Hazrat Abu Habibah, may Allah have mercy on him, says that I entered the house of Hazrat Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, when the rebels had surrounded his house. Then I heard Hazrat Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, saying that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Soon after me, you will encounter tribulation and discord. The narrator says: A questioner asked: Do you command us to do anything? The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: It is obligatory upon you to obey the leader and his companions. And the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, placed his hand on the shoulder of Hazrat Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him.

Hazrat A'mash (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Abu Salih (may Allah have mercy on him) said: When Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to mention the martyrdom of Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), he would begin to weep. It is as if I can still hear the sound of his sobbing.

Hazrat Masruq (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that when Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was killed, at that time Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "You people have abandoned him just as filth is abandoned on a clean garment. Then you brought him close and slaughtered him as a ram is slaughtered. Why did this not happen before?" So Hazrat Masruq (may Allah have mercy on him) said to her: "This happened because of your action, that you wrote letters to the people ordering them to rebel!" The narrator says: Upon this, Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "No! By the One in whom all believers have faith and with whom the disbelievers disbelieved, I have not written anything with black (ink) on white (paper) until I sat in my place." Imam A'mash (may Allah have mercy on him) says: Thus, their opinion was that all this was written on her tongue.

34222 - Al-A'mash said: So they used to think that it was written on her tongue.

Hazrat Muhammad bin Hatib (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that I heard Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) delivering this sermon, in which he recited this verse: (Indeed, those for whom the good end has already been decreed from Us, they will be kept far away from it). He (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was among those people.

Hazrat Uqbah bin Aws as-Sadoosi, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: There will be twelve (12) caliphs in this Ummah. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, you people have already confirmed his name. And Umar bin Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, who will be very trustworthy. You people have also confirmed his name. And Uthman bin Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, the possessor of two lights, who was entrusted with two responsibilities of mercy. And he was unjustly killed. You people have also confirmed his name.

Hazrat Majma’ (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Abi Laila (may Allah have mercy on him) went to Hajjaj bin Yusuf. Hajjaj said to his companions: If you want to see a person who reviles Amir al-Mu’minin Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), then this person, Abdur Rahman, is before you—look at him. Upon this, Hazrat Abdur Rahman (may Allah have mercy on him) said: O Amir! I seek Allah’s refuge from reviling Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). Indeed, this blessed verse found in the Book of Allah has prevented and protected me from this act. Allah has said: (translation: And (the spoils of war are) for the poor emigrants who were expelled from their homes and their properties, seeking bounty from Allah and His pleasure, and supporting Allah and His Messenger. Those are the truthful.) Hazrat Uthman was among those people.

Hazrat Yazid bin Amr al-Ma’asari, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that Hazrat Abu Thawr al-Fahmi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Abdur Rahman bin ‘Udays, who was among those who pledged allegiance under the tree, came to the rebels and ascended the pulpit. After praising and glorifying Allah, he mentioned Hazrat Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him. Hazrat Abu Thawr, may Allah have mercy on him, says: During the siege, I went to Hazrat Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, and said,“So-and-so is saying such-and-such about you.”Hazrat Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, replied:“How can such a thing be? When I have stored up ten special virtues with Allah. They are: I am the fourth person to embrace Islam. And indeed, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, married me to one of his daughters, then married me to another of his daughters. And indeed, I pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah with this right hand of mine, and never did I touch my private parts with it thereafter. Nor did I ever engage in romantic affairs. Nor did I ever desire or long for such things. And I never drank wine, neither in the days of ignorance nor in Islam. And the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: ‘Who will buy this portion of the road and expand the mosque with it, for him will be a house in Paradise in exchange?’ So I bought that place and expanded the mosque.”

Hazrat Mas'ar, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Mulhan, may Allah have mercy on him, said: When Hazrat Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, was mentioned in the presence of Hazrat Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, and Hazrat Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, he (Ibn Umar) said: What is your opinion if you have two camels, one of which is strong and the other is weak, would you kill the weak camel?

Hazrat Mas'ar (may Allah have mercy on him) says that Hazrat Abu Sulaiman (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I asked Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) about Hazrat Uthman (may Allah have mercy on him). The narrator says that he (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: Consider him the best among us, or he said: We used to consider him the best and most virtuous among ourselves.