Uthman ibn Affan (577 – 20 June 656) is one of the companions of Islamic prophet, Muhammad.

He plays a major role in early Islamic history as the third of the Sunni Rashidun or Rightly Guided Caliphs.

Uthman was born into the Umayyad clan of Mecca, a powerful family of the Quraish tribe.

He is a companion of Muhammad who assumes the role of leader (caliph) of the Muslim Empire at the age of 65 following Umar ibn al-Khattab.

Under his leadership, the empire expands into Fars in 650 (present-day Iran) and some areas of Khorasan (present-day Afghanistan) in 651 and the conquest of Armenia is begun in the 640s.

Some of Uthman's notable achievements are the economic reforms he introduces, and the compilation of the Qur'an into the unified, authoritative text that is known today.