It is narrated from Marwan that Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) suffered such a severe nosebleed in the year of the nosebleeds (Sanat al-Ru'af) that he even made his will and stayed back from going on Hajj. Then a man from Quraysh came to us and said: Appoint someone as your successor. He asked: Have the people said this? He said: Yes. He asked: Who is he? But he remained silent. Then another man came to him and said the same thing as the first man, so Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Should I make al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) caliph?" He said: Yes. So Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Listen! By the One in whose Hand is my soul, as far as I know, he is the best of them all and the most beloved of them all to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), but they did not record it.