ʿUthman ibn ʿAffan married two of the Prophet’s daughters ﷺ in turn, Ruqayya and then Umm Kulthum, hence his title Dhu al-Nurayn, “the man of the two lights”. As third caliph (23-35 AH), he had a single standard text of the Quran copied and sent to the provinces. The Prophet ﷺ said of him: “Should I not feel shy before a man before whom the angels feel shy?” (Muslim 2401).
ʿUthman is an old Arabic name of the fuʿlan pattern. Lexicographers give it two meanings: al-Jawhari and Ibn Manzur report that al-ʿuthman is the young of the bustard (hubara), while others, such as Abu ʿAmr, say it is the young of the snake. The root ʿ-th-m is also used of a bone that sets badly. As often, the literal sense has faded behind the third caliph: the name is Othman or Usman in English, Osman in Turkish and Ousmane in West Africa.
In Arabic
عُثْمَانعثمان
Transliteration
ʿUthmān
Root
ع ث م
Gender
Boy
Origin
Arabic
Is Uthman in the Quran?
No: neither the name Uthman nor its root appears in the Quran. A name can be beautiful and permissible without coming from the Quran.
‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was lying in my house with his thighs or shins uncovered. Abu Bakr sought permission to enter, and he allowed him in, still in that state. Abu Bakr talked (to him). Then ‘Umar…
