And Ali Ibn Ibrahim has mentioned in his Tafsir:
وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ لَا تَسْفِكُونَ دِمَاءَكُمْ وَلَا تُخْرِجُونَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ ثُمَّ أَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ. ثُمَّ أَنْتُمْ هٰؤُلَاءِ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَتُخْرِجُونَ فَرِيقًا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ تَظَاهَرُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِالْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَإِنْ يَأْتُوكُمْ أُسَارٰى تُفَادُوهُمْ وَهُوَ مُحَرَّمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ إِخْرَاجُهُمْ ۚ أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ ۚ فَمَا جَزَاءُ مَنْ يَفْعَلُ ذٰلِكَ مِنْكُمْ إِلَّا خِزْيٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ.
“And when We made a covenant with you: You shall not shed your blood and you shall not turn your people out of your cities; then you gave a promise while you witnessed. Yet you it is who slay your people and turn a party from among you out of their homes, backing each other up against them unlawfully and exceeding the limits; and if they should come to you, as captives you would ransom them- while their very turning out was unlawful for you. Do you then believe in a part of the Book and disbelieve in the other? What then is the reward of such among you as do this but disgrace in the life of this world, and on the day of resurrection they shall be sent back to the most grievous chastisement, and Allah is not at all heedless of what you do.”36
Ali bin Ibrahim has mentioned that these verses were revealed about Abu Dharr and Uthman due to the fact that when Abu Dharr entered Medina in a bad condition and stood before Uthman leaning on his staff, at that time, an amount of 100000 dirhams was piled before Uthman from the Public Treasury and his companions were eyeing the money, expecting it to be distributed among them.
Abu Dharr asked: “What money is it?” He replied: “It is an amount of 100000 dirhams brought for me from the surrounding areas and we are waiting for an equal amount so that I can spend it in any way I like.” Abu Dharr asked: “O Uthman, what is more 100000 dirhams or four dinars?”
He replied: “100000 dirhams.” Abu Dharr said: “Do you remember I and you had visited the Prophet one night to find him extremely worried and he did not even speak to us. When we visited him the next morning, we found that he was very happy and satisfied. We said: May our parents be sacrificed on you. Why was His Eminence so gloomy last night and that he is happy this morning?”
The Messenger of Allah (S) said: “Last night, I had received four dinars of public wealth and I was not able to distribute it. I feared that if I died in that condition and that money should remain with me what my position will be. By now it is given away, so I am comfortable.” Uthman turned to Kaab al-Ahbar and asked: “What is your opinion about one who paid the Zakat applicable on his wealth? Is anything else obligatory on him?”
And according to another report he said: “O Kaab, what restrains the Imam to sanction some amount to the Muslims from Public Treasury and retain some amount so that he may give it to whomsoever he likes according to the exigencies of time?” Kaab said: “There is no problem if you melt them into gold and silver ingots.” Abu Dharr brought down his staff on Kaab’s head and said: “O son of a Jewess, what concern have you to interfere in the affairs of Muslims? The statement of the Almighty Allah is correct or your words? When He says:
وَالَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنْفِقُونَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَبَشِّرْهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ. يَوْمَ يُحْمَىٰ عَلَيْهَا فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ فَتُكْوٰى بِهَا جِبَاهُهُمْ وَجُنُوبُهُمْ وَظُهُورُهُمْ ۖ هٰذَا مَا كَنَزْتُمْ لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ فَذُوقُوا مَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْنِزُونَ.
“…and (as for) those who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in Allah’s way, announce to them a painful chastisement. On the day when it shall be heated in the fire of hell, then their foreheads and their sides and their backs shall be branded with it; this is what you hoarded up for yourselves, therefore taste what you hoarded.”37
When Abu Dharr recited these verses, Uthman said: “You have become a nasty old man, you have gone mad. If you had not been a companion of the Prophet I would have put you to death.” Abu Dharr said, “O Uthman, you are a liar, you cannot kill me. My beloved, the Holy Prophet (S) had informed me that neither can anyone make me deviate from my religion nor kill me. As for my intellect, it is that I remember well the tradition that the Messenger of Allah (S) has stated about you and me.”
