2595 – al-Ḥasan ibn ʿUthmān narrated to us; he said: ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Zubayr narrated to us; he said: al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī narrated to us; he said: Zayd ibn al-Ḥabbāb narrated to us; he said: Ḥammād ibn Zayd narrated to us; he said: Saʿīd ibn Yazīd, from Ibn Naḍrah, from Abū Saʿīd, the client of Abū Usayd, said:

When the Egyptians came to ʿUthmān, we began peering through the cracks of the chamber and could hear what they were saying. I heard ʿUthmān say, “Woe to you! Do not commend yourselves.”

They replied, “You were the first to set aside a ḥimā (protected pasture), even though Allah has revealed: ‘Say, “Have you considered the provision that Allah has sent down for you, of which you have made some unlawful and some lawful?”’ (Yūnus 10:59). Yet you fenced off the ḥimā.”

He said, “I was not the first to establish a ḥimā; ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb⦗1444⦘ did so. When authority came to me, the zakāt livestock increased, so I enlarged the ḥimā in proportion to the increase in the zakāt camels. I seek Allah’s forgiveness and repent to Him.”

They said, “And you are the first who closed the gate of hijrah (emigration).”

He answered, “I held the opinion that the one who had fought for this wealth was more entitled to it than the one who had not fought. Nevertheless, I seek Allah’s forgiveness and repent to Him. Whoever wishes may emigrate, and whoever wishes may remain.”

The narrator said: They did not ask him about anything without his clearing himself of it. The people then set off satisfied until they reached Dhū al-Ḥulayfah. There they saw a rider, became suspicious of him, seized him, and searched him. They found the letter that people alleged he had written to ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Sarḥ, his governor in Egypt, instructing him to strike their necks.

So they went back, entered upon him, and attacked him. He said, “My people, by Allah, I neither wrote it nor dictated it.”

They said, “But this is your servant.”

He said, “I do not control my servant.”

They said, “And this is your mount.”

He said, “I do not control my mount.”

They said, “And this is your scribe.”

He said, “I do not control my scribe. My people, by Allah, I neither wrote it nor dictated it.”

Then a man from among them said, “Your sorcery has swelled, O Mālik!” Whereupon they leapt upon him and killed him.