We set out for Hajj, and passed by Madinah. Whilst we were in our camp, someone came to us and said: The people are in a panic in the mosque. My companion and I set out, and we found some people gathered around a group in the mosque. I pushed through them until I got to (that group), where I found ʿ Ali bin Abi Talib, Az-Zubair, Talhah and Saʿd bin Abi Waqqas. Soon ‘Uthman came walking and said: Is ʿAli here? They said: Yes. He said: ls Az-Zubair here? They said: Yes. He said: ls Talhah here? They said: Yes. He said: ls Saʿd here? They said: Yes. He said: I adjure you by Allah, beside Whom there is no other god, do you know that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever buys the date-drying place of (the tribe of) Banu so- and-so, Allah will forgive him.” so I bought it and went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: I have bought it; he said: ʿAdd it to our mosque and the reward for that will be yours”? They said: Yes. He said: I adjure you by Allah, beside Whom there is no other god, do you know that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Who will buy the well of Roomah?ʿ so I bought it for such and such and went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: I have bought it - meaning the well of Roomah, and he said: ʿMake it a water source for the Muslims and the reward for that will be yoursʿ? They said: Yes. He said: I adjure you by Allah, beside Whom there is no other god, do you know that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ looked at the faces of the people on the day of the army of hardship (Tabook) and said: “Whoever equips these men, Allah will forgive him,” so I equipped them until they were not without even reins or ropes? They said: By Allah, yes. He said: O Allah, bear witness, O Allah, bear witness; O Allah, bear witness. Then he left
قَالَقَالَ الْأَحْنَفُ انْطَلَقْنَا حُجَّاجًا فَمَرَرْنَا بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَبَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ فِي مَنْزِلِنَا إِذْ جَاءَنَا آتٍ فَقَالَ النَّاسُ مِنْ فَزَعٍ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَانْطَلَقْتُ أَنَا وَصَاحِبِي فَإِذَا النَّاسُ مُجْتَمِعُونَ عَلَى نَفَرٍ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ قَالَ فَتَخَلَّلْتُهُمْ حَتَّى قُمْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ فَإِذَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وَالزُّبَيْرُ وَطَلْحَةُ وَسَعْدُ بْنُ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ قَالَ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ ذَلِكَ بِأَسْرَعَ مِنْ أَنْ جَاءَ عُثْمَانُ يَمْشِي فَقَالَ أَهَاهُنَا عَلِيٌّ؟ قَالُوا نَعَمْ قَالَ أَهَاهُنَا الزُّبَيْرُ؟ قَالُوا نَعَمْ قَالَ أَهَاهُنَا طَلْحَةُ؟ قَالُوا نَعَمْ قَالَ أَهَاهُنَا سَعْدٌ؟ قَالُوا نَعَمْقَالَ أَنْشُدُكُمْ بِاللهِ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ يَبْتَاعُ مِرْبَدَ بَنِي فُلانٍ غَفَرَ اللهُ لَهُ فَابْتَعْتُهُ فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي قَدِ ابْتَعْتُهُ فَقَالَ اجْعَلْهُ فِي مَسْجِدِنَا وَأَجْرُهُ لَكَ ؟ قَالُوا نَعَمْقَالَ أَنْشُدُكُمْ بِاللهِ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ يَبْتَاعُ بِئْرَ رُومَةَ؟ فَابْتَعْتُهَا بِكَذَا وَكَذَا فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي قَدِ ابْتَعْتُهَا يَعْنِي بِئْرَ رُومَةَ فَقَالَ اجْعَلْهَا سِقَايَةً لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ وَأَجْرُهَا لَكَ ؟ قَالُوا نَعَمْقَالَ أَنْشُدُكُمْ بِاللهِ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ نَظَرَ فِي وُجُوهِ الْقَوْمِ يَوْمَ جَيْشِ الْعُسْرَةِ فَقَالَ مَنْ يُجَهِّزُ هَؤُلاءِ غَفَرَ اللهُ لَهُ فَجَهَّزْتُهُمْ حَتَّى مَا يَفْقِدُونَ خِطَامًا وَلا عِقَالًا؟ قَالُوا اللهُمَّ نَعَمْ قَالَ اللهُمَّ اشْهَدْ اللهُمَّ اشْهَدْ اللهُمَّ اشْهَدْ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