40488 - He said: And in the narration of Abu Sa'id: A man entered upon him and said: "Between me and you is the Book of Allah." So he went out and left him. Then a man called "the Black Death" entered upon him, strangled him and strangled him, then went out. He said: "By Allah, I have never seen anything softer than (his throat), by Allah, I strangled him until I saw his soul fluttering in his body like the soul of a jinn." Then another man entered upon him and said: "Between me and you is the Book of Allah," and the mushaf was in front of him. So he reached for him with the sword, and (he defended himself) with his hand, so he cut it off—I do not know whether he severed it completely or cut it without severing it. ⦗429⦘ He said: "By Allah, it is the first hand (that wrote) the separation."

40489 - (And it was narrated) (1) in a narration other than that of Abu Sa'id: so (al-Tujaybi) (2) entered upon him, (and pierced him) (3) with an arrowhead, (and the blood spurted) (4) on this verse: ﴿So Allah will suffice you against them, and He is the Hearing (5), the Knowing﴾ [البقرة: ١٣٧] And in the mushaf (it did not leave a mark) (6) (7).

40490 - 17. And the daughter of (al-Qarafisah) took, in the hadith of Abu Sa'id, her (jewelry) and placed it in her (lap), and that was before he was killed. When he was wounded or killed, she recoiled—or spread her legs—over him. Some of them said: May Allah fight her, how great is her (buttocks). So I knew that the enemies of Allah only desired (the worldly life).

It is narrated from Jahm Fahri who says: I personally witnessed this incident that Sa’d and ‘Ammarah sent a message to Hazrat Uthman, saying,“Come to us, we want to inform you about things that you have newly introduced.”Hazrat Uthman sent a message back,“You may go today, I am busy today. I have set a day to meet you so that I may prepare for the dispute.”Abu Muhsin says that the meaning of“ashzan”is“so that I may prepare for the dispute with you.”Sa’d went back, but ‘Ammar refused to return. Abu Muhsin said this twice. So the messenger of Hazrat Uthman seized and beat him. Then, on the appointed day, when they all gathered, Hazrat Uthman said to them,“What is it that you are angry with me about?”They said,“We are angry because you beat ‘Ammar.”Hazrat Uthman said,“Sa’d and ‘Ammar came, I sent them a message to leave. Sa’d left, but ‘Ammar refused, so my messenger beat him without my order. By Allah, I neither ordered it nor was I pleased with it. Still, I am present! ‘Ammar may take his retaliation.”Abu Muhsin explains that“liyastabir”means to take retaliation. Then they said,“We are angry with you because you have made the different letters (recitations) into one letter.”Hazrat Uthman said,“Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him) was with me. He said, ‘What will you do when it is said: so-and-so’s recitation, so-and-so’s recitation, and so-and-so’s recitation, just as the People of the Book differed in their books?’ So if this action (gathering the Arabs on one recitation) is correct, then it is from Allah, and if it is wrong, then it is from Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him).”Then they said,“We are also angry with you because you have designated pastures.”Hazrat Uthman said,“The Quraysh came to me and said that every tribe of the Arabs has a pasture except us, so I designated a pasture for them. If you are pleased, keep it as it is, and if you dislike it, then change it, or he said, do not designate it.”Abu Muhsin was uncertain about this. Then they said,“We are angry with you because you have imposed your ignorant relatives over us.”Hazrat Uthman said,“Let the people of every city stand and tell me whom they like, I will appoint him as governor, and whom they dislike, I will remove him.”So the people of Basra said,“We are pleased with Abdullah bin ‘Amir, keep him.”Then the people of Kufa said,“Remove Sa’id (Walid says Abu Muhsin was uncertain about this) and appoint Abu Musa as our governor.”So Hazrat Uthman did so. The people of Syria said,“We are pleased with Mu’awiyah, keep him over us.”And the people of Egypt said,“Remove Ibn Abu Sarh and appoint ‘Amr bin ‘As as governor.”Hazrat Uthman did so. Whatever they demanded, they obtained and returned happily. While they were on the way, a rider passed by them. They became suspicious and investigated him, and from a leather container, they found a letter addressed to their governor. Its content was:“Kill so-and-so and so-and-so.”So they returned and went to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), then Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) went with them to Hazrat Uthman. Then they said to Hazrat Uthman,“Here is your letter and here is your seal.”Hazrat Uthman said,“By Allah, I neither wrote the letter nor do I know anything about it, nor did I order it.”Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said,“Then in your opinion, who could have written it?”Abu Muhsin says, or he said,“Then whom do you accuse?”Hazrat Uthman said,“I think my scribe acted deceitfully, and O Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), I even suspect you.”Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said,“The people are obedient to you.”Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said,“Then why did you not turn them away from me?”The people did not trust you and persisted in their stubbornness until they besieged Hazrat Uthman. Then Hazrat Uthman turned to them and said,“Do you deem my blood lawful?”By Allah, the blood of a Muslim is not lawful except for three reasons: one, if he becomes an apostate; two, a married adulterer; and three, one who kills someone. By Allah, I do not think that since I embraced Islam, I have committed any of these.”The narrator says they persisted in their stubbornness. Then Hazrat Uthman demanded from the people that there be no bloodshed. The narrator says,“I saw Ibn Zubair go out with an army to overpower the rebels. If they had wanted to kill the rebels...”

