ʿUmar, and then ʿUthmān. He went on: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ took hold of some small pebbles, and they glorified Allah in his hand until their humming sounded like the buzz of bees. He then passed them to Abū Bakr, and they praised Allah in his palm; when he placed them on the ground they fell silent. Next he handed them to ʿUmar, and they praised Allah in his palm; the Messenger of Allah ﷺ then took them back and, after setting them on the ground, they fell silent. Finally he gave them to ʿUthmān, and they praised Allah in his palm; when he took them from him and set them down, they fell silent.”
Sulaymān ibn Yasār said: Jahjah al-Ghifārī seized the staff with which ʿUthmān used to brace himself, broke it across his knee, and a flesh-eating ulcer appeared on his knee.
Ibn ʿUmar said: “During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ we used to say: Abū Bakr, then ʿUmar, then ʿUthmān.” A number of transmitters relate this from Ibn ʿUmar.
Al-Shaʿbī said: “None of the caliphs from among the Companions gathered the Qur’an into a single codex except ʿUthmān; ʿAlī departed this world without having compiled it.”
Ibn Sīrīn said: “The most knowledgeable of them concerning the rites of pilgrimage was ʿUthmān, followed by Ibn ʿUmar.”
Rubayʿī reported from Ḥudhayfah: ʿUmar said to me at Minā, “Whom do you think the people will appoint after me?” I replied, “They have set their sights on ʿUthmān.”
Abū Isḥāq narrated from Ḥārithah ibn Muḍarib: I performed Hajj with ʿUmar, and the camel-driver was chanting:
“After him, the commander is Ibn ʿAffān.”
I then performed Hajj with ʿUthmān, and the camel-driver was chanting:
“After him, the commander is ʿAlī.”
Al-Jurayrī reported from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Shaqīq, from al-Aqraʿ, the muezzin of ʿUmar, that ʿUmar summoned the bishop and asked, “Do you find us mentioned in your scriptures?” He replied, “We find your description and your deeds, but we do not find your names.” ʿUmar said, “How do you find me described?” He answered, “A qarn of iron.” ʿUmar asked, “What is a qarn of iron?” He said, “A stern ruler.” ʿUmar exclaimed, “Allāhu akbar!” He then asked, “And the one after me?” The bishop replied, “A righteous man who shows favor to his relatives.” ʿUmar said, “May Allah have mercy…”