HAZRAT Usman - the third Caliph-famous for outstanding personal integrity, modesty, generosity and piety, as a ruler put down with firm hand dangerous rebellions and seditious activities in the early period and extended the frontiers of Islamic State.

Though old in years, he displayed the energy and courage of youth throughout his Caliphate and even in his martyrdom. No sooner he took the reins of power in hand, he had to face a general wave of revolts or invasions. There was insurrection in Persia. There was an invasion on Syria and Egypt, by land as well as by sea. The way he overcame these awful challenges in the most trying situations and faced this tide of difficulties is a matter of record. Not only was the insurrection in Persia thoroughly quelled, but the flag of Islam was carried farther off over vast territories, right to the confines of Ghazni.

On the Syrian front, the Romans were driven back, pursued and defeated in their own lands, and the flag of Islam proudly fluttered on the coast of the Black Sea. Rome was proud of being the mistress of the seas, yet on her own element she was humbled by the Arab soldiers who had never seen naval warfare before. On the soil of Africa too, the hosts of the Roman were thoroughly defeated.

In these perilous times, Hazrat Usman steered the ship of Islam with a composure of mind and steadiness of hand, that should entitle him to a place among the greatest leaders of men.

Under him the crescent was carried farther and father and shone brighter and brighter on land and, for the first time, on sea.

A man who could deal with the hundreds of thousands of Roman hosts but refused to unsheath his sword to shed a drop of Muslim blood and saved the solidarity of the house of Islam for the greater cause set a rare example of self-sacrifice.

The financial services that Hazrat Usman rendered to the cause of Islam during the life-time of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) show that he was a most generous man. It was a period when the Muslims were in very strained circumstances, yet even then Hazrat Usman spent thousands, nay hundreds of thousands in the cause of Islam rather than take anything from the public treasury. He liberally spent his own wealth for the public good. An amount was duly sanctioned from the public treasury to meet the personal needs of the Caliph but he did not draw even this sum.

The reign of Hazrat Umar stands out so conspicuous in respect of the territorial expansion of the Empire of Islam, and mighty empires fell before the arms of Islam, one after another, in such quick succession that subsequent conquests dwindle into insignificance before their magnificence. The fact is that the reign of Hazrat Usman was no less a period of strength of Islam. This should suffice to show that the power of Islam was at the zenith of its glory during the reign of Hazrat Usman.

There was absolutely no change in the form of government during the reign of Hazrat Usman. The machinery of government was worked exactly on the lines that had so far grown up as a peculiar institution of Islam. The same were the powers of the Caliph, the same were his rights over the public purse. The Majlis-i-Shura or council of consultation was also maintained and all affairs were settled by this council. The Caliph kept himself fully informed of the state of things in the various parts of the Empire. Every Friday, before prayers, he would gather whatever information he could from those in the mosque.

There was no obstacle in the way of approaching the Caliph with a complaint or grievance against a governor or public servant. Every such case received full and prompt attention. All the departments of state worked as during the reign of Hazrat Umar. The Revenue Department was in a much more flourishing condition. The subsidy from Egypt alone went up from twenty to forty lacs. With the swelling of income, stipends that were awarded from the public treasury were also increased. Many new building were erected. Roads, bridges, mosques and guest-houses were constructed in different towns.

Adequate provision was made for the comfort of way-farers along all the routes leading to Madinah. Military posts and caravansarais, together with water fountains, sprang up all over. To protect Madinah against floods a huge dam was constructed. The Prophet’s Mosque was extended and rebuilt with stone. Farms to breed horses and camels were opened on a large scale and water arrangements were also made there.

It was 18th Zul Hijjah, 35, A.H, June 17,656 A.D. when the capital was almost empty, people having gone on pilgrimage the rebels had arrived to strike the blow. They made an attempt to force their way into the Caliph’s house and finish him. They could not break the door, therefore they went to the neighbouring house and from there jumped in. The Caliph, in the midst of his family, was reciting the Quran. The Caliph’s wife interposed to shield her husband. Her fingers also got chopped off. The household servants also offered resistance, but they were overpowered.

At last the noble and most gentle Caliph Hazrat Usman fell bleeding and died on the spot. The news came like a thunderbolt to the people who were still there in the town. He was truly a martyr who devoted his whole life to the cause of Islam and the service of humanity. As the Quran says such souls never die: “Think not of those who are slain in Allah’s way as dead. Nay, they live finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord” (3:169).

The issue of renaming the North West Frontier Province has once again come to the fore.

