The Election of Uthman refers to the appointment of Uthman ibn Affan as the third caliph by a committee, which was assembled by the dying caliph Umar in 23 AH. The committee likely consisted of six early Muslims from the Quraysh tribe, including the prophet Muhammad's second cousin and son-in-law Uthman and Muhammad's first cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib. The deciding vote was given to Uthman's brother-in-law Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, who appointed the former as the next caliph after the deliberations stalled. The choice of the wealthy Uthman is often explained as intended to guard the interests of the Quraysh and to follow the practices of the first two caliphs, namely, Abu Bakr and Umar. The committee has been criticized for its bias towards Uthman and for its exclusion of the Ansar.
The election of Uthman, from Balami's Tarikhnama
Umar ibn al-Khattab, also spelled Omar, was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634, when he succeeded Abu Bakr as the second caliph, until his assassination in 644. Umar was a senior companion and father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Calligraphic seal featuring Umar's name, on display in the Hagia Sophia, Istanbul
Early 20th-century depiction of Abd al-Rahman (ibn Awf or ibn Abi Bakr) witnessing the purported conspiracy of Abu Lu'lu'a, Hurmuzān, and Jufayna (wrongly depicted here as a woman; the depiction of the murder weapon may also be wrong)
Tombstone of caliph Umar, in the Green Dome in al-Masjid al-Nabawi, Medina. The first window from the right gives a view of Umar's grave.