Uthman asked: What is it?” Abu Dharr replied: “I never issued such a statement, but I witness that I heard the Messenger of Allah (S) that when the descendants of Abil Aas reach upto thirty, they would use the funds of the Almighty Allah to obtain power and consider the people as their servants and practice dishonesty in the religion of Allah.
And they will distribute the amount among themselves. They will interpret the Qur’an wrongly. They would enslave the people and take dishonest persons as their advisors and dispute with the righteous.” Uthman asked: “O companions of the Prophet, has anyone of you heard this tradition from the Prophet.” All denied having heard such a thing in order to please Uthman. Uthman said: “Call for Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.s.).” When he arrived, Uthman said: “See what this aged liar is uttering.”
Imam Ali (a.s.) said: “It is enough Uthman, you cannot accuse him of lying, because I have heard the Holy Prophet (S) say about him: “The green sky has not shaded and the dusty earth not borne the weight of any speaker more truthful than Abu Dharr.” All the companions present there said: “By Allah, Ali is right, we have indeed heard this from the Messenger of Allah (S).” Abu Dharr began to weep and he said: “You are all eyeing this money greedily and accuse me of lying and attributing falsehood to the Holy Prophet (S).”
Then he asked the hypocrites: “Which of you is best?” Uthman said: “Do why think that you are better than us?” “Yes,” said Abu Dharr. “Since I have separated from my beloved Prophet, I am wearing the same robe. I have not sold away my religion in exchange of the world and you have created heresies in the religion of God.
You have destroyed the religion for the sake of the world and spent public wealth in wrong ways. The Almighty Allah will ask you and He will not ask me.” Uthman at last asked: “I adjure you in the name of the Prophet, tell me the truth.” Abu Dharr said: “Even if you had not adjured me I would have stated the truth.”
Uthman asked: “Which city do you like most?” “The city which is the sanctuary of God and sanctuary of the Messenger, I wish to worship there till death.” Uthman said: “I will not send you there, because you have no respect in my eyes.” Abu Dharr fell silent. Uthman again asked: “Which place you hate most?” “Rabza,” he replied, “where I had lived in infidelity.” Uthman said: “I will send you there.” Abu Dharr said: “I told you the truth whatever you asked me.
Now you must also tell me truly whatever I ask you. If you send an army to confront the enemy and I am also in that army and if I am taken a prisoner and the enemy demands one-third of your wealth to release me, will you pay that amount to get me freed?” “Yes,” said Uthman. Then he asked: “If they ask for half of your wealth?” “Yes,” said Uthman. Then he asked: “If they ask for all of your wealth?” Uthman said: “I will give up all my wealth as a ransom to get you released.”
Abu Dharr said: “Allahu Akbar, my beloved the Messenger of Allah (S) told me one day: O Abu Dharr what your condition will be when you will be asked about your favorite place and you will say that it is Mecca. So your residence there will not be accepted. Then you will be asked which you hate most and you will say that it is Rabza and that you will be sent there only?”
I asked: O Messenger of Allah (S), would such a time really come to pass?” He replied: “Yes, by the one in whose control my life is, this would really come to pass.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah (S), on that I will take out my sword and fight Jihad valiantly.” But the Holy Prophet (S) said: “No, keep quiet and don’t oppose anyone, if he is a black slave. Indeed between you and Uthman the Almighty Allah has revealed a few verses of Qur’an and the Holy Prophet (S) recited the verses mentioned above.
And their connection with this incident is obvious to all. Thus is Abu Dharr’s exile from Medina and his dialogue about his ransom. So Uthman ordered Marwan bin Hakam to extern Abu Dharr and his family from Medina and send him to Rabza. And he emphasized that none of the companions should go to see him off. But Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) disobeyed Uthman along with a particular group of people.
They went to say farewell to Abu Dharr and comforted him in his troubles.