The announcement made by the NWFP Chief Minister, Akram Khan Durrani, to set up a high level committee to rename the province came as a surprise — a pleasant one for many who wanted to have a new name for it.

It was surprising because the issue had always been brought to the fore only by the opposition benches to derive political mileage.

Nonetheless, the chief minister’s disclosure about the move would revive the controversy that had dominated the political scenario of the province on several occasions during the days of the previous elected governments.

However, this time round it appears to be a different ball game as it is for the first time that the intentions to give the people of the province “an identity” by renaming NWFP has come from none other than the Leader of the House in the provincial assembly.

The chief minister had, apparently, seized a possible opportunity from the opposition benches, which could use the renaming issue as a political ploy against the MMA.

At least on two occasions in the past — with PML leading the provincial coalition government on both the events — the NWFP Assembly, with a majority vote, adopted resolutions seeking “Pukhtunkhawa” as the new name.

It were the opposition benches under the guidance of Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao (then leading the parliamentary group of the PPP in the NWFP Assembly) who exploited the situation to their benefit by taking the matter to the provincial assembly.

On both the occasions, the opposition members successfully caused — as the word goes — considerable dent to the unity of the ANP-PML coalition government with both the parties poles apart over the question of renaming NWFP as “Pukhtunkhawa”.

Trapped by the opposition members, ANP — which had used it as an election slogan to get NWFP renamed as “Pukhtunkhawa” — supported the opposition members’ tabled resolutions, on both the instances.

The need to have a new and, more explicitly, a proper name for the NWFP had always been there, though, political parties used it to derive political gains.

A genuine requirement and justified demand of the people of NWFP to have a proper name for their province was stamped on and political parties adopted cunning stratagems to make it controversial.

It is evident from the fact that even the provincial assembly’s adopted resolutions could not make any difference. On both the occasions the federal government, of the time, did not pay much attention as far as renaming the NWFP as “Pukhtunkhawa” is concerned.

The intentions behind the resolution were clear. They were not tabled in fulfilment of the genuine and justified demand of the people of the area. Rather, the issue was misused by a bunch of short cited politicians to cause cracks in the ANP-PML coalition government in the province.

How much Mr Durrani is serious and sincere to give practical shape to his announcement is anybody’s guess at the moment.

One can imagine that the chief minister would certainly be having the support of his parliamentary party and, above all, the top leadership of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal before making his mind public. If he does not command their support particularly Jamaat-i-Islami, then one can equally be sure that he would certainly be in hot water in the days to come.

In this case he would find himself in a difficult situation with opposition members taking him to task and JI trying to serve its political agenda by making him to adhere to its dictates being equally important component party of the MMA.

Though there is no denying the fact that the MMA-led provincial government has taken a bold step by pulling out the contentious issue from the cold storage to settle it once and for all, the same may open up a new front if it fails to tackle it in the right way.

The Awami National Party has already made public its stand over the subject asking the chief minister to name NWFP as “Pukhtunkhawa” in fulfilment of the provincial assembly’s resolutions.

The nationalist force has taken the stand that Mr Durrani should get the recommendation of the assembly and implement it for having (Mr Durrani) voted for the “Pukhtunkhawa” resolution when it was adopted last time by the previous NWFP Assembly.

Apart from him MPA Pir Mohammed Khan is another senior member of the MMA parliamentary group in the NWFP Assembly who had voted in support of the resolution seeking NWFP renamed as “Pukhtunkhawa”.

Hence, with two senior MPAs of the MMA’s parliamentary group in the provincial assembly, having voted for getting NWFP renamed, it appears to be a gigantic task for the religio- political alliance to settle it amicably.

Perhaps this would be a really big contribution on the part of the sitting provincial government to resolve the issue and the credit would certainly go to the MMA, not only because of giving a proper name to the province, but all the more, it would save the future governments from spending their energies and precious time to settle an issue which would, though, bring no respite for the people of the province where poverty is as high as 44 per cent.

PAKISTAN’s first two matches in the World Cup have emphatically underlined the team’s shortcomings, not that it came as a revelation.

They brought home the batting’s brittleness more tellingly, exposed the limitations of leadership more harshly and marked ineptness of fielding more prominently.

The two matches against front-runners Australia and lowly placed Namibia made it clear that Pakistan’s World Cup campaign may come to an early, pre-Super Six end, if radical changes are not made.

If the team crosses the first hurdle, it is certain to stumble by the wayside on the next turn-ignominiously in all likelihood.

Nothing is to be done in the areas of captaincy and fielding overnight.

