explanation was accepted.