“Is Talhah among the people?” Talhah said: “Yes.” He said: “Verily, to Allah we belong and unto Him is our return! I greet people among whom you are and they do not return the greeting.” Talhah said: “I returned the greeting.” ʿUthman said: “This is not the way to return the greeting, I made you hear me but you did not make me hear you. O Talhah, I adjure you by Allah, did you hear the Prophet ﷺ say: “The blood of a Muslim is not permissible except in one of three cases: if he disbelieves after believing, or he commits zina after having been married, or he kills a soul and may be killed in return.” Talhah said: “Yes, by Allah.” ʿUthman said takbeer, then he said: “By Allah, I have never denied Allah since I came to know Him. I never committed zina during the Jahiliyyah or in Islam. I abstained during the Jahiliyyah because I hated it and in Islam so as to maintain my chastity. And I have never killed anyone in return for which killing me would become permissible.”  

أَنَّ عُثْمَانَ أَشْرَفَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ حَصَرُوهُ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَلَمْ يَرُدُّوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ أَفِي الْقَوْمِ طَلْحَةُ؟ قَالَ طَلْحَةُ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَإِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ أُسَلِّمُ عَلَى قَوْمٍ أَنْتَ فِيهِمْ فَلا يَرُدُّونَ قَالَ قَدْ رَدَدْتُ قَالَ مَا هَكَذَا الرَّدُّ أُسْمِعُكَ وَلا تُسْمِعُنِي يَا طَلْحَةُ؟ أَنْشُدُكَ اللهَ أَسَمِعْتَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقُولُ لَا يُحِلُّ دَمَ الْمُسْلِمِ إِلا وَاحِدَةٌ مِنْ ثَلاثٍ أَنْ يَكْفُرَ بَعْدَ إِيمَانِهِ أَوْ يَزْنِيَ بَعْدَ إِحْصَانِهِ أَوْ يَقْتُلَ نَفْسًا فَيُقْتَلَبِهَا قَالَ اللهُمَّ نَعَمْ فَكَبَّرَ عُثْمَانُ فَقَالَ وَاللهِ مَا أَنْكَرْتُ اللهَ مُنْذُ عَرَفْتُهُ وَلا زَنَيْتُ فِي جَاهِلِيَّةٍ وَلا فِي إِسْلامٍ وَقَدْ تَرَكْتُهُ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ تَكَرُّهًا وَفِي الْإِسْلامِ تَعَفُّفًا وَمَا قَتَلْتُ نَفْسًا يَحِلُّ بِهَا قَتْلِي