Siege of Uthman

656 CE.

Shown on the map at 25.000°, 39.500°.

Uthman ibn Affan, the third Rashidun caliph, who ruled from 644 to 656, was assassinated at the end of a siege upon his house in 656. This was initially a protest but escalated into a siege following the death of a protester. The protesters-turned-rebels had demanded a new caliph, which Uthman refused. On 17 June 656 (35 AH) protestors set the house on fire, made their way inside, and killed him. The assassination of Uthman had a polarizing effect on the Ummah at the time. Questions were raised not only regarding his character and policies but also the relationship between Muslims and the state, religious beliefs regarding rebellion and governance, and the qualifications of rulership in Islam.

Text from the Wikipedia article Assassination of Uthman, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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