ʿAli bin Abu Talib came out of the house of the Prophet ﷺ during his fatal ailment. The people asked (ʿAli), "O Abu Hasan! How is the health of Messenger of Allah ﷺ this morning?" ʿAli said, "This morning he is better, with the grace of Allah." Al-ʿAbbas held ʿAli by the hand and said, "Don't you see him (about to die)? By Allah, within three days you will be the slave of the stick (i.e., under the command of another ruler). By Allah, I think that Messenger of Allah ﷺ will die from his present ailment, for I know the signs of death on the faces of the offspring of ʿAbdul Muttalib. So let us go to Messenger of Allah ﷺ to ask him who will take over the Caliphate. If the authority is given to us, we will know it, and if it is given to somebody else we will request him to recommend us to him. " ʿAli said, "By Allah! If we ask Messenger of Allah ﷺ for the rulership and he refuses, then the people will never give it to us. Besides, I will never ask Messenger of Allah ﷺ for it." (See Hadith No 728, Vol 5)  

أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا يَعْنِي ابْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ خَرَجَ مِنْ عِنْدِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَحَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَنْبَسَةُ حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ؓ خَرَجَ مِنْ عِنْدِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي وَجَعِهِ الَّذِي تُوُفِّيَ فِيهِ فَقَالَ النَّاسُ يَا أَبَا حَسَنٍ كَيْفَ أَصْبَحَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ أَصْبَحَ بِحَمْدِ اللَّهِ بَارِئًا فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِهِ الْعَبَّاسُ فَقَالَ أَلاَ تَرَاهُ أَنْتَ وَاللَّهِ بَعْدَ الثَّلاَثِ عَبْدُ الْعَصَا وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأُرَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ سَيُتَوَفَّى فِي وَجَعِهِ وَإِنِّي لأَعْرِفُ فِي وُجُوهِ بَنِي عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ الْمَوْتَ فَاذْهَبْ بِنَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَنَسْأَلَهُ فِيمَنْ يَكُونُ الأَمْرُ فَإِنْ كَانَ فِينَا عَلِمْنَا ذَلِكَ وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي غَيْرِنَا أَمَرْنَاهُ فَأَوْصَى بِنَا قَالَ عَلِيٌّ وَاللَّهِ لَئِنْ سَأَلْنَاهَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَيَمْنَعُنَا لاَ يُعْطِينَاهَا النَّاسُ أَبَدًا وَإِنِّي لاَ أَسْأَلُهَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَبَدًا