While I was with ʿAbdullah, ʿUthman met him at Mina and said, "O Abu ʿAbdur-Rahman ! I have something to say to you." So both of them went aside and ʿUthman said, "O Abu ʿAbdur-Rah. man! Shall we marry you to a virgin who will make you remember your past days?" When ʿAbdullah felt that he was not in need of that, he beckoned me (to join him) saying, "O 'Alqama!" Then I heard him saying (in reply to ʿUthman), "As you have said that, (I tell you that) the Prophet ﷺ once said to us, 'O young people! Whoever among you is able to marry, should marry, and whoever is not able to marry, is recommended to fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power.  

كُنْتُ مَعَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فَلَقِيَهُ عُثْمَانُ بِمِنًى فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ إِنَّ لِي إِلَيْكَ حَاجَةً فَخَلَيَا فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ هَلْ لَكَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ فِي أَنْ نُزَوِّجَكَ بِكْرًا تُذَكِّرُكَ مَا كُنْتَ تَعْهَدُ فَلَمَّا رَأَى عَبْدُ اللَّهِ أَنْ لَيْسَ لَهُ حَاجَةٌ إِلَى هَذَا أَشَارَ إِلَىَّ فَقَالَ يَا عَلْقَمَةُ فَانْتَهَيْتُ إِلَيْهِ وَهْوَ يَقُولُ أَمَا لَئِنْ قُلْتَ ذَلِكَ لَقَدْ قَالَ لَنَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَا مَعْشَرَ الشَّبَابِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ مِنْكُمُ الْبَاءَةَ فَلْيَتَزَوَّجْ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَعَلَيْهِ بِالصَّوْمِ فَإِنَّهُ لَهُ وِجَاءٌ