[Machine] I was informed by Waththab, who was one of those who witnessed Uthman's era of slavery. He used to stand in front of Uthman and say, "Uthman sent me to you." So, I invited the people for Uthman's proposal, and Ibn Awon said, "I think he said, 'They want something from me?'" He said, "What is it?" I said, "They want to either remove you from your position and say that it is their decision, so choose whoever you want for it, or they want you to cut ties with yourself, and if you refuse these two options, the people will fight against you." He said, "None of these options are necessary." I said, "What do you mean?" He said, "As for removing me from my position, I will not let go of my position, not even for the cost of a thobe. And as for you cutting ties with yourself, I swear by Allah, I would rather be killed than abandon a matter of the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ even if they fight each other after me." Ibn Awon said, "And this is closer to the words of Uthman." As for cutting from myself, I swear by Allah, I knew that my companions were being punished and I did not take revenge for myself. As for killing me, I swear by Allah, if you kill me, you will never be satisfied and you will never fight against an enemy after me." Waththab then stood up and left. We stayed and said, "Perhaps the people are afraid because a man has come who looks like a wolf." He looked out of a door and then came back. Then, Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr came with thirteen men until they reached Uthman. Uthman took hold of his beard and said things with it until I heard the sound of his teeth. He said, "Muawiyah is not enough for you, nor is Ibn Amir, nor are your books." Uthman said, "Send me my beard, O son of my brother, send me my beard, O son of my brother." He said, "And I saw him summon a man from the people and he approached him with a pair of scissors until he struck him in his head." I said, "Then what did he do?" He said, "Then they attacked him, by Allah, until they killed him."
أَخْبَرَنِي وَثَّابٌ وَكَانَ مِمَّنْ أَدْرَكَهُ عِتْقُ عُثْمَانَ ؓ فَكَانَ يَقُومُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ عُثْمَانَ قَالَ بَعَثَنِي عُثْمَانُ فَدَعَوْتُ لَهُ الْأَشْتَرَ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَوْنٍ فَأَظُنُّهُ قَالَ فَطَرَحْتُ لِأَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وِسَادَةً وَلَهُ وِسَادَةٌ فَقَالَ «يَا أَشْتَرُ مَا يُرِيدُ النَّاسُ مِنِّي؟» قَالَ ثَلَاثًا مَا مِنْ إِحْدَاهُنِّ بُدٌّ قَالَ «مَا هُنَّ؟» قَالَ يُخَيِّرُونَكَ بَيْنَ أَنْ تَخْلَعَ لَهُمْ أَمْرَهُمْ فَتَقُولَ هَذَا أَمْرُكُمْ فَاخْتَارُوا لَهُ مَنْ شِئْتُمْ وَبَيْنَ أَنْ تَقُصَّ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ فَإِنْ أَبَيْتَ هَذَيْنِ فَإِنَّ الْقَوْمَ قَاتِلُوكَ قَالَ «مَا مِنْ إِحْدَاهُنَّ بُدٌّ؟» قَالَ مَا مِنْ إِحْدَاهُنَّ بُدٌّ قَالَ «أَمَّا أَنْ أَخْلَعَ لَهُمْ أَمْرَهُمْ فَمَا كُنْتُ لِأَخْلَعَ سِرْبَالًا سُرْبِلْتُهُ» قَالَ وَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ قَالَ وَاللهِ لَأَنْ أُقَدَّمَ فَيُضْرَبَ عُنُقِي أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أَخْلَعَ أَمْرَ أُمَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ بَعْضُهَا عَلَى بَعْضٍ قَالَ ابْنُ عَوْنٍ وَهَذَا أَشْبَهُ بِكَلَامِ عُثْمَانَ وَأَمَّا أَنْ أَقُصَّ مِنْ نَفْسِي فَوَاللهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ صَاحِبَيْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ كَانَا يُعَاقَبَانِ وَمَا يَقُومُ بَدَنِي للقِصَاصِ وَأَمَّا أَنْ تَقْتُلُونِي فَوَاللهِ لَئِنْ قَتَلْتُمُونِي لَا تُحَابُّونَ بَعْدِي أَبَدًا وَلَا تُقَاتِلُونَ بَعْدِي عَدُوًّا جَمِيعًا أَبَدًا فَقَامَ الْأَشْتَرُ فَانْطَلَقَ فَمَكَثْنَا فَقُلْنَا لَعَلَّ النَّاسَ إِذْ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ كَأَنَّهُ ذِئْبٌ فَاطَّلَعَ مِنْ بَابٍ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ ثُمَّ جَاءَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ فِي ثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ رَجُلًا حَتَّى انْتَهَوْا إِلَى عُثْمَانَ ؓ فَأَخَذَ بِلِحْيَتِهِ فَقَالَ بِهَا وَقَالَ بِهَا حَتَّى سَمِعْتُ وَقْعَ أَضْرَاسِهِ وَقَالَ مَا أَغْنَى عَنْكَ مُعَاوِيَةُ مَا أَغْنَى عَنْكَ ابْنُ عَامِرٍ مَا أَغْنَى عَنْكَ كُتُبُكَ قَالَ «أَرْسِلْ لِحْيَتِي يَا ابْنَ أَخِي أَرْسِلْ لِحْيَتِي يَا ابْنَ أَخِي» قَالَ فَأَنَا رَأَيْتُهُ اسْتَدْعَى رَجُلًا مِنَ الْقَوْمِ بِعَيْنِهِ فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ بِمِشْقَصٍ حَتَّى وَجَأَهُ بِهِ فِي رَأْسَهِ قُلْتُ ثُمَّ مَهْ قَالَ ثُمَّ تَعَانُوا عَلَيْهِ وَاللهِ حَتَّى قَتَلُوهُ