Burial
In relation to the arrangements of Hazrat Uthman’s (ra) burial, Niyaar bin Mukram relates that it was a Saturday between the Maghrib and Isha time when Hazrat Uthman’s (ra) body was carried by four individuals, including himself – Jubair bin Mut‘im, Hakeem bin Hizam and Abu Juham bin Huzayfa. Hazrat Jubair bin Mut‘im led the funereal prayer and Muawiyah has confirmed this narration. These same four individuals lowered him into the grave [for the burial] as well. According to one narration, Hazrat Jubair bin Mut‘im led the funeral prayer of Hazrat Uthman (ra) with a congregation consisting of 16 people. Allama ibn Saad states that the first narration is more correct, i.e. that the funeral prayer was offered by four people.
(Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Uthman (ra) bin Affan [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, 1996], p. 43)
Abdullah bin Amr bin Uthman relates that Hazrat Uthman (ra) was buried in Hash-e-Kokab on a Saturday evening between Maghrib and Isha prayers. Rabi bin Malik relates from his father that people would desire to bury their departed ones in Hash-e-Kokab. “Hash” means a small garden and “Kokab” was the name of an Ansari who owned this garden. This was situated very close to Jannat-ul-Baqi. Hazrat Uthman (ra) bin Affan would often say that very soon a righteous man shall pass away and he will be buried there, i.e. in Hash-e-Kokab and people will also do the same. Malik bin Abu Amir relates that Hazrat Uthman (ra) was the first person to be buried there.
(Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Uthman (ra) bin Affan [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, 1996], pp. 42-43) (Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, Vol. 5 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2005], p. 468)
There is another narration in relation to Hazrat Uthman’s (ra) burial that for three days, the mischief-makers and rebels did not allow Hazrat Uthman (ra) to be buried. It is written in Tarikh Al-Tabari that Abu Bashir Abdi related that for three days Hazrat Uthman’s (ra) body was left without a grave or shrouded in a cloth, nor was he allowed to be buried. Later, Hazrat Hakim (ra)bin Hizam and Hazrat Jubair (ra) bin Mut‘im spoke to Hazrat Ali (ra) with regard to Hazrat Uthman’s (ra) burial, that he ask the family of Hazrat Uthman (ra) to give permission to bury him. And so Hazrat Ali (ra) asked and they gave permission.
When the rebels came to learn of this, they gathered stones and stood along the way. A few members from the family of Hazrat Uthman (ra) accompanied his funeral and wanted to enter an area in Medina known as Hash-e-Kokab where the Jews would bury their dead. When the body of Hazrat Uthman (ra) was brought out, they [i.e. the rebels] pelted stones at the charpoy [which was carrying his body] in order to cause it to fall down. When news of this incident reached Hazrat Ali (ra), he sent a message to them and cautioned them against doing such a thing. Upon this, they stopped. The funeral went on until Hazrat Uthman (ra) was buried in Hash-e-Kokab.
When Amir Muawiyah assumed authority, he ordered for the walls of the graveyard to be taken down, so that it merged with graveyard of [Jannatul] Baqi. He also instructed the people to bury their departed ones close to the grave of Hazrat Uthman (ra) and in this way the graves of this area joined the graves of the other Muslims.
(Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2, Dhikr al-Khabar an al-Maudi alladhi… [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1987], p. 68)
According to other historical sources, it is also mentioned that Hazrat Uthman (ra) bought this area of land and included it as part of Jannatul Baqi.
(Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 3, Uthman (ra) bin Affan [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2003], p. 586)