Uthman Ibn Affan: A Tale of Generosity in Times of Hardship
During Abu Bakr’s (may Allah be pleased with him) caliphate, there was a severe drought and famine in the city.
People were experiencing hardship due to the scarcity of food. Uthman Ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived in Madinah with a caravan of goods, including 100 loads of merchandise.
Addressing Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) the business community in Medina expressed their interest in purchasing goods from him. If Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) decided to sell the products, retailers had the option to make significant profits, with the flexibility to set higher prices for the items. Given the widespread food shortages, people showed less concern about prices, providing a favorable opportunity for retailers to influence market prices.
Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) inquired, “How much profit will you give me?”
The businessmen replied, “Twelve at the rate of ten.”
Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was not satisfied. The businessmen, raising the price, said, “Fifteen at the rate of ten.”
Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Can you give me a hundred at the rate of ten?”
In other words, a price ten times higher. The product he bought for 100, he wanted to sell for 1000. The businessmen were quite surprised. How could they buy the product at such a high price?
Then Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “So, whoever can give me a hundred at the rate of ten, I will sell my products to him.”
The businessmen withdrew in amazement. They hadn’t expected to find a businessman in Madinah willing to buy at such an inflated rate. Uthman, (may Allah be pleased with him), stated,
“By bearing witness to Allah, I have given all my products to the needy Muslims.” [Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, ʻUthmân Ibn ʻAffân: His Life and Times, page 100]
Uthman wished Allah would give him ten times the rewards. He donated all his goods for the sake of Allah during that challenging time.
Written by
Ariful Islam (Arif)
Studied at Dhaka University. His pen enlivened him with the vigor of his convictions.
Online activist, loves to uncover the truth and present the uncovered truth to people.
Studied at Dhaka University. His pen enlivened him with the vigor of his convictions.
Online activist, loves to uncover the truth and present the uncovered truth to people.
