ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān
Rightly-Guided Caliphs · Sunni · 576–656 CE
At a glance
| Category | Rightly-Guided Caliphs |
|---|---|
| Tradition | Sunni |
| Lifespan | 576–656 CE |
| Region | Hijaz |
| Role | Third Rāshidūn caliph (644–656) |
| Note | Oversaw the standard codex (muṣḥaf) of the Qurʾān; killed amid unrest |
ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān, an early convert and son-in-law of the Prophet ﷺ, was the third of the Rightly-Guided caliphs (644–656). His reign is remembered above all for the standardisation of the Qurʾān: to forestall variation in recitation across the expanding community, he had an authoritative written codex prepared and copies sent to the main centres — the text received by Muslims ever since.
The later years of his caliphate saw growing discontent over questions of governance, and he was killed by rebels at Medina in 656 — an event that opened the first civil war and cast a long shadow over the community's unity.
His death opened the First Fitna.