It is narrated from Qays bin Ubad; he said: I heard Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) say on the day of the Battle of the Camel: "O Allah! I declare before You my innocence of the blood of Uthman. On the day Uthman was martyred, my mind was in a whirl and I did not even recognise myself. The people wanted to give me the pledge of allegiance, and I said: 'By Allah! I feel shy before Allah to accept the pledge of people who killed a man about whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Should I not feel shy before one before whom even the angels feel shy?"' And shyness before Allah also held me back from accepting the pledge while Uthman lay slain on the ground and had not yet even been buried. So they went away. Then when he had been buried, the people came to me again and demanded the pledge of allegiance, and only then was the burden on my heart lightened. Then I supplicated: 'Allahumma khudh minni li-Uthman hatta tarda' (O Allah, take retribution from me for Uthman's right until You are pleased)."