It is narrated from Amr bin Dinar who says: When there was mention about Hazrat Uthman, as people usually mention, Abdur Rahman came along with some of his companions and went to Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar. Then the people said, "O Abdur Rahman, do you not see how many things this man (Hazrat Uthman) has introduced?" Abdur Rahman replied, "Wow, what are you commanding me to do? Do you want to become like the Romans and Persians, that when they are displeased with their king, they kill him? Allah Almighty has entrusted this leadership to him, and He knows best. I cannot say anything against him."

40493 - Aswad ibn Amir narrated to us, he said: Hammad ibn Salamah narrated to us from Ali ibn Zayd from Bishr ibn (Shighaf) (1) who said: Abdullah ibn Salam asked me about the Khawarij, so I said: (They are) (2) the people who pray the most (and fast the most) (3), except that when they cross (the bridge) (4), they shed ⦗435⦘ blood and seize wealth. He said: Do not (ask) (5) about them (except this) (6). (As for me) (7), I have said to them: Do not kill Uthman, leave him, for by Allah, if you leave him for eleven days, he will die (a natural death on his bed) (8), but they did not do so. And no prophet was killed except that seventy thousand (of the people) (9) were killed for him, and no caliph was killed except that thirty-five thousand (10) were killed for him.

It is narrated from Abu Qilabah that Hasan bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) presented himself before Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, "Shall I draw my sword? (I am ready to fight the rebels)." Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "Then I would be free from your blood before Allah. Keep your sword where it is (in its sheath) and go to your home."

It is narrated from A’mash that we came to Ibn Abu Hudhail, so he said that they said that they martyred Hazrat Uthman. He then came to me again, and we said,“Did you not have any doubt anywhere?”

Sur bin Ibrahim narrates from his father that I heard him say: These are my two feet; if the Word of Allah permitted that they be put in chains, then put shackles on both my feet.

It is narrated from Muhammad that Hazrat Hudhaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) said at the time of the killing of Hazrat Uthman: "O Allah, if the people of Arabia have martyred Hazrat Uthman in a good way, that is, for goodness, guidance, and Your pleasure, then I am free from it and have no part in it. And if the people of Arabia have made a mistake by martyring him, then You already know about my disassociation from it." Then he said, "Take a lesson from what I am telling you. By Allah, if the people of Arabia have done good in his killing, soon they will see its benefit, and if they have made a mistake in it, they will also see its bloody loss."