Mishkat al-Masabih 6080

`Uthman b. `Abdallah b. Mauhib told that a man who belonged to Egypt came with the purpose of making the pilgrimage to the House and saw some people seated. He asked who these people were and was told that they were Quraish. He asked who was shaikh among them, and when he was told that he was `Abdallah b. `Umar, he said, "I have a question to ask you, Ibn `Umar, so tell me. Do you know that `Uthman fled at the battle of Uhud?" He replied, "Yes." He asked, "Do you know that he was absent from Badr and failed to be present there?" He replied, "Yes." He asked, "Do you know that he was absent from the oath of allegiance of God's good pleasure and failed to be present there?" He replied, "Yes." The man said, "God is most great," and Ibn `Umar said, "Come and let me explain things to you. As for his flight at the battle of Uhud, I testify that God forgave him; as for his absence from Badr, he was married to God's messenger's daughter Ruqayya who was ill, and he was told by God's messenger that he would have the merit and the portion of a man who had been present at Badr; and as for his absence from the oath of allegiance of God's good pleasure, if there had been anyone more honourable than `Uthman in the valley of Mecca he would have sent him[*], but God's messenger sent `Uthman, and the oath of allegiance of God's good pleasure took place after `Uthman had gone to Mecca. God's messenger then said of his right hand, `This is `Uthman's hand,' and he struck his hands together saying, `This is for Uthman'." Ibn `Umar then said, `Go away now, and keep that with you." *When the Prophet came to al-Hadaibiya, he sent 'Uthman as an envoy to Mecca to explain that the Muslims desired to enter Mecca and perform the rites at the Ka'ba. 'Umar had begged to be excused from this duty as he had no influential friends in the city, and suggested that `Uthman was in a more favourable position in that respect. Bukhari transmitted it.