It is narrated from one of the companions of Ajr’s companions, who narrates from two elders of Banu Tha’labah—one a man and the other a woman—both say: We passed by the place of Rabadhah, where we saw a disheveled man with a white beard and white hair. It was said that he is a companion of the Messenger of Allah. (A delegation came and, seeing the improved condition of Hazrat Abu Dharr, said:) Who has treated this man in this way? Will you set up a banner for us so that people may come to your aid? If you wish, they said: O people! Do not present your distress to me, nor disgrace the rulers, for whoever disgraces the ruler, Allah will disgrace him. By Allah, if Hazrat Uthman wishes to crucify me on the highest mountain or on a piece of wood, I will obey his command and be patient, hoping for reward from Allah, and I will consider it good for myself. If he commands me to walk from one horizon to another, or from east to west, I will surely obey and be patient.

Abu Wa'il says that when Uthman was martyred, Abu Musa said: "Indeed, this tribulation is like a disease that tears open the belly; we do not know where it came from, just like a stomach illness. It has come to you from your place of safety. It will make a patient person like a newborn child of yesterday. You will sever ties of kinship and strike each other with spears."

It is narrated from Zaid bin Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, that Zaid bin Thabit was among those who wept over Hazrat Uthman on the days of his siege.

Hasan narrates that the Ansar came to the service of Hazrat Uthman and said, "O Commander of the Faithful, we have helped Allah twice (stood firm in the way of Allah twice) and also helped His Messenger (peace be upon him). We will help you as well." So he said, "There is no need for that, you may return." Hasan used to say, "By Allah, if the Ansar had intended to stop them (the rebels) even through their weak ones, they would have easily stopped them."

40506 - (1) Al-Hasan said: By Allah, if they had wanted to prevent him with their cloaks, they would have prevented him (2).

It is narrated from Abu Salih that when Hazrat Uthman was besieged, Hazrat Abdullah bin Salam said: "Do not kill Hazrat Uthman, for very little of his life remains. By Allah, if you kill him, you will never again be able to perform prayer together in unity."

Munzir Thawri narrates that we were sitting with Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah when someone spoke ill of Hazrat Uthman. Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah said, "Wait." So we said, "Your respected father (Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him) used to speak ill of him." He replied, "He never spoke ill of Hazrat Uthman. If he had spoken ill, he would have done so on the day when I came to him while the collectors of charity had come to him. Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said, 'The best book is the Book of Allah; take it and give it to Hazrat Uthman.' So I took it and presented it to Hazrat Uthman, but he said, 'I have no need of it.' So I returned to Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, and informed him of Hazrat Uthman's statement. Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said, 'Put it back in its place.' If Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, had criticized or reproached him, he would have done so on that day."

Zuhri said at the place of Rasafah: By Allah, Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) showed goodwill towards Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and adopted obedience. If they (the rebels) had not known about the letter, they would not have returned to Madinah.

It is narrated from Alqamah who says: I said to Mushtahir, "You used to dislike the Day of Dar (the day of the siege of the house of the Prophet), so how did you change your opinion?" He replied, "By Allah, I disliked the Day of Dar, and I brought Umm Habibah bint Abu Sufyan so that I could take her to the house of Uthman and take Uthman out in a litter. But she prevented me from entering and said, 'What do we have to do with Ashtar?' But I saw Talha, Zubair, and some people who pledged allegiance to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) without any compulsion, and then they broke that pledge. Alqamah says: I said, 'Ibn Zubair was about to say, "Kill me and Malik."' So he replied, 'No, by Allah, I did not remove the sword from Ibn Zubair while I was looking at the soul inside (i.e., I kept seeing the signs of life), because I was angry with them for not giving due respect to the Mother of the Believers, until I took the Mother of the Believers back.' So when I faced them in battle, I did not rely on the strength of my arms alone, but I stood in both stirrups and struck his head with the sword with force, and I saw him being killed. But the one who said, 'Kill me and Malik,' when I met Abdur Rahman bin Atab, I struck him with the sword until both he and I fell from our horses. Then he began to shout, 'Kill me and Malik,' and people were passing by, but they did not know who he meant by Malik, because he did not say Ashtar. If he had said Ashtar, he would have been killed."

It is narrated from Qatadah that Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) took Ashter by the hand and set out until they came to Talhah. Then he said: These people, meaning the people of Egypt, listen to you and obey you, so prevent them from killing Uthman. He replied: The blood which Allah has intended to be shed, I cannot prevent it. So Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) took Ashter by the hand and returned, saying: How great is this assumption of Ibn Hazramiyyah, that my cousin would be killed while he is overpowering me in my own land, as I am witnessing.