The Biography of Uthman Ibn Affan R Dhun Noorayn

His staying close to the Prophet in Madfnah 43
they had earned. But Alllih, indeed, has forgiven them. Surely,
Alllih is Oft-Forgiving, Most Forbearing" (Aal 'Imrin 3~155)
But those who cannot see anything but that which is dictated
to them by their whims and desires never quote the names of
those who retreated except 'UthmSn &. They accuse him and not
the other SaMbah who also retreated. Should he have stayed on
his own? If he had done that he would have exposed himself to
danger.['] After All& forgave those who retreated, the ruling is
very clear and there is no confusion or ambiguity. There is no
room for blaming 'Uthmh ibn'Affh & after that. It is enough to
know that Alliih has forgiven him, as is stated in the text of the
Qur'h. His striving in jihad throughout his life is witness to his
bravery.
The campaign of Ghatafsn (Dhu Imr)
The Messenger of Alliih @ mobilized the Muslims and set out
with four hundred men and a number of horses, leaving 'Uthmin
ibn 'Affin & in charge in MadAbah. They captured a (mushrik)
man in Dhu'l-Qussah whose name was Jabbk, from Banu
Tha'labah. He was taken to the Messenger of Allih @$ and he
told him some information about his people, and said: "They will
never meet you in battle; when they heard that you were coming,
they fled to the mountaintops. I will go with you." The Messenger
of AllSh gg called him to Islam and he became Mush, and the
Messenger of Alliih @ made him the brother of Bila. The
Messenger of Allih @ did not meet anyone in battle, then he came
back to Madhah with no fighting having taken place. He was
absent for eleven days.[']
The campaign of Dhat al-RiqV
The Messenger of AllSh g heard that a group from Ghatafh,
from (the tribes of) Tha'labah and Anm*, wanted to attack
Madkah, so he set out with four hundred of his companions until
['I alarneen Dhu'n-Nooayan by Mahmoud Sh&ir, p. 49
"I al-Rawd al-Anf, 3/137; al-Tabaqit by Ibn Sa'd, 2/34, 35