Actually...

Actually, Uthman enjoined upon Muslims to unite on one recitation, acting on the advice of certain Muhajirin and Ansar who feared disunity resulting from some confusion among the people of Iraq and Syria in respect of recitations.

Before that, there were various copies having recitations based on the "seven readings" upon which the Qur'an was revealed ...."[^1] I say that Uthman united the Muslims upon one mode of recitation, the recitation which was already current and known among the Muslims, the one which they had heard from the Prophet (‘s).

He forbade all other systems which had developed based on the so called report about the Qur'an having been revealed according to "seven readings", and I have already proved that this report is untrue. Uthman was never censured for this, because the different recitations were bound to bring about disunity and discord among the Muslims. In fact, each group had begun to label the others as infidels. And the Prophet (‘s) himself had forbidden any differences in re­spect of the Qur'an.

However, Uthman was censured for having burnt up the rest of the copies of the Qur'an, and for having ordered the Muslims to do so. A group of Muslims became his severe critics, labelling him as "the burner of Qur'an". [^1]: al Itqan, v1, p.103 Previous…