2556 – ʿUbayd Allah reported: ʿUthman related to us; Hanbal narrated to us; Hajjaj ibn al-Minhal narrated to us; Hammad ibn Salamah narrated to us, from ʿAsim ibn Bahdalah, from Abu Waʾil, who said:

When ʿUmar was killed, Ibn Masʿud set out from Medina toward Kufa, traveling eight miles. He praised Allah and extolled Him, then said, “To proceed: the Commander of the Believers has died.” Never was louder weeping heard than on that day. “After that, we—the Companions of Muhammad—gathered together and spared no effort in seeking the best among us, the one of highest standing, ʿUthman ibn ʿAffan. We pledged allegiance to him, so pledge your allegiance to him as well.”