that he had burned the muṣḥafs, that he had performed the prayer in full, that he had placed inexperienced youths in office—passing over the senior Companions—and that he had given the Banū Umayyah more than other people. (1)
ʿAlī (3) answered them:
• As for the pastureland, he only set it aside for the camels of the obligatory charity so that they could grow fat; he did not reserve it for his own camels or sheep, and ʿUmar had done the same before him.
• As for the muṣḥafs, he merely burned the copies in which disagreement had arisen and left for them what was unanimously accepted, in accordance with the final recension.
• As for his completing the prayer in Mecca, he had settled there with the intention of residing, so he prayed it in full.
• As for his appointing young men, he appointed none but a sound and just man. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ appointed ʿAttāb ibn Usayd over Mecca when he was twenty years old, and he appointed Usāmah ibn Zayd ibn Ḥārithah; when people criticized his command (4) he said, “He is certainly worthy of leadership.” (5)
• As for his favoring his own clan, the Banū Umayyah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to favor Quraysh over other people. By Allah, were the key to Paradise in my hand, I would admit the Banū Umayyah into it.
They are also said to have reproached him concerning ʿAmmār and Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr, whereupon ʿUthmān set forth his excuse, explaining that he had applied to them whatever was due to them. (6)
They reproached him as well for giving shelter to al-Ḥakam ibn Abī al-ʿĀṣ, whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had banished to Ṭāʾif. ʿUthmān explained that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had indeed banished him to Ṭāʾif, then recalled him, and then banished him there again, saying, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ banished him and then brought him back.”
It is related that ʿUthmān delivered a sermon on all of this in the presence of the Companions, calling upon them to testify, and they bore witness for him wherever testimony was required. It is also narrated that a group among them were delegated to attend this sermon of ʿUthmān. When every excuse had been firmly established, their arguments dispelled, and no doubt remained, a number of the Companions advised ʿUthmān to discipline the insurgents, but he—may Allah be pleased with him—pardoned them and let them go, sending them back to their people. They returned empty-handed, having gained nothing of what they had hoped for. ʿAlī returned to ʿUthmān, informed him of their withdrawal and their having listened to him, and advised ʿUthmān to deliver a sermon to the people in which he would apologize for the preferential treatment shown to some of his relatives, testify before them that he had repented of this, and pledge to persist in the course of the two Shaykhs before him (8), never deviating from it, just as matters had stood during the first six years of his rule. ʿUthmān accepted this counsel with attentive obedience.
When Friday arrived and he ascended the pulpit, he raised his hands in the middle of the sermon and said, “O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent…"