The Prophet ﷺ entered a garden and ordered me to guard its gate. A man came and asked permission to enter. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Admit him and give him the glad tidings of entering Paradise." Behold! It was Abu Bakr. Another man came and asked the permission to enter. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Admit him and give him the glad tidings of entering Paradise." Behold! It was ʿUmar. Then another man came, asking the permission to enter. The Prophet ﷺ kept silent for a short while and then said, "Admit him and give him the glad tidings of entering Paradise with a calamity which will befall him." Behold! It was ʿUthman bin ʿAffan. ʿAsim, in another narration, said that the Prophet ﷺ was sitting in a place where there was water, and he was uncovering both his knees or his knee, and when ʿUthman entered, he covered them (or it).  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ دَخَلَ حَائِطًا وَأَمَرَنِي بِحِفْظِ باب الْحَائِطِ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ يَسْتَأْذِنُ فَقَالَ ائْذَنْ لَهُ وَبَشِّرْهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ فَإِذَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ ثُمَّ جَاءَ آخَرُ يَسْتَأْذِنُ فَقَالَ ائْذَنْ لَهُ وَبَشِّرْهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ فَإِذَا عُمَرُ ثُمَّ جَاءَ آخَرُ يَسْتَأْذِنُ فَسَكَتَ هُنَيْهَةً ثُمَّ قَالَ ائْذَنْ لَهُ وَبَشِّرْهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ عَلَى بَلْوَى سَتُصِيبُهُ فَإِذَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عَفَّانَ قَالَ حَمَّادٌ وَحَدَّثَنَا عَاصِمٌ الأَحْوَلُ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ سَمِعَا أَبَا عُثْمَانَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى بِنَحْوِهِ وَزَادَ فِيهِ عَاصِمٌ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ قَاعِدًا فِي مَكَانٍ فِيهِ مَاءٌ قَدِ انْكَشَفَتْ عَنْ رُكْبَتَيْهِ أَوْ رُكْبَتِهِ فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ عُثْمَانُ غَطَّاهَا  

Al-Miswar bin Makhrama and ʿAbdur-Rahman bin Al-Aswad bin 'Abu Yaghuth said (to me), "What forbids you to talk to ʿUthman about his brother Al-Walid because people have talked much about him?" So I went to ʿUthman and when he went out for prayer I said (to him), "I have something to say to you and it is a piece of advice for you " ʿUthman said, "O man, from you." (ʿUmar said: I see that he said, "I seek Refuge with Allah from you.") So I left him and went to them. Then the messenger of ʿUthman came and I went to him (i.e. ʿUthman), ʿUthman asked, "What is your advice?" I replied, "Allah sent Muhammad with the Truth, and revealed the Divine Book (i.e. Qur'an) to him; and you were amongst those who followed Allah and His Apostle, and you participated in the two migrations (to Ethiopia and to Medina) and enjoyed the company of Messenger of Allah ﷺ and saw his way. No doubt, the people are talking much about Al-Walid." ʿUthman said, "Did you receive your knowledge directly from Messenger of Allah ﷺ ?" I said, "No, but his knowledge did reach me and it reached (even) to a virgin in her seclusion." ʿUthman said, "And then Allah sent Muhammad with the Truth and I was amongst those who followed Allah and His Apostle and I believed in what ever he (i.e. the Prophet) was sent with, and participated in two migrations, as you have said, and I enjoyed the company of Messenger of Allah ﷺ and gave the pledge of allegiance him. By Allah! I never disobeyed him, nor did I cheat him till Allah took him unto Him. Then I treated Abu Bakr and then ʿUmar similarly and then I was made Caliph. So, don't I have rights similar to theirs?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Then what are these talks reaching me from you people? Now, concerning what you mentioned about the question of Al-Walid, Allah willing, I shall deal with him according to what is right." Then he called ʿAli and ordered him to flog him, and ʿAli flogged him (i.e. Al-Walid) eighty lashes.  

