It is narrated from Abu Zararah and Abu Abdullah that we heard Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) saying: By Allah, neither did I participate in the killing, nor did I kill, nor did I order the killing, nor was I pleased with this killing, that is, the killing of Hazrat Uthman.

The slave woman of Zaid bin Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) says that Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) came to visit Zaid bin Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) while people were sitting around him. Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the people, "Be silent. By Allah, whatever you ask about today, I will inform you of it." Zaid bin Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I ask you by Allah! Tell me, are you the one who killed Uthman?" So Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) lowered his gaze for a while, then said, "By Allah, Who split the seed and sent the wind, I did not kill him, nor did I order it, nor does any blame for it fall upon me."

It is narrated from Munzir bin Ya'la (may Allah be pleased with him) that on the day the rebels intended to kill Hazrat Uthman, Marwan sent a message to Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) asking, "Will you not go to this person (Hazrat Uthman) and protect him? For he is not willing to accept anyone's decision except yours." Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "We will certainly go to him." Then Ibn Hanafiyyah held his shoulder and intended to take responsibility for this task himself. He said, "O my father, where are you going? By Allah, those people will only increase in their fear of you." Then Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) sent his turban towards the rebels and told them to refrain from harming Hazrat Uthman.

It is narrated from Abu Ja'far Ansari who says: I was also among the Egyptians who attacked Hazrat Uthman. When they killed Hazrat Uthman, I ran away from there in a state of panic until I entered the mosque, where a man was sitting in one corner of the mosque with a black turban on his head. He said, "Woe to you! What happened behind you?" I said, "By Allah, that person (Hazrat Uthman) is finished." The man sitting said, "Woe to you in the end times." I looked and saw that it was Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Hakim bin Jabir who says that when Hazrat Uthman was besieged, Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Hazrat Talha, who was sitting in his house reclining on cushions. Hazrat Ali said, "I adjure you, did you not prevent the people (rebels) from [harming] the Commander of the Faithful because he would be killed?" Hazrat Talha replied, "By Allah, I will not prevent them until the Banu Umayyah give the people their rights from themselves."

It is narrated from Abu Majliz who says: People criticize Hazrat Uthman for burning the manuscripts, yet they also have faith in the Qur'an that he compiled (wrote).

It is narrated from Muhammad that Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) delivered a sermon in Basra: "By Allah, I did not kill Uthman, nor did I assist in his killing." When he descended from the pulpit, one of his companions said, "Then what did you do? Now your companions are separating from you." So when Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) returned to the pulpit, he said, "Who is the one asking about the killing of Uthman? Surely, Allah killed Uthman, and I will be with him (meaning I too will be killed)." Muhammad says: "This statement has two meanings."

It is narrated from Maymun that when Uthman was killed, Hazrat Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) made a circle with his hand and said, "Such a gap has been created in Islam that even a mountain will not be able to fill it."

It is narrated from Abdur Rahman bin Abzi who says: When the matter of Hazrat Uthman occurred, people began to whisper among themselves. I went to Ubayy bin Ka'b and said, "O Abu Mundhir, what is the way to salvation now?" He replied, "The Book of Allah." Then he said, "Act upon what is clear to you and benefit from it, and have faith in what is doubtful to you and entrust it to those who know it."

It is narrated from Juzi bin Bukair Absi that Hazrat Hudhaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Hazrat Uthman to bid him farewell or to greet him. When he turned his back and left from there, Hazrat Uthman said, "Bring him back." When Hazrat Hudhaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) returned, Hazrat Uthman said, "What is the matter that has reached me from your side?" Hazrat Hudhaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "By Allah, since I pledged allegiance, I have never held any grudge against you, and since I wished you well, I have never harbored any malice in my heart." Hazrat Uthman said, "You are more truthful and virtuous than them. You may go." So when he turned his face to leave again, Hazrat Uthman said, "What is the matter that has reached me from your side?" Then he said, "Yes, by Allah, you will surely be driven out like a bull and slaughtered like a camel." The narrator says that Hazrat Uthman began to tremble, then he called for Muawiyah. So Hazrat Muawiyah was brought so that something could be done about it. Hazrat Uthman said, "Do you know what Hudhaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) said?" He said, "You will be driven out like a bull and slaughtered like a camel." Hazrat Muawiyah said, "You should bury this matter."