The third caliph (644-656) and Muhammad's son-in-law.
Uthman was a member of the wealthy Umayyad clan; his early conversion is noteworthy since most members of his clan did not convert until the conquest of Mecca in 630. His aristocratic background may be the reason behind Muhammad's forging an alliance with him through marriage to two of his daughters. Uthman appears to have played only a small role during the lifetime of Muhammad and the caliphates of Abu Bakr and Umar.
Uthman was chosen caliph by a six-member comittee in 644. The reasons for his selection are unclear; it may be partly due to his willingness to continue Umar's policies, partly due to his Umayyad lineage. During his twelve-year reign, grievances which had been suppressed under Umar's caliphate came to the surface. He was accused of nepotism, favoritism, misadministration, and religious innovation by his detractors, which included the man who would become the fourth caliph, Ali. Uthman was murdered in 656 by a group of discontented Egyptians (see "The Four Righteous Caliphs").