1200 — Abū Jafar Ahmad ibn Yahyā al-Hulwānī informed us, saying: Ahmad ibn Abd Allah ibn Yūnus narrated to us, saying: Abd al-Azīz—namely, Ibn Abī Salama—narrated to us, saying: Zayd ibn Aslam narrated to me from his father—as far as I know—who said:

“Uthmān ibn Affān (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote this testament of Abū Bakr al-Siddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) for the caliph who would succeed him. When nothing remained but to name the man, Abū Bakr fainted. Uthmān feared that he might die without naming anyone, and he knew that Abū Bakr’s choice would not go beyond Umar ibn al-Khattāb. So he wrote in the ⦗1739⦘ document, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb,’ and then folded it.

“When Abū Bakr regained consciousness, knowing that he had not named anyone, he asked, ‘Have you finished?’

“‘Yes,’ Uthmān replied.

“‘Whom did you name?’

“‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb.’

“Abū Bakr said, ‘May Allah have mercy on you and reward you well. By Allah, had you assumed the office yourself, I would have deemed you worthy of it.’”