Khalifa Uthman bin Affan - Sermons of Uthman 2

Unity
Exhorting the people to maintain unity, Uthman said:

"Remain united. Let there be no dissension in your ranks. You were the enemies of one another. God blessed you with Islam, and you began to love one another, and became brothers. Maintain your unity. Do not break up into sections. Allah is happy with your unity, and exhorts you to refrain from disunity."

The people of Madina
Stressing the importance of the people of Madina in the Islamic community, Uthman said:

"O the people of Madina you are the backbone of Islam. If you stray from the right path, the other Muslims will also stray. Therefore maintain the highest standards of integrity. Beware that if I come to know of any dereliction on your part I will exile you. In this respect no excuse will be entertained. You know that in the previous regimes those who strayed were put to death. I will overlook your petty lapses, but such conduct which is volatile of Islam will not be tolerated. Things are happening which I do not approve either for you or for myself. I will have to be very cautious. You should also be careful. Reform your tongue. When the tongue is restrained the heart is purified. When Allah sees His men making efforts to reform He gets pleased. He becomes wroth when He sees the people bent on mischief. Man should therefore try to reform himself."

The last sermon
According to Tabari, the last sermon of Uthman was as follows:

"The truth of the matter is that you are in this world merely to prepare for the next world. God never intended that you should be attracted by the world. This world will not last; the hereafter alone will be eternal. Therefore you should not be proud of anything in this world. Beware that you do not become forgetful of the next world. Prefer the hereafter to this world, for you have to ultimately return to God. Always fear God. This fear will serve you as a shield against His punishment. Be afraid of the punishment of God. Remain united, and be not divided into sections. Remember that you were the enemies of one another, and under Islam, God made you like brothers. See that this unity is maintained at all costs."