That Al-Miswar bin Makhrama and ʿAbdur-Rahman bin Al-Aswad bin 'Abu Yaghuth had said to him, "What prevents you from speaking to your uncle ʿUthman regarding his brother Al-Walid bin ʿUqba?" The people were speaking against the latter for what he had done. 'Ubaidullah said, "So I kept waiting for ʿUthman, and when he went out for the prayer, I said to him, 'I have got something to say to you as a piece of advice.' ʿUthman said, 'O man! I seek Refuge with Allah from you. So I went away. When I finished my prayer, I sat with Al-Miswar and Ibn 'Abu Yaghutb and talked to both of them of what I had said to ʿUthman and what he had said to me. They said, 'You have done your duty.' So while I was sitting with them. ʿUthman's Messenger came to me. They said, 'Allah has put you to trial." I set out and when I reached ʿUthman, he said, 'What is your advice which you mentioned a while ago?' I recited Tashahhud and added, 'Allah has sent Muhammad and has revealed the Holy Book (i.e. Qur'an) to him. You (O ʿUthman!) were amongst those who responded to the call of Allah and His Apostle and had faith in him. And you took part in the first two migrations (to Ethiopia and to Medina), and you enjoyed the company of Messenger of Allah ﷺ and learned his traditions and advice. Now the people are talking much about Al-Walid bin ʿUqba and so it is your duty to impose on him the legal punishment.' ʿUthman then said to me, 'O my nephew! Did you ever meet Messenger of Allah ﷺ ?' I said, 'No, but his knowledge has reached me as it has reached the virgin in her seclusion.' ʿUthman then recited Tashahhud and said, 'No doubt, Allah has sent Muhammad with the Truth and has revealed to him His Holy Book (i.e. Qur'an) and I was amongst those who responded to the call of Allah and His Apostle and I had faith in Muhammad's Mission, and I had performed the first two migrations as you have said, and I enjoyed the company of Messenger of Allah ﷺ and gave the pledge of allegiance to him. By Allah, I never disobeyed him and never cheated him till Allah caused him to die. Then Allah made Abu Bakr Caliph, and by Allah, I was never disobedient to him, nor did I cheat him. Then ʿUmar became Caliph, and by Allah, I was never disobedient to him, nor did I cheat him. Then I became Caliph. Have I not then the same rights over you as they had over me?' I replied in the affirmative. ʿUthman further said, 'The what are these talks which are reaching me from you? As for what you ha mentioned about Al-Walid bin 'Uqb; Allah willing, I shall give him the leg; punishment justly. Then ʿUthman ordered that Al-Walid be flogged fort lashes. He ordered ʿAli to flog him an he himself flogged him as well."  

عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ فَانْتَصَبْتُ لِعُثْمَانَ حِينَ خَرَجَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّ لِي إِلَيْكَ حَاجَةً وَهْىَ نَصِيحَةٌ فَقَالَ أَيُّهَا الْمَرْءُ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْكَ فَانْصَرَفْتُ فَلَمَّا قَضَيْتُ الصَّلاَةَ جَلَسْتُ إِلَى الْمِسْوَرِ وَإِلَى ابْنِ عَبْدِ يَغُوثَ فَحَدَّثْتُهُمَا بِالَّذِي قُلْتُ لِعُثْمَانَ وَقَالَ لِي فَقَالاَ قَدْ قَضَيْتَ الَّذِي كَانَ عَلَيْكَ فَبَيْنَمَا أَنَا جَالِسٌ مَعَهُمَا إِذْ جَاءَنِي رَسُولُ عُثْمَانَ فَقَالاَ لِي قَدِ ابْتَلاَكَ اللَّهُ فَانْطَلَقْتُ حَتَّى دَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ مَا نَصِيحَتُكَ الَّتِي ذَكَرْتَ آنِفًا قَالَ فَتَشَهَّدْتُ ثُمَّ قُلْتُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَعَثَ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ وَأَنْزَلَ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابَ وَكُنْتَ مِمَّنِ اسْتَجَابَ لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ﷺ وَآمَنْتَ بِهِ وَهَاجَرْتَ الْهِجْرَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ وَصَحِبْتَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَرَأَيْتَ هَدْيَهُ وَقَدْ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسُ فِي شَأْنِ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ فَحَقٌّ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تُقِيمَ عَلَيْهِ الْحَدَّ فَقَالَ لِي يَا ابْنَ أَخِي أَدْرَكْتَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ قُلْتُ لاَ وَلَكِنْ قَدْ خَلَصَ إِلَىَّ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ مَا خَلَصَ إِلَى الْعَذْرَاءِ فِي سِتْرِهَا قَالَ فَتَشَهَّدَ عُثْمَانُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ بَعَثَ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَنْزَلَ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابَ وَكُنْتُ مِمَّنِ اسْتَجَابَ لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ﷺ وَآمَنْتُ بِمَا بُعِثَ بِهِ مُحَمَّدٌ ﷺ وَهَاجَرْتُ الْهِجْرَتَيْنِ الأُولَيَيْنِ كَمَا قُلْتَ وَصَحِبْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَبَايَعْتُهُ وَاللَّهِ مَا عَصَيْتُهُ وَلاَ غَشَشْتُهُ حَتَّى تَوَفَّاهُ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَخْلَفَ اللَّهُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا عَصَيْتُهُ وَلاَ غَشَشْتُهُ ثُمَّ اسْتُخْلِفَ عُمَرُ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا عَصَيْتُهُ وَلاَ غَشَشْتُهُ ثُمَّ اسْتُخْلِفْتُ أَفَلَيْسَ لِي عَلَيْكُمْ مِثْلُ الَّذِي كَانَ لَهُمْ عَلَىَّ قَالَ بَلَى قَالَ فَمَا هَذِهِ الأَحَادِيثُ الَّتِي تَبْلُغُنِي عَنْكُمْ فَأَمَّا مَا ذَكَرْتَ مِنْ شَأْنِ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ فَسَنَأْخُذُ فِيهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ بِالْحَقِّ قَالَ فَجَلَدَ الْوَلِيدَ أَرْبَعِينَ جَلْدَةً وَأَمَرَ عَلِيًّا أَنْ يَجْلِدَهُ وَكَانَ هُوَ يَجْلِدُهُ وَقَالَ يُونُسُ وَابْنُ أَخِي الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ أَفَلَيْسَ لِي عَلَيْكُمْ مِنَ الْحَقِّ مِثْلُ الَّذِي كَانَ لَهُمْ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْد اللَّهِ بَلَاءٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ مَا ابْتُلِيتُمْ بِهِ مِنْ شِدَّةٍ وَفِي مَوْضِعٍ الْبَلَاءُ الِابْتِلَاءُ وَالتَّمْحِيصُ مَنْ بَلَوْتُهُ وَمَحَّصْتُهُ أَيْ اسْتَخْرَجْتُ مَا عِنْدَهُ يَبْلُو يَخْتَبِرُ مُبْتَلِيكُمْ مُخْتَبِرُكُمْ وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ بَلَاءٌ عَظِيمٌ النِّعَمُ وَهِيَ مِنْ أَبْلَيْتُهُ وَتِلْكَ مِنْ ابْتَلَيْتُهُ