2568 – ʿĪsā ibn ʿAlī reports: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Baghawī told us; he said: Muṣʿab ibn ʿAbd Allāh narrated to us; he said: my father narrated to me, from Mūsā ibn ʿUqbah, from Abū Ḥabībah—Mūsā’s maternal grandfather—who said:

“Al-Zubayr sent me to ʿUthmān while he was under siege. I entered on a sweltering summer day, and he was sitting on a chair. With him were al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī, Abū Hurayrah, ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar, and ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwām. In front of him were basins filled with water and a rope lying to one side.

I said, ‘Al-Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwām has sent me to you, conveys his salām, and says: “I remain loyal; I have neither altered nor broken my pledge. If you wish, I will enter the house and stand with you as one of your men; if you wish, I will remain where I am. The clan of Banū ʿAmr ibn ʿAwf have promised to be at my door at dawn and to proceed according to whatever I order them.”’

When he heard the message, ʿUthmān said, ‘Allāhu akbar! Praise be to Allāh who has preserved my brother. Convey my salām to him and say: If you do enter the house, be no more than one of the people, yet your staying where you are is dearer to me, and perhaps Allāh will avert harm from me through you.’

When Abū Hurayrah heard this reply he rose and said, ‘Shall I not tell you what my own ears heard from the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ?’ They said, ‘Certainly, O Abū Hurayrah.’ He said, ‘I testify that I heard the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ say, “After me there will be events.” We asked, “Where is safety from them, O Messenger of Allāh?” He replied, “With the ruler and his followers.”’ He then pointed to ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān ⦗1431⦘.

The people rose and said, ‘Our insight is now clear; permit us, then, to wage jihad.’ ʿUthmān said, ‘I solemnly command— or words to that effect— anyone who owes me obedience not to fight.’