I was in the Masjid then al-ʿAbbās and ʿAlī came to me and they both said, "O Usāmah, get permission for us from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." Then I entered upon the Prophet ﷺ and asked for his permission and told him that ʿAbbās and ʿAlī are seeking permission." He said, "Do you know what they need?" I said, "No, by Allah, I do not know." He said, "However, I know, allow them ˹to enter˺."
Then they both entered upon him and both said, "We came to ask you which one of your family members you love the most?" He said, ‘The one I love the most from my family is Fāṭimah b. Muḥmammad.’ They both said, "We are not asking about Fāṭimah." He said, "Then, Usāmah son of Zayd, the one who ˹is˺ the one Allāh had favored upon and I had favored upon."
كُنْتُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَأَتَانِي الْعَبَّاسُ وَعَلِيٌّ فَقَالَا لِي يَا أُسَامَةُ اسْتَأْذِنْ لَنَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ۔ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَاسْتَأْذَنْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّ الْعَبَّاسَ وَعَلِيًّا يَسْتَأْذِنَانِ قَالَ «هَلْ تَدْرِي مَا حَاجَتُهُمَا؟» قُلْتُ لَا وَاللَّهِ مَا أَدْرِي قَالَ «لَكِنِّي أَدْرِي ائْذَنْ لَهُمَا۔»
فَدَخَلَا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ جِئْنَاكَ نَسْأَلُكَ أَيُّ أَهْلِكَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ؟ قَالَ «أَحَبُّ أَهْلِي إِلَيَّ فَاطِمَةُ بِنْتُ مُحَمَّدٍ» فَقَالَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَيْسَ نَسْأَلُكَ عَنْ فَاطِمَةَ قَالَ «فَأُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ الَّذِي أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْهِ»