"I swear to you by Allah! You know that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'The blood of a Muslim man is not lawful, except for one of three (cases):Illegitimate sexual relations after Ihsan (having been married), or apostasy after Islam, or taking a life without right, for which he is killed.' By Allah! I have never committed illegitimate sexual relations, not during Jahiliyyah nor during Islam, and I have not committed apostasy since I gave my pledge to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and I have not taken a life that Allah had made unlawful. So for what do you fight me?"'  

أَنَّ عُثْمَانَ بْنَ عَفَّانَ أَشْرَفَ يَوْمَ الدَّارِ فَقَالَ أَنْشُدُكُمُ اللَّهَ أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لاَ يَحِلُّ دَمُ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ إِلاَّ بِإِحْدَى ثَلاَثٍ زِنًا بَعْدَ إِحْصَانٍ أَوِ ارْتِدَادٍ بَعْدَ إِسْلاَمٍ أَوْ قَتْلِ نَفْسٍ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ فَقُتِلَ بِهِ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا زَنَيْتُ فِي جَاهِلِيَّةٍ وَلاَ فِي إِسْلاَمٍ وَلاَ ارْتَدَدْتُ مُنْذُ بَايَعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلاَ قَتَلْتُ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ فَبِمَ تَقْتُلُونَنِي  

ʿUthman bin 'Affan looked at them when they spoke of killing. He said: “Are they kill threatening to kill me? Why would they kill me? I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “It is not lawful to shed the blood of a Muslim except in one of three (cases): a man who commits adultery when he is a married person, then he should be stoned; a man who kills a soul not in retaliation for murder; and a man who apostatizes after becoming Muslim.' By Allah (SWT), I never committed adultery either during Ignorance days nor in Islam, and I have never killed a Muslim soul, and I have not apostatized since I became Muslim.”  

إِنَّهُمْ لَيَتَوَاعَدُونِي بِالْقَتْلِ فَلِمَ يَقْتُلُونِي وَقَدْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ لا يَحِلُّ دَمُ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ إِلاَّ فِي إِحْدَى ثَلاَثٍ رَجُلٌ زَنَى وَهُوَ مُحْصَنٌ فَرُجِمَ أَوْ رَجُلٌ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ رَجُلٌ ارْتَدَّ بَعْدَ إِسْلاَمِهِ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا زَنَيْتُ فِي جَاهِلِيَّةٍ وَلاَ فِي إِسْلاَمٍ وَلاَ قَتَلْتُ نَفْسًا مُسْلِمَةً وَلاَ ارْتَدَدْتُ مُنْذُ أَسْلَمْتُ  

We were with ‘Uthman when he was under siege in the house. He went to the entrance of the house, from which his words could be heard in alBalat. He went to that entrance, then came out to us and said:They were threatening to kill me just now. We said: Allah will suffice you against them. O Ameer al-Muʿmineen. He said: Why would they kill me? I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ʿIt is not permissible (to shed) the blood of a Muslim except in three cases: if a man disbelieves after becoming Muslim, or commits zina after being married, or kills someone and is executed in return.” By Allah, I have never wished to change my religion after Allah guided me; I never committed zina either during the Jahiliyyah or in Islam; and I have never killed anyone. So why would they kill me Abu Umamah bin Sahl bin Hunaif narrated: I was with ʿUthman ؓ in the house when he was under siege. We would enter through an entrance... and he narrated a similar hadeeth. And he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:... and he narrated a similar hadeeth,  

قُلْنَا يَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللهُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ قَالَ وَبِمَ يَقْتُلُونَنِي ؟ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ لَا يَحِلُّ دَمُ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ إِلَّا بِإِحْدَى ثَلاثٍ رَجُلٌ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ إِسْلامِهِ أَوْ زَنَى بَعْدَ إِحْصَانِهِ أَوْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا فَيُقْتَلُ بِهَا فَوَاللهِ مَا أَحْبَبْتُ أَنَّ لِي بِدِينِي بَدَلًا مُنْذُ هَدَانِي اللهُ وَلا زَنَيْتُ فِي جَاهِلِيَّةٍ وَلا إِسْلامٍ قَطُّ وَلا قَتَلْتُ نَفْسًا فَبِمَ يَقْتُلُونَنِي؟