and Hazrat Osman was elected as the third Caliph by a...

and Hazrat Osman was elected as the third Caliph by a Council of Electors consisting of six members appointed by the dying Caliph. John Bagot Glubb says in his boo k The Great Arab Conquests, "Osman had been a failure as Caliph. He had proved too weak to control the turbulent and factious spirit of the Arabs, especially at a time when an almost unbroken succession of victories had rendered them more than usually intractable.

His was a limited mental outlook, unable to grasp the big issues and dominated by his greedy relatives. He himself lived comfortably and accepted presents, though doubtless ( his primitive luxuries were negligible in comparison with) those of the former rulers of Byzantine and Madain." Hazrat Ali continued assisting the ruling Caliph with the same perseverance as in the past, until Hazrat Osman was murdered.

At this critical moment, when the angry groups of Muslims had besieged the house of Hazrat Osman, no one dared to protect the helpless Caliph. "But" in the words of Amir Ali in The History of the Saracens, "Osman was bravely defended by Ali and his sons and dependants, and the insurgents had great difficulty in making any impression on the defenders. At last two of the besiegers scaled the wall, and there killed the aged Caliph." Writings of some Historians on the death of Osman.

"For a few days after the murder of Osman", writes John Bagot Glubb, "Medina was an anarchy with the mutineers in complete control .... Ali was pressed to accept the Caliphate both by the companions of the Prophet-the now venerable elders of Medina-and by the insubordinate troops who virtually controlled the city. Six days after the murder of Osman, Ali was proclaimed Caliph in Medina.

The majority of the citizens, including Talha and Zubeir took the oath of allegiance to him." Eric Schroeder in 'Mohammad's People', published in England (1955) says, "Five days after the murder of Caliph Osman, the people gathered together and decided; 'We know no one better to be Imam and Caliph than Ali but he will not take the burden, answered some, 'press him home till he consents'.