Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 34192 — Reports on the virtue of Uthman bin

Umar bin Jawan (may Allah have mercy on him) reports that al-Ahnaf bin Qays (may Allah have mercy on him) said: We were in Madinah when Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived. It was said: "This is Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him)." He entered wearing a yellow sheet with which he had covered his head. He asked: "Is Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) here?" The people said: "Yes!" He asked: "Is Sayyiduna Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) here?" The people said: "Yes!" He asked: "Is Sayyiduna al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) here?" The people said: "Yes!" He asked: "Is Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) here?" The people said: "Yes!" He said: "I ask you to swear by the One besides Whom there is no true deity: do you know the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), which he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Whoever buys the camel pen of such and such a tribe, Allah will forgive him'? I bought that pen for twenty thousand or twenty-five thousand. Then I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: 'I have bought that pen.' He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Dedicate that place to our mosque, and its reward will be yours.'" The narrator says: All of them said with one voice: "By Allah, it is just so." He said: "I ask you to swear by Allah, besides Whom there is no true deity: do you know of the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Whoever buys the sweet-water well of Rumah, Allah will forgive him'? I bought that well for such and such an amount, then I came to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: 'I have bought it.' He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Dedicate it for the Muslims to drink from, and its reward will be yours.'" The narrator says: All of them said with one voice: "By Allah, it is just so." He said: "I ask you to swear by Allah, besides Whom there is no deity: do you know the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), which he (peace and blessings be upon him) said while he (peace and blessings be upon him) was looking at the faces of the people: 'Who will provide the provisions for the journey of these people? Allah will forgive that person,' meaning at the Battle of Tabuk? I provided provisions for all of them, until they lacked not even a camel's nose-rein or the rope for its foot." All of them said with one voice: "By Allah, it is just so." He said three times: "O Allah, be witness."