Early belief and family
Uthman was a merchant from Quraysh and an early convert. He migrated to Abyssinia with Ruqayya, Muhammad’s ﷺ daughter, and later settled in Madinah. After Ruqayya died, he married her sister Umm Kulthum.
Source: TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam — Uthman
Preserving the written Qur’an
During his caliphate, a committee led by Zayd ibn Thabit prepared standard Qur’an copies for circulation. The project addressed differences in recitation and written transmission across the expanding community.
Source: TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam — Uthman
A contested final period
Uthman ruled from 644 to 656. Disputes over provincial government and appointments intensified during his later years, and rebels killed him in Madinah. His death became a turning point in the first civil war.
Source: TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam — Uthman
