Is it true that Caliph Uthman ibn Affan was overpowered at the end of his life, and some of Banu Umayyah exploited this to fulfill their desires, especially Marwan ibn al-Hakam, which provoked the anger of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and others, and Ali admonished him, saying: "By Allah, Marwan is not a man of sound judgment in his religion nor in himself. You have lost your honor, and you have been overpowered in your affairs"?

The report about Ali ibn Abi Talib rebuking Uthman concerning Marwan ibn al-Hakam is very weak because it comes from the unreliable narrations of Al-Waqidi, which are not admissible as evidence in hadith, especially regarding tribulations about which much falsehood has been spread. Furthermore, Marwan had no influence over Uthman; while Marwan tended to punish those who rebelled against Uthman, Uthman was clement.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, and the Muslim community testified to Uthman's fitness for the Caliphate. The Prophet commanded him not to cast off the cloak of the Caliphate, and had he been weak, the Prophet would not have given him such a command. Moreover, Umar's nomination of him and the people's consensus on him demonstrate his strength.

As for his appointing his relatives, it was his ijtihad (independent judgment) to assign leadership to those among them who were competent, just as the Prophet, Abu Bakr, and Umar appointed some of their relatives. Furthermore, Uthman did not withhold rights from their rightful owners; rather, he was generous with his subjects. His relatives had no authority over him; instead, he punished those among them who deserved it and dismissed those about whom the subjects complained. Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, did likewise by appointing his relatives.

The Companions did not complain about Uthman's ijtihad; rather, the complaints came from the instigators of strife who aspired to leadership. Uthman was among the most suitable people for the Caliphate, and his actions were based on what he deemed best for his subjects.