Some things are binary. You are pregnant or you are not. You are married or you are not. Alive, or not. Championship team, or runner-up. Other things are not binary, they are subjective: the quality of a painting, novel, or joke. Or how one friend is better at telling stories than another. Binary things such as being married or not are easier to understand. Yes or no.
So although, as one Shaykh told me years ago “there’s not much [historically written about] them”, our Caliph Rady Allahu ‘anh was married to two daughters of the Holy Prophet, upon whom be blessings and peace, one after the other. That conveys positive information simply by its binary quality. He was wed. Twice.
In that spirit, we don’t need much historically written about some people to know their significance. Look at who their father was, who their children were, who their husband was, and who their sisters were.
For some things in life, showing up is enough. Not just physically, but through noticing using the power of Attention. When you realize toward the end of the game that you are winning, perhaps there is no need to pull-the-goalie—to borrow an ice hockey expression—at the end of the game. Just convert your advantage into a win.
When you are the only one in human history to do a notable thing, that’s binary.
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ibn Abban al-Ju’fi said: My maternal uncle Hussein al-Ju’fi siad, ‘Do you realise why ‘Uthman was called the Possessor of Two Lights?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘No-one has ever been united to two daughters of a prophet since Allah created Adam (nor will be ) until the Hour arises other than ‘Uthman, and for that reason he was called the Possessor of Two Lights.’