Qatadah narrated—through ʿAbd Allah ibn Shaqiq, from Murrah al-Bahzi—who said: “I was with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, when he said, ‘A trial will break out like the spikes of horns; this man and those with him will be upon the truth.’ I went over, seized the edge of his robe, and saw that it was Uthman.”

Al-Ashʿath al-Sanʿani transmitted the same report from Murrah, and Muhammad ibn Sirin transmitted it from Kaʿb ibn ʿUjrah. A similar wording is also reported from Ibn ʿUmar.

Qays ibn Abi Hazim reported—from Abu Sahla, the freedman of Uthman—from ʿAʾishah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, kept speaking privately with Uthman until Uthman’s complexion began to change. Later, on the Day of the House when he was under siege, we said, “Commander of the Believers, will you not fight?” He replied, “The Messenger of Allah made a covenant with me, and I am restraining myself in obedience to it.”

Abu Sahla was declared reliable by Ahmad al-ʿIjli.

Al-Jurayri said: Abu Bakr al-ʿAdawi told me that he asked ʿAʾishah, “Did the Messenger of Allah leave any special instruction to one of his Companions at the time of his death?” She answered, “God forbid—except that he spoke privately with Uthman, told him he would be killed, and ordered him to keep his hand back.”

Shuʿbah said: Abu Hamzah informed me: I heard my father say, “I heard ʿAli say, ‘Allah killed Uthman, and I am with him.’ ” Abu Hamzah added, “I mentioned this to Ibn ʿAbbas, and he said, ‘He has spoken the truth: he means that Allah killed Uthman and will kill me along with him.’ ”