A Few Punishments Carried Out During ‘Uthmaan’s Caliphate

Injuries Caused In A Fight Between Two People

There may be an argument between some people, each of whom harms the other. If any such thing happens, then qisaas (retaliation) must take place, because this offence was deliberate, as it seems that each of them wanted to harm the other. ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan said: “If two people fight, then any injuries caused between them are subject to qisaas.” [Mawsoo’at Fiqh ‘Uthmaan Ibn ‘Affaan, p.99]

Harm Caused To Animals

If harm is caused to an animal, then its value must be paid. It was narrated that ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir said: “During the caliphate of ‘Uthmaan Ibn ‘Affaan, a man killed a hunting dog, the like of which was unknown among other dogs. Its value was estimated at eight hundred dirhams, so ‘Uthmaan made him pay that amount. And in another case he penalized a man twenty camels for the price of a dog that he had killed.” [Mawsoo’at Fiqh ‘Uthmaan Ibn ‘Affaan, p.100]

Harm Caused To An Aggressor

If a person transgresses against the property of another man, or he threatens his life or honour and he kills him during that incident of aggression, then he is not liable. Ibn Hazm narrated in al-Muhalla that a man saw another man with his wife and killed him; they referred the matter to ‘Uthmaan and he ruled that no blood money was to be paid. [Mawsoo’at Fiqh ‘Uthmaan Ibn ‘Affaan, p.102]

Imprisonment as a Ta’zeer punishment 

Daabi ibn al-Haarith al-Burjami borrowed a dog called Qarhaa from some of the Anssr at the time of al-Waleed ibn ‘Uqbah, to go hunting gazelles, then he refused to give it back. The Ansaarees disputed with him and sought the help of his people against him, and they outnumbered him. They took the dog from him and returned it to the Ansaar, then he attacked them and composed poetry in which he slandered them and said that this dog was their mother. They complained about him to ‘Uthmin, who sent for him and punished him by imprisoning him as he used to do with other Muslims; he found life in prison very hard and he remained in prison until he died there. [Taareekh At-tabaree, 5/420]

Slandering people’s honour indirectly

‘Uthmaan used to carry out the hadd punishment for slandering people’s honour even if that was done indirectly. One man said to another, “O son of …”  Hinting that his mother was an adulteress. He complained about that to ‘Uthmaan Ibn ‘Affaan, and the man said: “I only meant such and such.” But ‘Uthmaan ordered that he be flogged as the hadd punishment for slander and he did not pay any attention to what he said he meant. [Mawsoo’at Fiqh ‘Uthmaan Ibn ‘Affaan, p.247]