Moment 1 of 2
He bought a well and gave the water away
Madinah, in the years after the Hijrah, when the town's water was privately owned.
MadinahThe early Madinan years1 min read
When the Muhajirun arrived in Madinah, one of the practical problems was water. A good well called Rumah was in private hands, and the owner sold from it.
The Prophet ﷺ encouraged someone to buy the well for the Muslims. Uthman did.
The reports describe him purchasing it and making its water available to the people of the town without charge.
It is an unglamorous thing to be remembered for, and that is rather the point. Of everything a wealthy man could have spent money on in a new town, he bought the water supply and then gave it away.
In this moment: The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
Quick recall
What did Uthman do with the well of Rumah in Madinah?
Sources & review
Draft content — undergoing reviewThis content was written for SahabaMate and has not yet been checked by a reviewer against the works below. Treat it as a starting point, not a citation.
Kitab at-Tabaqat al-Kabirالطبقات الكبرى
Classical biography · Ibn Sa'd
Siyar A'lam an-Nubalaسير أعلام النبلاء
Classical biography · Shams ad-Din adh-Dhahabi
Jami' at-Tirmidhiجامع الترمذي
Hadith collection · Muhammad ibn 'Isa at-Tirmidhi
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