Waqar Younis cannot be taught field placing or imaginative harnessing of bowlers; intelligence and acumen are not subject to instant upgradation.

Coach Richard Pybus has done the deed in fielding and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) can now think of how best to use the expensive sword.

Tour selectors would carry out the task of selecting playing eleven and finalizing batting order in their sterile way; they have already demonstrated a pathetic lack of capacity for grasping a challenge and rising to it.

However, even chief selector Wasim Bari, the man who has played a pivotal role in messing up the team, feels that changes in batting order are indicated.

But a routine shuffling of the pack would hardly produce positive results.

A conventional approach would yield no mileage. Firstly, faults need to be objectively inventoried. The openers have failed. No specialist batsman for one drop is among the World Cup squad.

Middle-order suffers from loss of concentration around a score of 20-30 odd runs. Worst of all, star batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq is woefully groping.

Juggling with the batting order is not the way out. A radical strategy needs to be devised.

Going by Saeed Anwar’s scratchy, hit and miss innings against Namibia, authentic fireworks associated with him in the past are not expected of the stylish left-hander.

Exchanging him for Salim Elahi may be useful in so far as he would quickly return to the pavilion instead of wasting time and deliveries in the middle.

It would also mean replacing a good fielder with a weak one.

The selectors should have tested Anwar on the South African safari.

His late recall without properly ascertaining form and fitness for a gruelling one hundred over run was an act of astounding naivety.

Saeed Anwar against Namibia was baggage — he could be cabbage against a professional side.

The team has thus to wade through the tournament with 14 members. Eleven of them are self-selected for the playing eleven in crucial ties.

The main worry is Inzamam. He comes two down at a paltry score accumulated at snail-paced rate and quickly pushes the team down a deeper hole. A batsman of his class cannot be sidelined, most certainly not when Taufiq Umar is the sole replacement option.

The suggestion for sending Inzamam at No 3 is going through the motions of change. Considering that the opening stand is qualified to last the first three to four overs on its lucky day, he would be virtually opening the innings most of the time. Why not cast him as opener? If Sachin Tendulkar can face the new ball, there is no reason to think that Inzamam cannot.

He will have to be told that he has to lead the batting. Nothing would be lost if he gets out early but he possesses the talent to take any bowling apart; he should be instructed to attempt just that.

Inzamam getting out to a low score at No 4 expedites the team’s trip down the slope; failure as opener would prepare the remaining players for a fight without loss of time.

His partner is to be selected from among Saleem Elahi, Taufiq Umar and Shahid Afridi, besides Saeed Anwar. One way or the other, they have all failed. Saleem Elahi and Taufiq Umar have struggled to consolidate their place in the playing eleven.

But they have been either losing their wickets early or regardlessly prolonging their stay in the middle; they cannot be seriously considered productive players for the abridged version of the sport, not at this point in time at least.

Afridi has been a bigger failure, if anything. But the travelling circus of coach and experts has contributed to his miserable run by advising him to settle down first and do the hitting later; it has to be the other way round for Afridi.

He is a slogger and there are no grounds for expecting his transformation in to textbook batsman. He should be sent in, with instructions to go for broke. Despite mishandling by the captain against Australia, he remains a handy bowler. Inzamam should adopt the same approach.

The pair would be bonanza if it clicks; there would be time for repair work for the later batsmen if it comes apart.

Ours is a team without a specialist one-down batsman, thanks to the premature axing of Ijaz Ahmed and ignoring Mohammad Wasim. Experimenting with Abdul Razzaq in that slot proved generally positive in the last World Cup.

He can be placed in the same position, current form notwithstanding.

Yousuf Youhana and Younis Khan can bat at two and three down. There is no need to pack the team with more batsmen in the hope that they would score runs. If Inzamam, Youhana, and Younis cannot deliver and help Pakistan reach a good total or chase a high one, others are much less eligible for hitting either target.

Pakistan’s strength is their bowling. That department should be further augmented. With Afridi and Razzaq already in the side, there would be room for another six players.

Rashid Latif and Wasim Akram are waging a committed fight; Wasim is determined to produce a memorable swan song. They should fill the next two positions.

Azhar Mahmood should be inducted as additional all-rounder. The last three positions can go to Saqlain, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar. This would widen the team’s bowling resources and give the captain a chance to replace bowlers who are not at their best on a particular day.

A bold and aggressive approach is the only option for Pakistan to retain its chances and self-respect in the tournament. The team has to take the World Cup by the scruff of its neck. Or, turn quickly, tamely and shamefacedly towards the exit door.