Uthman ibn Affan (May Allah be pleased with him) was the third rightly guided khalifah of Islam. He followed in the footsteps of the noble Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and the 2 khalifah`s before him.

It was his close friend Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) who introduced Uthman (May Allah be pleased with him) to Islam.

Uthman (May Allah be pleased with him) lived a life amongst the Muslims and he was fortunate enough to marry two daughters of the noble prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

Uthman (May Allah be pleased with him) was well known for his generosity and his support for the Muslims. In Madeenah water was scarce and control of the water wells was tightly held by a few men.

Uthman (May Allah be pleased with him) realised that the Muslims were finding it difficult to gain access to water. As he was an experienced negotiator he set out to try and gain control of a water well so that the Muslims could use it freely. Uthman (May Allah be pleased with him) was able to take control of half of the well, with the agreement that he would have access for 1 day and the other owner on the next day. Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) gave his water to the Muslims freely, so nobody wanted to pay for the water on the alternate days.  The original owner of the well had no choice but to sell his half of the well to Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) who nevertheless paid a fair price for it.  Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) continued to allow the water to be used freely by all and never reminded the people of his charity.  He was humble and modest.

When Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Muslim armies were going to fight the Byzantines at Tabuk, he called on the wealthier people to give from their wealth and property to support and equip the soldiers. Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) presented 200 saddled camels and 200 ounces of gold.  He (may Allah be pleased with him) also gave 1,000 dinars.  Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) kept asking for donations hoping to inspire others to give as freely as Uthman.  However, it was Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) who surpassed them all and gave a total of 900 equipped camels.

Uthman (May Allah be pleased with him) was appointed the third khalifah, after the demise of Umar (May Allah be pleased with him). In his time as a khalifah, he faced many trials and tests, but every difficulty that he faced, he combated it by following the teachings of the Quran and the teachings of the noble prophet.