Hazrat Usman (R.A) belonged to a noble family of Quraish a tribe of Mecca. He was born in 573 A.C. He (R.A) was from the “Umayyah” family of Quraish that was a well reputed and honorable family of Mecca during the pre-Islamic days. His inherited name was “Abu Amr” but he (R.A) was commonly known as “Usman ibn Affan” as his father was “Affan bin Abul-As”.

Hazrat Usman was one of the known people of Mecca who knew reading and writing. He did a business of clothes in which he succeeds and became rich. He used to spend his money on helping poor and needy people. Due his noble acts Meccans had great respect for him in their hearts.
Acceptance of Islam

Hazrat Usman (R.A) was one of those people who accepted Islam in early days when Prophet Muhammad (SAW) started preaching Islam. He (R.A) accepted Islam when Hazrat Abu Bakar (R.A) preached to him. When He (R.A) accepted Islam, people of Quraish started hating him. Even his close relatives started to rebuke him and chastised him severely. He (R.A) got married to Ruqayya (R.A) one of the daughters of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).
Usman (R.A) known as Al-Ghani

Some years later after acceptance of Islam, he married to one of the daughters of Prophet (SAW) Ruqayya (R.A). In spite of his wealth and position, his relatives manipulated him because he had embraced Islam, and he was forced to immigrate to Abyssinia. Sometime later he returned to Mecca but soon migrated to Medina with the other Muslims. In Medina, his business again began to flourish and he regained his prior success. Usman’s generosity had no limits. On various occasions, he spent a great portion of his wealth for the welfare of the Muslims, for charity and for preparing the Muslim armies. When the Emigrants from Mecca came to Medina, they had great difficulty in getting drinking water. Hazrat Usman (RA) bought a well named “Bi’r-i-Rumah” from a Jew against twenty thousand dirhams for free use of Muslims. That was the first trust ever made in the history of Islam. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) gave him the glad words of Paradise for this act. That is why he came to be known as ‘Al-Ghani’ meaning ‘The Generous.’
Usman (R.A) also known as “Dhun-Nurain”

Hazrat Usman (R.A.) migrated with other Muslims to Medina. He could not participate in the first battle of Islam against non-believers of Mecca at Badr because his wife Ruqayya (R.A) was very ill. She died before the Muslims returned from Badr after the victory. The Holy Prophet (SAW) gave him glad words that he would get the same reward as though he had participated in the battle. After the death of Ruqayya (R.A.), the Holy Prophet (SAW) married his next daughter, “Umm Kulthum” with him and he was given the title of “Dhun-Nurain” i.e., the man with two lights because He (R.A) married with two daughters of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

Writer of Quranic Revelations

Hazrat Usman (R.A) had a great command over Arabic language and also he had beautiful handwriting. Due to this Holy Prophet (SAW) appointed him as one of the noble scribes of Holy Revelations.