Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

It is narrated from Hasan that Waththab related to me. And this narrator Waththab says: I saw two marks of arrows on his throat. These spears were struck at him during the days of the siege in the house of Uthman. He narrates that the Commander of the Faithful, Uthman, sent me and said: Bring al-Ashtar to me. Ibn ‘Awn says: I think he also said that he (al-Ashtar) had left a cushion with the Commander of the Faithful, and he had a cushion with him. So Uthman said: O Ashtar! What do these (rebellious) people want from me? Al-Ashtar said: There are three things, one of which must be done. They give you the choice that either you hand over the leadership to them and say: This is your leadership, give it to whomever you wish. Or, that you give them the opportunity to take retribution from you. So if you refuse both of these, then the people will fight you. Uthman asked: Is it necessary to choose one of these? Al-Ashtar said: (Yes) It is necessary to choose one of them.

2. Uthman said: As for the matter of me relinquishing the responsibility of their leadership—(listen) I will never remove what Allah, the Exalted, has clothed me with. Ibn ‘Awn says: Another narrator besides Hasan relates: If I were to be presented so that my neck be struck off, even then this is more beloved to me than that I leave the affair of the Ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) among the people. Ibn ‘Awn says: This statement is similar to your speech. And as for the matter of giving people the opportunity to take retribution from me, by Allah! I know that my two companions before me used to give people the opportunity to take retribution from themselves. But my body will not stand for retribution. And as for the matter that people will kill me, by Allah (remember), if they kill me, then after me they will never be able to love one another, nor will they ever be able to unite together for jihad against the enemy after me.

3. The narrator says: Then al-Ashtar got up and left. We remained there and we said: Perhaps the people will go back. Then Ruwayjil came; it seemed as if he was a wolf. He peeked through the door and then went back. Then Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr stood with thirteen men and reached Uthman and grabbed his beard, saying: Mu‘awiyah did not benefit you! Ibn ‘Amir did not benefit you! Your armies did not benefit you! Uthman said: O nephew! Leave my beard. O nephew! Leave my beard.

4. The narrator says: I saw that he sought help from a man among his people, so a man came to him with a broad-bladed spear and struck Uthman’s head with it, driving it into his head. The narrator was asked: Then what happened? The narrator replied: Then these rebels entered upon Uthman and killed him.