Once, Sayyiduna Uthman Ghani (may Allah be pleased with him) looked down from his upper chamber at those people who had besieged him and greeted them with salam, but they did not respond. Then Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) asked whether Sayyiduna Talha (may Allah be pleased with him) was present among that group. Sayyiduna Talha (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: Yes! I am present. Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) «إِنَّا لِلّٰهِ» and said: I am greeting a group in which you are also present, yet you do not return the salam. Sayyiduna Talha (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I have replied. Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Is this how a reply is given, that my voice reaches you but your voice does not reach me? Talha! I ask you by Allah, did you hear the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "It is not permissible to shed the blood of a Muslim except for one of three reasons: if he becomes an apostate after accepting faith, or if he commits adultery while being married, or if he kills someone and is killed in retaliation"? Sayyiduna Talha (may Allah be pleased with him) affirmed this, upon which Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said Allahu Akbar and declared: By Allah! Since I have known Allah, I have never denied Him. Likewise, neither in the time of ignorance nor in Islam have I ever committed adultery; I refrained from this act in the time of ignorance due to natural aversion, and in Islam I have protected my chastity from it. Also, I have never killed any person for whose killing I could be lawfully killed in retaliation.