He would reply, “No! The night is their time to rest.”
(1) Even when he performed ghusl (the full ritual bath), he would not lift his miʾzar (waist-wrapper) from his body, even though he was alone in a closed room, nor would he straighten his back fully out of the intensity of his modesty—may Allah be pleased with him.
Section: A Selection of His Sermons
Al-Wāqidī (2) said: Ismāʿīl ibn Ibrāhīm (3) ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Rabīʿah al-Makhzūmī related to me, from his father, that when ʿUthmān was given the pledge of allegiance he came out and addressed the people. After praising and extolling Allah he said:
“O people, every first ride is hard. After today there will be other days, and if I remain alive you will hear the sermon as it ought to be. We have never been trained orators, yet Allah will teach us.”
Al-Ḥasan said: ʿUthmān delivered a sermon, praised and glorified Allah, then said:
“O people! Fear Allah, for the fear of Allah is pure gain. The shrewdest of people is the one who calls his soul to account and works for what comes after death, taking from Allah’s light a light for the darkness of the grave. Let a servant dread being raised by Allah blind when he had once been seeing. The wise man may utter concise, all-embracing words, while the deaf is called from a far-off place. Know that whoever has Allah with him fears nothing, and whoever has Allah against him—after Him, in whom can he hope?”
Mujāhid said: ʿUthmān preached, saying:
“O son of Adam! Know that the Angel of Death appointed over you has never ceased to pass you by and move on to others since the day you entered this world, and now it is as though he has passed by those others and come straight to you, aiming at you. So take your precautions and prepare for him; do not be heedless, for he is never heedless of you. Know, O son of Adam, that if you neglect your own soul and fail to prepare for it, none other will prepare on your behalf. The meeting with Allah is inevitable, so take charge of your own soul and do not entrust it to anyone else. Peace.” (4)
Sayf ibn ʿUmar reported, on the authority of Badr ibn ʿUthmān, from his uncle:
The last sermon ʿUthmān delivered to a congregation was:
“Truly Allah has given you this world only that you might seek through it the Hereafter; He did not give it to you so that you might incline toward it. This world will perish, whereas the Hereafter will endure. Do not let the perishing one intoxicate you or divert you from the everlasting one. Therefore prefer what lasts to what passes away, for the world is cut off and the final return is to Allah. Fear Allah, for His fear is a shield against His punishment and a means of approach to Him. Beware of Allah’s sudden changes. Hold fast to your community and do not become factions:
‘And remember Allah’s favor upon you when you were enemies and He joined your hearts together so that by His favor you became brothers…’ (Āl ʿImrān 103) to the end of the two verses.”