Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Salim bin Abi Al-Ja'd narrates that the noble companions (may Allah be pleased with them) wrote down a fault of Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), after which they began to ask, "Who will take this writing to him?" Hazrat Ammar said, "I will take it." He took it, and when Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) read the writing, he said, "May Allah make your nose dusty." Hazrat Ammar replied to this, "Then may the noses of Abu Bakr and Umar also be so." It is said that upon this Hazrat Uthman stood up, threw him down, and began to trample him with his feet until he became unconscious. At that time, he was wearing a garment of coarse cloth. Then Hazrat Uthman sent Hazrat Zubair and Talha to him, and they said to him, "Choose one of three things: either forgive, or take compensation, or take retaliation." Hazrat Ammar said, "I will not accept any of these until I meet Allah." Abu Bakr says, "I heard Yahya bin Adam say that I mentioned this hadith before Hasan bin Salih, and he said, 'There is no greater accusation against Hazrat Uthman than this act of his.'"