مسند أحمد

It was narrated from Hisham bin `Urwah from his father from Marwan, and we have no reason to suspect hirn, who said, `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) suffered a nosebleed in the year of the nosebleed, (which was so bad that, he stayed behind from Hajj and gave his final instructions (because he thought he was going to die). A man of Quraish entered upon him and said: Appoint a successor. He said: Are they suggesting that? He said: Yes. He said: Who are they suggesting? The man kept quiet. Then another man entered upon him and said something similar to what the first man said, and he gave the same response. Then `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) said: Are they suggesting az-Zubair? He said: Yes. He said. By the One in whose hand is my soul, indeed he is the best among them as far as I know, and the most beloved of them to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) . ‘Abdullah told us: Suwaid told us: ` Ali bin Mus-hir told us similar report, with his isnad.