أَنْ تُكَلِّمَ عُثْمَانَ لأَخِيهِ الْوَلِيدِ فَقَدْ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسُ فِيهِ فَقَصَدْتُ لِعُثْمَانَ حَتَّى خَرَجَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ قُلْتُ إِنَّ لِي إِلَيْكَ حَاجَةً وَهِيَ نَصِيحَةٌ لَكَ قَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَرْءُ قَالَ مَعْمَرٌ أُرَاهُ قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْكَ فَانْصَرَفْتُ فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَيْهِمْ إِذْ جَاءَ رَسُولُ عُثْمَانَ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ مَا نَصِيحَتُكَ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ بَعَثَ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَنْزَلَ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابَ وَكُنْتَ مِمَّنِ اسْتَجَابَ لِلَّهِ وَلِرَسُولِهِ فَهَاجَرْتَ الْهِجْرَتَيْنِ وَصَحِبْتَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَرَأَيْتَ هَدْيَهُ وَقَدْ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسُ فِي شَأْنِ الْوَلِيدِ قَالَ أَدْرَكْتَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قُلْتُ لاَ وَلَكِنْ خَلَصَ إِلَىَّ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ مَا يَخْلُصُ إِلَى الْعَذْرَاءِ فِي سِتْرِهَا قَالَ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بَعَثَ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ بِالْحَقِّ فَكُنْتُ مِمَّنِ اسْتَجَابَ لِلَّهِ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَآمَنْتُ بِمَا بُعِثَ بِهِ وَهَاجَرْتُ الْهِجْرَتَيْنِ كَمَا قُلْتَ وَصَحِبْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَبَايَعْتُهُ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا عَصَيْتُهُ وَلاَ غَشَشْتُهُ حَتَّى تَوَفَّاهُ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ أَبُو بَكْرٍ مِثْلُهُ ثُمَّ عُمَرُ مِثْلُهُ ثُمَّ اسْتُخْلِفْتُ أَفَلَيْسَ لِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ مِثْلُ الَّذِي لَهُمْ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَ فَمَا هَذِهِ الأَحَادِيثُ الَّتِي تَبْلُغُنِي عَنْكُمْ أَمَّا مَا ذَكَرْتَ مِنْ شَأْنِ الْوَلِيدِ فَسَنَأْخُذُ فِيهِ بِالْحَقِّ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ دَعَا عَلِيًّا فَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَجْلِدَهُ فَجَلَدَهُ ثَمَانِينَ  

During the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ we considered Abu Bakr as peerless and then ʿUmar and then ʿUthman (coming next to him in superiority) and then we used not to differentiate between the companions of the Prophet.  

كُنَّا فِي زَمَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لاَ نَعْدِلُ بِأَبِي بَكْرٍ أَحَدًا ثُمَّ عُمَرَ ثُمَّ عُثْمَانَ ثُمَّ نَتْرُكُ أَصْحَابَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لاَ نُفَاضِلُ بَيْنَهُمْ  

