Abdul Malik bin Umayr states: Muhammad bin Yusuf bin Abdullah bin Salam asked permission to enter upon al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf; permission was given to him, so he came in and gave the greeting of peace. Al-Hajjaj ordered two men who were near the couch to make room for him; the two of them made room for him, and he sat down. Al-Hajjaj said to him: "May Allah bless your father! Do you know that your father narrated a hadith to Abdul Malik bin Marwan from your grandfather Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him)?" He asked: "May Allah Almighty have mercy on you, which hadith was it? Present that hadith." Al-Hajjaj said: "It was the hadith of the people of Egypt, from the time when they had besieged Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him)." He said: "I know that hadith." "Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) came while Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was under siege. He walked up and came to Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him); the people made room for him and he went inside. He said: 'O Commander of the Believers! Peace be upon you.' Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'And upon you be peace. O Abdullah bin Salam! What has brought you?' He replied: 'I have come to stand by you until I drink the cup of martyrdom or Allah Almighty grants you victory. My view of these people is that they will kill you; if they kill you, that will be better for you and evil for them.' Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'By the right I have over you, I ask you to go out to them; (perhaps there is) some good which Allah Almighty will bring about through you, or some evil which Allah Almighty will ward off through you.' So he listened and obeyed. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) went out to them. When those people saw Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him), they gathered together, thinking that he had perhaps brought them some news that would please them. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up to deliver a sermon; after praising and extolling Allah Almighty, he said: 'To proceed: Indeed, Allah Almighty sent Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner; he gave glad tidings of Paradise to whoever obeyed him and warned of punishment whoever disobeyed him. And Allah Almighty made those who followed him prevail over all religions, even though the polytheists disliked it. Then Allah Almighty chose a dwelling place for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): He chose Madinah for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), made it the abode of emigration and made it the abode of faith. By Allah! The angels have continually surrounded Madinah since the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came here, and from the time the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came here until now, the sword of Allah has remained sheathed with regard to you.' After this, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'Indeed, Allah Almighty sent Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) with the truth. So whoever is guided is guided only by the guidance of Allah Almighty, and whoever goes astray goes astray only after the clear explanation and the proof. In former times, whenever any Prophet was killed, seventy thousand people were killed in exchange for him, all of them killed in exchange for that Prophet; and whenever any Caliph was killed, thirty-five thousand people were killed in exchange for him, all of them killed in exchange for him. So do not hasten to kill this elder. By Allah! Whoever among you kills him will appear before Allah Almighty on the Day of Resurrection with his hand cut off and paralysed. And know that whatever right a child has over a father, this elder has a like right over you.' The narrator says: The people began saying: 'The Jew has lied! The Jew has lied!' Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'You are lying, by Allah, and you are sinners! I am not a Jew; I am one of the Muslims; Allah Almighty, His Messenger and the believers know this. And this verse of the Qur'an was revealed about me: "Say: Allah is sufficient as a witness between me and you, and whoever has knowledge of the Book." And Allah Almighty revealed another verse (about me) as well: "Say: Have you considered, if it is from Allah and you have disbelieved in it, and a witness from the Children of Israel has testified to something like it, and he believed while you were arrogant?"' The narrator says: Those people then rose, went in to Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and slaughtered him as a hullan is slaughtered." The narrator Shu'ayb says: I asked Abdul Malik bin Umayr: "What is a hullan?" He replied: "A lamb." The narrator says: Sayyiduna Uthman al-Ghani (may Allah be pleased with him) had said to Kathir bin al-Salt: "O Kathir! By Allah! Tomorrow I will be killed." Kathir replied: "No, rather Allah Almighty will raise your standing and disgrace your enemy." This exchange took place three times, and each time Kathir said the same. Then he said: "O Commander of the Believers." Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah in a dream, and with him were Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: 'O Uthman! Tomorrow you will be with us, and tomorrow you will be martyred.' So, by Allah! I will be martyred." The narrator says: Then Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) went out to the people; he came before they dispersed and said: "O people of Egypt! O killers of Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him)! You have killed the Commander of the Believers. By Allah! Covenants have been broken, blood has been shed, wealth has been divided; you will not be given drink."
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب المناقب / 14547