1440 — Umar ibn Ayyūb al-Saqatī narrated to us. He said: Mahfūz ibn Abī Tawbah narrated to us. He said: Abd al-Razzāq narrated to us. He said: Mamar informed us, from someone who heard Ibn Sīrīn say: Uthmān—may Allah be pleased with him—sent Sulayt ibn Sulayt and Abd al-Rahmān ibn Attāb ibn Usayd, saying: “Go to Ibn Salām in disguise and say to him, ‘The people’s affairs have reached the state you see, so what do you advise us to do?’”

They went to Ibn Salām and said to him something along those lines. He said to one of them, “You are so-and-so, son of so-and-so,” and to the other, “You are so-and-so, son of so-and-so. The Commander of the Faithful sent you both to me. Convey my greetings of peace to him and tell him that he will be killed, so let him hold back; for this will make his case stronger before Allah—Glorious and Exalted is He—on the Day of Resurrection.”

They returned to Uthmān and informed him. Uthmān then said, “I solemnly charge you: none of you is to fight alongside me.”