We have already cited the report of Abū Dharr about the pebbles that praised Allah while in the hand of Abū Bakr, then in ʿUmar’s, and then in ʿUthmān’s, together with his remark—may Allah be pleased with him—“This is the caliphate that follows prophethood.” (1)

Nuʿaym ibn Ḥammād said: ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Mubārak narrated to us; Ḥashraj ibn Nubātah informed us, from Saʿīd ibn Jumhān, from Safīnah, who said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ built the mosque of Madinah, Abū Bakr came with a stone and set it in place; then ʿUmar came with a stone and set it in place; then ʿUthmān came with a stone and set it in place. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ thereupon said, “These will be the caliphs after me.” (2)

Earlier, in the ḥadīth of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ḥawālah, the Prophet ﷺ said: “Three events—whoever is spared from them is truly safe: my death, the murder of a caliph who is unjustly oppressed, and the Antichrist.” (3) In another wording of the same ḥadīth he commanded that ʿUthmān be followed when civil strife breaks out.

Moreover, both Ṣaḥīḥs record—from Sulaymān ibn Bilāl, through Sharīk ibn Abī Namr, from Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib, from Abū Mūsā—that he said:

“I performed ablution in my house and set out saying, ‘Today I shall remain with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.’ I reached the mosque and asked about him, and they said, ‘He has just gone out in that direction.’ I followed his trace until I came to the Well of Arīs, whose gate was made of palm-branches. I waited at the gate until I thought the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had relieved himself and sat down. I approached, greeted him, and found him seated on the curb of the Well of Arīs, right in the middle, his legs dangling inside and his shins uncovered.

“I went back to the gate and said, ‘I shall stand guard for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.’ It was not long before the door was struck.

“‘Who is it?’ I asked.

“‘Abū Bakr,’ came the reply.

“I said, ‘Wait a moment,’ then went in to the Prophet ﷺ and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, Abū Bakr is asking permission to enter.’

“He said, ‘Give him permission and give him the glad tidings of Paradise.’

“I hurried out and said to Abū Bakr, ‘Enter, for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gives you the glad tidings of Paradise.’ He entered and sat at the Prophet’s right on the curb, let his legs hang into the well, and uncovered his shins just as the Prophet ﷺ had done.

“Then I returned—having left my brother performing ablution; he had said to me, ‘I will follow you.’ I said, ‘If Allah intends good for so-and-so, He will bring him here.’

“Presently I heard the door move. ‘Who is it?’ I asked.

“‘ʿUmar,’ he said.

“‘Wait a moment,’ I replied, and I went in to the Prophet ﷺ, greeted him, and informed him.

“He said, ‘Give him permission and give him the glad tidings of Paradise.’

“I went back, gave him permission, and said, ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gives you the glad tidings of Paradise.’ He entered, sat on the Prophet’s left, uncovered his shins, and let his legs hang into the well as the Prophet ﷺ and Abū Bakr had done.

“I then returned and said, ‘If Allah intends good for so-and-so, He will bring him here’—meaning my brother. The door moved again and I asked, ‘Who is it?’

“‘ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān,’ he answered.

“‘Wait a moment,’ I said. I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and told him, ‘ʿUthmān is asking permission.’

“He said, ‘Give him permission and give him the glad tidings of Paradise after a trial that will befall him.’

“I went back and said, ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gives you permission and gives you the glad tidings of Paradise…’