(the son of Muhib) An Egyptian who came and performed the Hajj to the Kaʿba saw some people sitting. He enquire, "Who are these people?" Somebody said, "They are the tribe of Quraish." He said, "Who is the old man sitting amongst them?" The people replied, "He is ʿAbdullah bin ʿUmar." He said, "O Ibn ʿUmar! I want to ask you about something; please tell me about it. Do you know that ʿUthman fled away on the day (of the battle) of Uhud?" Ibn ʿUmar said, "Yes." The (Egyptian) man said, "Do you know that ʿUthman was absent on the day (of the battle) of Badr and did not join it?" Ibn ʿUmar said, "Yes." The man said, "Do you know that he failed to attend the Ar Ridwan pledge and did not witness it (i.e. Hudaibiya pledge of allegiance)?" Ibn ʿUmar said, "Yes." The man said, "Allahu Akbar!" Ibn ʿUmar said, "Let me explain to you (all these three things). As for his flight on the day of Uhud, I testify that Allah has excused him and forgiven him; and as for his absence from the battle of Badr, it was due to the fact that the daughter of Messenger of Allah ﷺ was his wife and she was sick then. Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him, "You will receive the same reward and share (of the booty) as anyone of those who participated in the battle of Badr (if you stay with her).' As for his absence from the Ar-Ridwan pledge of allegiance, had there been any person in Mecca more respectable than ʿUthman (to be sent as a representative). Messenger of Allah ﷺ would have sent him instead of him. No doubt, Messenger of Allah ﷺ had sent him, and the incident of the Ar-Ridwan pledge of Allegiance happened after ʿUthman had gone to Mecca. Messenger of Allah ﷺ held out his right hand saying, 'This is ʿUthman's hand.' He stroke his (other) hand with it saying, 'This (pledge of allegiance) is on the behalf of ʿUthman.' Then Ibn ʿUmar said to the man, 'Bear (these) excuses in mind with you.'  

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ مَنْ أَهْلِ مِصْرَ حَجَّ الْبَيْتَ فَرَأَى قَوْمًا جُلُوسًا فَقَالَ مَنْ هَؤُلاَءِ الْقَوْمُ قَالَ هَؤُلاَءِ قُرَيْشٌ قَالَ فَمَنِ الشَّيْخُ فِيهِمْ قَالُوا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ قَالَ يَا ابْنَ عُمَرَ إِنِّي سَائِلُكَ عَنْ شَىْءٍ فَحَدِّثْنِي هَلْ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ عُثْمَانَ فَرَّ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ تَغَيَّبَ عَنْ بَدْرٍ وَلَمْ يَشْهَدْ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ تَغَيَّبَ عَنْ بَيْعَةِ الرُّضْوَانِ فَلَمْ يَشْهَدْهَا قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ قَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ تَعَالَ أُبَيِّنْ لَكَ أَمَّا فِرَارُهُ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ فَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَفَا عَنْهُ وَغَفَرَ لَهُ وَأَمَّا تَغَيُّبُهُ عَنْ بَدْرٍ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَتْ تَحْتَهُ بِنْتُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَكَانَتْ مَرِيضَةً فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ لَكَ أَجْرَ رَجُلٍ مِمَّنْ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا وَسَهْمَهُ وَأَمَّا تَغَيُّبُهُ عَنْ بَيْعَةِ الرُّضْوَانِ فَلَوْ كَانَ أَحَدٌ أَعَزَّ بِبَطْنِ مَكَّةَ مِنْ عُثْمَانَ لَبَعَثَهُ مَكَانَهُ فَبَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عُثْمَانَ وَكَانَتْ بَيْعَةُ الرُّضْوَانِ بَعْدَ مَا ذَهَبَ عُثْمَانُ إِلَى مَكَّةَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِيَدِهِ الْيُمْنَى هَذِهِ يَدُ عُثْمَانَ فَضَرَبَ بِهَا عَلَى يَدِهِ فَقَالَ هَذِهِ لِعُثْمَانَ فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ عُمَرَ اذْهَبْ بِهَا الآنَ مَعَكَ  

The Prophet ﷺ ascended the mountain of Uhud and Abu Bakr, ʿUmar and ʿUthman were accompanying him. The mountain gave a shake (i.e. trembled underneath them) . The Prophet ﷺ said, "O Uhud ! Be calm." I think that the Prophet ﷺ hit it with his foot, adding, "For upon you there are none but a Prophet, a Siddiq and two martyrs."  

صَعِدَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أُحُدًا وَمَعَهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ وَعُثْمَانُ فَرَجَفَ وَقَالَ اسْكُنْ أُحُدُ أَظُنُّهُ ضَرَبَهُ بِرِجْلِهِ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكَ إِلاَّ نَبِيٌّ وَصِدِّيقٌ وَشَهِيدَانِ