Al-Tabarani transmitted it in al-Muʿjam al-Kabir (no. 13236), through Abu al-Rabiʿ al-Samman, from ʿAmr ibn Dinar, from Salim, from his father.

I say: Abu al-Rabiʿ—whose name was Ashʿath ibn Saʿid al-Samman—is abandoned, and he alone narrated the wording, “So gather around it…” Yet this addition has supporting reports; see hadith 664.

1687 — “Uthman is a modest man, and I feared that, if I permitted him to enter while I was in that state, he would not convey his need to me.”

Muslim (7/117), al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad (600), al-Tahawi in Sharh al-Maʿani (1/274) and Mushkil al-Athar (2/290–291), Ahmad (6/155 and 167), and Abu Yaʿla (3/1095) transmitted it from Saʿid ibn al-ʿAs: Aisha, the Prophet’s wife—Muslim and others add, “and Uthman”—narrated to him that Abu Bakr sought permission to enter upon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, while he was reclining on his bed, wearing Aisha’s cloak. He permitted Abu Bakr to enter while remaining as he was. Abu Bakr conveyed his need to him and then left. Then Umar sought permission to enter, and he permitted him while remaining in that state. Umar conveyed his need to him and then left.

Uthman said: “Then I sought permission to enter upon him. He sat up and said to Aisha, ‘Wrap your garments around yourself.’ I conveyed my need to him and then left.” Aisha then said: “O Messenger of Allah, why did I not see you take the same care for Abu Bakr and Umar—may Allah be pleased with them—as you did for Uthman?” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, replied with the above statement.

It was also narrated by Muhammad ibn Abi Harmalah, from ʿAtaʾ, Sulayman ibn Yasar, and Abu Salamah ibn ʿAbd al-Rahman, from her. She said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was reclining in my house with his thighs, or his shins, uncovered. Abu Bakr then sought permission to enter, and he permitted him while remaining in that state … (the hadith includes:)