Hadith No: 3
Ibn Shabah al-Namiri - Tarikh al-Medina - The Report of al-Mughirah ibn al-Akhnas ibn Sharqeeq
Volume: (4) - Page Number: (1303 > 1306)
- Muhammad ibn Yusuf ibn Sulayman and Ahmad ibn Mansur al-Ramadi said: Hisham ibn Ammar ibn Nusayr narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Isa ibn Sami al-Qurashi, who said: Ibn Abi Zawwab narrated to me, from al-Zuhri, from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, who said: Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) looked out over the people while he was besieged and said: "Is Ali among you?" They replied: "No." He then asked: "Is Sa'd among you?" They answered: "No." He fell silent, then said: "Is there not one who can bring water?" This reached Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and he sent him three filled waterskins. They could hardly reach him before several of the freedmen of Banu Hashim and the freedmen of Banu Umayyah were wounded over this, until they finally reached him. It was reported to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that Uthman was being plotted against to be killed, and he said: "We only wanted Marwan from him, but his killing is not what we intended." He said to al-Hasan and al-Husayn: "Go with your lives and stand at the door of Uthman's house, and do not let anyone approach him."
Az-Zubayr sent his son, and Talhah sent his son, despite his reluctance, and several of the companions of Muhammad sent their sons to prevent people from entering upon Uthman and asking him to remove Marwan. When Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr saw this, he began to throw stones at the people around them, and blood stained al-Hasan's face at his door. Marwan was hit by an arrow while in the house, Muhammad ibn Talhah was bloodied, and Qunbar was injured. Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr feared that Banu Hashim would become angry at the sight of al-Hasan and al-Husayn, so he took the hands of two men and said to them: "If Banu Hashim come and see blood on al-Hasan's face, they will clear the people from Uthman, and all you intend will be in vain. But let us go until we can climb over the wall into the house and kill him without anyone knowing." Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr and his companions climbed over from the house of a man from the Ansar until they entered upon Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), and none of those with him knew, for all who were with him were on the rooftops, so only his wife was with him. Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr said to them: "Stay here until I begin entering. When I strike him, you can come in and help him until you kill him." Muhammad entered, took hold of Uthman's beard, and Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "By Allah, if your father saw you, he would be displeased with your position towards me." His hand relaxed, and the two men charged at him, overwhelming him until they killed him. They then fled from where they had come, and his wife screamed, but her scream was not heard due to the commotion in the house. His wife went up to the people and said: "Indeed, the Commander of the Faithful has been killed." Al-Hasan and al-Husayn entered, along with those who were with them, and found Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) slaughtered. They fell upon him, weeping, and then left as people entered, finding him dead.
News of this reached Ali, Talhah, al-Zubayr, Sa'd, and those in the city, and they went out, their minds having lost clarity over the news that reached them, until they entered and found him slaughtered. They mourned and Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to his sons: "How could he be killed when you were at the door?" He slapped al-Hasan, struck al-Husayn, cursed Muhammad ibn Talhah, and cursed Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr. He left, angry, believing that Talhah had aided in what had happened to Uthman. Talhah met him and said: "What is it, O Abu al-Hasan, that you struck al-Hasan and al-Husayn?" Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr replied: "May Allah's curse be upon you! It does not trouble me." Talhah said: "Aren't you concerned that the killing of the Commander of the Faithful by a man from the companions of Muhammad, a man who was present at Badr, without any evidence or proof established against him?" Talhah replied: "If Marwan had been handed over to us, he would not have been killed." Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "If Marwan had been brought out to you, he would have been killed before you could establish any authority over him," and he entered his home. And this is a report with much confusion, a narrative with unacceptable chains of transmission, and its narrators are not known, except for Ibn Abi Zawwab and those above him, who are strong.