Alqamah bin Qais (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated that I was with Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) met him at Mina and said, "O Abu Abdur Rahman, I have a matter to discuss with you." Then both of them went aside in private. Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him, "O Abu Abdur Rahman, would you like us to arrange your marriage with a virgin girl who would remind you of the days gone by?" Since Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) did not feel the need for this, he signaled to me and said, "Alqamah (come here)." When I reached him, he was saying, "If this is your (O Uthman) suggestion, then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to us: 'O young men! Whoever among you has the means to marry should get married, and whoever does not have the means should observe fasting, for it will diminish his sexual desire.'"

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that three men (Ali bin Abi Talib, Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-As, and Uthman bin Maz'un, may Allah be pleased with them) came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to ask about his worship. When they were informed about the actions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), it seemed to them as if it was little, and they said, "What comparison do we have with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)? All his past and future mistakes have been forgiven." One of them said, "From today, I will always pray all night long." The second said, "I will always fast and never break my fast." The third said, "I will keep away from women and never marry." Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came and asked them, "Are you the ones who said these things?" Listen! By Allah, I am the one who fears Allah the most among you, and I am the most pious among you, but I fast and I also break my fast, I pray (at night) and I also sleep, and I marry women. Whoever turns away from my way is not from me.

Sayyiduna Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade Sayyiduna ‘Uthman bin Maz’un (may Allah be pleased with him) from adopting celibacy, that is, living a life separate from women. If the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had permitted him, we would have become eunuchs.