ʿUthman bin ʿAffan was afflicted with severe nose-bleeding in the year when such illness was prevelant and that prevented him from performing Hajj, and (because of it) he made his will. A man from Quraish came to him and said, "Appoint your successor." ʿUthman asked, "Did the people name him? (i.e. the successor) the man said, "Yes." ʿUthman asked, "Who is that?" The man remained silent. Another man came to ʿUthman and I think it was Al-Harith. He also said, "Appoint your successor." ʿUthman asked, "Did the people name him?" The man replied "Yes." ʿUthman said, "Who is that?" The man remained silent. ʿUthman said, "Perhaps they have mentioned Az-Zubair?" The man said, "Yes." ʿUthman said, "By Him in Whose Hands my life is, he is the best of them as I know, and the dearest of them to Messenger of Allah ﷺ ."  

عَنِ الْحَجِّ وَأَوْصَى فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ قَالَ اسْتَخْلِفْ قَالَ وَقَالُوهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ وَمَنْ فَسَكَتَ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ أَحْسِبُهُ الْحَارِثَ فَقَالَ اسْتَخْلِفْ فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ وَقَالُوا فَقَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ وَمَنْ هُوَ فَسَكَتَ قَالَ فَلَعَلَّهُمْ قَالُوا الزُّبَيْرَ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ أَمَا وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّهُ لَخَيْرُهُمْ مَا عَلِمْتُ وَإِنْ كَانَ لأَحَبَّهُمْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ  

Appoint a successor. He said: Are they suggesting that? He said: Yes. He said: Who are they suggesting? The man kept quiet. Then another man entered upon him and said something similar to what the first man said, and he gave the same response. Then ʿUthman ؓ said: Are they suggesting az-Zubair? He said: Yes. He said. By the One in whose hand is my soul, indeed he is the best among them as far as I know, and the most beloved of them to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ . ‘Abdullah told us: Suwaid told us: ʿ Ali bin Mus-hir told us similar report, with his isnad. (Using translation from Aḥmad 455)   

أَصَابَ عُثْمَانَ رُعَافٌ سَنَةَ الرُّعَافِ حَتَّى أَوْصَى وَتَخَلَّفَ عَنِ الْحَجِّ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْنَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ فَقَالَ اسْتَخْلِفْ فَقَالَ «وَقَالُوهُ؟» قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ «وَمَنْ هُوَ؟» فَسَكَتَ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ آخِرُ فَقَالَ اسْتَخْلِفْ فَذَكَرَ نَحْوًا مِمَّا ذَكَرَ الْأَوَّلُ فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ «الزُّبَيْرَ؟» قَالَ نَعَمْ فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ «أَمَا وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنْ كَانَ لَا خَيْرَهُمْ مَا عَلِمْتُ وَأَحَبَّهُمْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَسَلَّمَ»  

"عَنْ مَرْوَانَ (بْن الْحَكَم) (*) قَالَ: أَصَابَ عُثْمانَ رُعَافٌ سَنَةَ الرُّعَافِ حَتَّى تَخَلَّفَ مِنَ الْحَجِّ وَأَوْصَى، فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُل مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ فَقَالَ: اسْتَخْلِفْ، قَالَ: وَقَالُوهُ؟ قَالَ: نعم (قَالَ: مَنْ هُوَ؟ قَالَ: فَسَكَتَ، قَالَ: ثُمَّ دَخَلَ عَلَيْه رَجُل آخَرُ أَحْسِبُهُ الْحَارثَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ لَهُ الأَوَّلُ، وَرَدَ عَلَيْهِ نَحْوَ ذَلِكَ، قَالَ: ) (* *) فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ: قَالُوا الزُّبَيْر؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، قَالَ: أمَا وَالَّذِى نَفْسِى بيَدِهِ إِنْ كانَ لَخَيْرهُم مَا عَلِمْتُ وَأحَبُّهُمْ إِلَى رَسُولِ الله ﷺ ".