Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 12006

Wathab narrates (he was one of those whom Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) had set free, and he used to stand in front of Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him)); he narrates: Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) sent me, and I called al-Ashtar for him. The narrator Ibn Awn says: I think the narration contains these words: I placed a cushion for him and a cushion for the Commander of the Faithful. The Commander of the Faithful said: O Ashtar! What do these people want from me? He replied: There are three things; it will be necessary for you to choose one of them. Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: What are they? He said: The people are giving you the option that, if you wish, you leave their affair to them and say: 'Here is your government; choose for it whomever you wish'; or else that you give retaliation (qisas) from yourself. If you refuse this, the people will kill you. Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: Is there no escape from choosing one of them? Al-Ashtar replied: There is no escape from choosing one of them. Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: As for my stepping down from the government for them, I will never take off a garment with which I have been clothed. The narrator says: Here the narrator al-Hasan transmitted these words: Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: By Allah! To be brought forward and have my neck struck is more beloved to me than that I should abandon the government of the Ummah of Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and then they leap upon one another. The narrator says: These words more closely resemble the speech of Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). (Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said:) As for my giving retaliation from my own person, by Allah! I know that my two companions (my predecessors) used to impose punishments, and my body is not fit for retaliation (i.e. retaliation is not due upon me). As for their killing me, by Allah! If you kill me, after me you will never love one another, and after me you will never fight an enemy together. Then al-Ashtar got up and left. We stayed, and we said: Perhaps the people will desist. Meanwhile a man came who seemed like a wolf; he peeped in through the door, then went back. Then Muhammad bin Abi Bakr came with thirteen men and reached Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). He seized the beard of Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and began to strike him, until I heard the sound of his molars breaking. Muhammad bin Abi Bakr said: Of what use was Mu'awiyah to you? Of what use was Ibn Amir to you? Of what use were your letters to you? Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O my nephew! Let go of my beard! O my nephew! Let go of my beard! The narrator says: Then I saw him call a man from among those present, and he got up and came to him with an arrowhead and thrust it into his head. The narrator says: I asked: Then what happened? He told me: They helped one another, by Allah, until they martyred Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) (together).
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih except Wathab; Ibn Abi Hatim mentioned him, and no one has criticised him.