Sayyar Abu al-Hakam narrates: The Banu Abs said to Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Commander of the Believers, Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), has been martyred; so what do you instruct us? He said: I instruct you to stay with Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him). The people said: But Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) never separates from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Envy destroys the body. You are turning away from Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) only because he is close to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). By Allah, Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) surpasses Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) in virtue by more than the distance between the dust (that is, the earth) and the clouds, and Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) is one of the righteous. The narrator says: Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) knew that if they joined Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him), they would be with Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy), except that I do not know the unnamed man.
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب الفتن - أعاذنا الله منها / 12058