It is narrated from Qais: When Muawiyah and Amr came to Kufa, Harith bin Azma came to Amr. Amr was about to leave on horseback when Harith said to him, "I had come for a task; if you were seated, I would have asked you a question." Hazrat Amr replied, "Ask whatever question you have, for the answer I can give you while seated, I can give you now as well." Harith said, "Tell me something about Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and Uthman." He replied, "Anger and selfishness had gathered together in one place, so anger overcame selfishness." Then he went on his way.

Aqra’ bin Habis narrates that Hazrat Umar called a priest. Hazrat Umar was questioning him and I was shading both of them. Hazrat Umar asked him,“Do you find mention of us in your books?”He replied,“Yes, there is mention of your qualities and deeds.”Hazrat Umar asked,“What is that?”He said,“I find you as the horn of iron.”Hazrat Umar was a bit disturbed by this and then asked,“What is ‘Qarn Hadeed’ (horn of iron)?”The priest replied,“A strict trustee.”At this, Umar was pleased. Then he asked,“Whom do you find after me?”He replied,“A truthful caliph who will give preference to his relatives.”Hazrat Umar said,“May Allah have mercy on Ibn Affan.”Then Hazrat Umar asked,“What do you find after him?”He said,“A crack in the iron.”There was something in Hazrat Umar’s hand which he was turning over; Hazrat Umar threw it and said two or three times,“Ya Dafra”(O disgraced one). The priest said,“Do not say this, O Commander of the Faithful! Because he will be a Muslim caliph and a good man, but he will become caliph at a time when the sword will be unsheathed and blood will be flowing.”Then Hazrat Umar turned to me and said,“Let us go for prayer.”

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Salam that he said: Do not draw your swords; if you draw your swords, they will never be sheathed until the Day of Judgment. Then he said: Give me a respite of eighteen days, that is, until the day of the martyrdom of Hazrat Uthman (because he himself will pass away).

Hazrat Ka'b says that I was looking at the killer of Uthman; in his hand were two burning coals of fire. Then he killed Hazrat Uthman.

It is narrated from Abu Sa'id that he heard from Hazrat Uthman that a delegation from Egypt came, so Hazrat Uthman welcomed them. They were in a settlement outside Madinah. The narrator says that he thinks Hazrat Uthman disliked that they should come to him in Madinah, or it was something of that sort. So the people of Egypt came to him and said, "Send for the scroll." So he had the scroll brought. Then they said, "Open it and bring out the 'Sabi'ah.'" They used to call Surah Yunus 'Sabi'ah.' So Hazrat Uthman began to recite, and when he reached this verse: { قُلْ أَرَأَیْتُمْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّہُ لَکُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ فَجَعَلْتُمْ مِنْہُ حَرَامًا وَحَلاَلاً قُلْ آللَّہُ أَذِنَ لَکُمْ أَمْ عَلَی اللہِ تَفْتَرُونَ } (Say: Tell me, what provision Allah has sent down to you, and you have made some of it unlawful and some lawful? Say: Has Allah permitted you, or do you invent (things) against Allah?) Hazrat Uthman said, "Leave this; this verse was revealed regarding such-and-such matter. As for the issue of pasture you are talking about, before me Hazrat Umar had set aside pasture for the camels of charity. Then when I was made governor, the camels of charity increased, so I expanded the pasture as well, considering the abundance of camels." So the people of Egypt kept arguing from the verses, and Hazrat Uthman kept saying, "Leave it," and kept saying, "This verse was revealed regarding such-and-such incident." The one speaking to Hazrat Uthman was of his age. Abu Nadrah says that Abu Sa'id told him this. Abu Nadrah says, "I was of your age that day." He says, "The full signs of youth had not appeared on my face," or he said, "I was not fully grown up." I do not know if he said the second time, "I was thirty years old that day." Then they made such objections to Hazrat Uthman that he could not get rid of them, and Hazrat Uthman fully recognized the reality of those things. Then he said, "I seek forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him." Then he said to them, "What do you want?" Then they took a pledge from Hazrat Uthman. The narrator says, "I think they also set some conditions," and Hazrat Uthman took a pledge from them that they would not weaken the strength of the Muslims nor spread division among the Muslims as long as I abide by the conditions." Then Hazrat Uthman said, "What else do you want?" So they said, "We want the people of Madinah not to take any grants, because this wealth is only for those who fight and for the companions of Muhammad (peace be upon him)." So they agreed and came to Madinah with Hazrat Uthman. Then Hazrat Uthman stood up and gave a sermon and said, "By Allah, I have not seen a better delegation than this one for my need." And then he said the same thing a second time. The narrator says, "I think its participants were the people of Egypt. Listen, whoever has land should farm it, and whoever has a milking animal should live off its milk. I have no wealth for you. And the wealth is for the fighters and the companions of Muhammad (peace be upon him)." So the people became angry and said, "This is the deception of Banu Umayyah." Then the Egyptian delegation happily returned. They were on the way when a rider came to them, then left them, then returned to them and left again, and abused them. So they said to him, "What is your matter?" He said, "I am an envoy from the Commander of the Faithful to the governor of Egypt." So the delegation investigated and found a letter with him from Hazrat Uthman, sealed with Hazrat Uthman's seal, and it was written to the governor of Egypt that he should kill this delegation or cut off their hands and feet. So the delegation returned and reached Madinah and presented themselves to Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him, "Do you not see the enemy of Allah who has issued such an order about us? Allah has made his blood lawful. Come with us." But Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "By Allah, I will never go with you." The delegation asked Hazrat Uthman, "Why did you write this letter about us?" So Hazrat Uthman replied, "By Allah, I did not write any letter for you." So they began to look at each other and said to one another, "Will you fight because of this? Will you become enraged because of this?" Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) left Madinah and went towards a settlement. So they went and reached Hazrat Uthman and said, "Why did you write this about us?" Hazrat Uthman said, "Then there are only two things: one is that...

40487 - 15. He said: Al-Hasan narrated to us that Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr entered upon him and took hold of his beard, so Uthman said to him: "You have taken from me a position—or sat with me in a manner—that Abu Bakr would never have taken—or sat in," he said: So he left and departed from him.

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...”