If ʿAli had spoken anything bad about ʿUthman then he would have mentioned the day when some persons came to him and complained about the Zakat officials of ʿUthman. ʿAli then said to me, "Go to ʿUthman and say to him, 'This document contains the regulations of spending the Sadaqa of Allah's Apostle so order your Zakat officials to act accordingly." I took the document to ʿUthman. ʿUthman said, "Take it away, for we are not in need of it." I returned to ʿAli with it and informed him of that. He said, "Put it whence you took it."

لَوْ كَانَ عَلِيٌّ ؓ ذَاكِرًا عُثْمَانَ ؓ ذَكَرَهُ يَوْمَ جَاءَهُ نَاسٌ فَشَكَوْا سُعَاةَ عُثْمَانَ فَقَالَ لِي عَلِيٌّ اذْهَبْ إِلَى عُثْمَانَ فَأَخْبِرْهُ أَنَّهَا صَدَقَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَمُرْ سُعَاتَكَ يَعْمَلُونَ فِيهَا فَأَتَيْتُهُ بِهَا فَقَالَ أَغْنِهَا عَنَّا فَأَتَيْتُ بِهَا عَلِيًّا فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَقَالَ ضَعْهَا حَيْثُ أَخَذْتَهَا