حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ صَالِحٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ يَحْيَى الْكَلْبِيُّ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا الزُّهْرِيُّ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ الأَنْصَارِيُّ، قَالَ: وَكَانَ كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ أَحَدَ الثَّلاَثَةِ الَّذِينَ تِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ، أَنَّ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ أَخْبَرَهُ، أَنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ خَرَجَ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي وَجَعِهِ الَّذِي تُوُفِّيَ فِيهِ، فَقَالَ النَّاسُ: يَا أَبَا الْحَسَنِ، كَيْفَ أَصْبَحَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم؟ قَالَ: أَصْبَحَ بِحَمْدِ اللهِ بَارِئًا، قَالَ: فَأَخَذَ عَبَّاسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ بِيَدِهِ، فَقَالَ: أَرَأَيْتُكَ؟ فَأَنْتَ وَاللَّهِ بَعْدَ ثَلاَثٍ عَبْدُ الْعَصَا، وَإِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لَأَرَى رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَوْفَ يُتَوَفَّى فِي مَرَضِهِ هَذَا، إِنِّي أَعْرِفُ وُجُوهَ بَنِي عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ، فَاذْهَبْ بِنَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلْنَسْأَلْهُ: فِيمَنْ هَذَا الأَمْرُ؟ فَإِنْ كَانَ فِينَا عَلِمْنَا ذَلِكَ، وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي غَيْرِنَا كَلَّمْنَاهُ فَأَوْصَى بِنَا، فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ: إِنَّا وَاللَّهِ إِنْ سَأَلْنَاهُ فَمَنَعَنَاهَا لاَ يُعْطِينَاهَا النَّاسُ بَعْدَهُ أَبَدًا، وَإِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَسْأَلُهَا رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَبَدًا.
It is related from Ka'b ibn Malik, who was one of the three to whom Allah turned that Ibn 'Abbas informed him that 'Ali ibn Abi Talib emerged from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in his illness from which he died and the people said, "O Abu'l-Hasan! How is the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, this morning?" He said, "Praise be to Allah, he is well this morning." 'Abbas ibn 'Abdu'l-Muttalib took him by the hand and said to him, "By Allah, in three days time you will be a subject. By Allah, I think that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, will die of this illness. I recognise death in the faces of the Banu Abdu'l-Muttalib when they are dying. Let us go to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and ask him who will have this authority. If it is for us, then we will know that, and if it is for other than us, we will know it and he can advise him to look after us." 'Ali replied, "By Allah, if we ask him for it and he refuses us, then the people would never give it to us afterwards. By Allah, I will not ask it from the Messenger of Allah."
Reported by Ahmad (No. 2254). Cited in Al-Adab al-Mufrad (No. 1130).