They had lied; their only aim was this world. They therefore scattered, and the Khārijites arrived and seized the funds of the Public Treasury—which contained a very large amount indeed. (1)
Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn ʿAsākir (2) relates, in his biography of Sahm ibn Khanbash, Abū Khanbash—or [Abū] Khunays—(3) al-Azdī, who had been present in the house. The report is transmitted by Muḥammad ibn ʿĀʾidh from Ismāʿīl ibn ʿAyyāsh from Muḥammad ibn Yazīd al-Rahabī from him. ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz had summoned him to the Monastery of Simʿān and asked him about the killing of ʿUthmān; the gist of what he recounted is as follows:
The delegation of the wretched—namely, the Egyptian delegation—came to ʿUthmān (may Allah be pleased with him). He treated them generously and satisfied them, so they left, but they soon turned back toward Madinah and encountered ʿUthmān as he was coming out for the dawn—or the noon—prayer. They pelted him with pebbles, sandals, and shoes. He withdrew to his house accompanied by Abū Hurayrah, al-Zubayr and his son ʿAbd Allāh, Ṭalḥah, Marwān, al-Mughīrah ibn al-Akhnas, and others, while the Egyptian delegation surrounded his residence.
He then sought the people’s counsel. ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zubayr said, “Commander of the Believers, I propose one of three courses: either we assume iḥrām for an ʿumrah, so that our blood becomes inviolable to them; or we ride with you to our place of safety in Syria; or we go out and fight with the sword until Allah judges between us, for we are upon the truth and they upon falsehood.”
ʿUthmān replied, “As for entering iḥrām so they would deem our blood unlawful, they already consider us lawful prey now, during iḥrām, and afterward alike. Regarding travel to Syria, I would feel ashamed [to come to the people of Syria as a fugitive] (4) fleeing my own land so that the Syrians might grant me security. As for fighting, I hope to meet Allah without even a cupping-bowl’s worth (5) of blood being shed on my account.”
He went on: “We prayed the dawn prayer with him one morning, and when he had finished he turned to the people and said, ‘Last night I saw Abū Bakr and ʿUmar. They said, “Fast, O ʿUthmān, for you will break your fast with us.” I bear witness before you that I have awakened fasting, and I command anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day to leave the house unharmed and causing no harm.’”
We said, “Commander of the Believers, if we go out we will not be safe from them. Allow us instead to remain in a room of the house where we may gather and defend ourselves.” He permitted them, ordered that the door of the house be opened, and called for the muṣḥaf, over which he bent, while his two wives—the daughter of al-Furāfiṣah al-Kalbī and the daughter of Shaybah—were with him.
The first to enter was Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr. He seized ʿUthmān’s beard, and ʿUthmān said, “Let go, my nephew; by Allah, your father would have treated it gently for far less than this.” Muḥammad felt ashamed and withdrew, saying, “I have prepared him for you.” ʿUthmān gathered the hairs that had been plucked from his beard (6) and handed them to one of his two wives. Then Rūmān ibn Sūdān—a short, dark, pock-marked man (7) counted among the tribe of Murād—entered carrying an iron mace (8). ʿUthmān faced him and said—