حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَوْفٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ يَعْنِي الْفَارِسِيَّ، قَالَ أَبِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ و حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَوْفٌ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ، قَالَ قَالَ لَنَا ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قُلْتُ لِعُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ مَا حَمَلَكُمْ عَلَى أَنْ عَمَدْتُمْ، إِلَى الْأَنْفَالِ وَهِيَ مِنْ الْمَثَانِي وَإِلَى بَرَاءَةٌ وَهِيَ مِنْ الْمِئِينَ فَقَرَنْتُمْ بَيْنَهُمَا وَلَمْ تَكْتُبُوا قَالَ ابْنُ جَعْفَرٍ بَيْنَهُمَا سَطْرًا بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَوَضَعْتُمُوهَا فِي السَّبْعِ الطِّوَالِ مَا حَمَلَكُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ قَالَ عُثْمَانُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ مِمَّا يَأْتِي عَلَيْهِ الزَّمَانُ يُنْزَلُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ السُّوَرِ ذَوَاتِ الْعَدَدِ وَكَانَ إِذَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ الشَّيْءُ يَدْعُو بَعْضَ مَنْ يَكْتُبُ عِنْدَهُ يَقُولُ ضَعُوا هَذَا فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا وَيُنْزَلُ عَلَيْهِ الْآيَاتُ فَيَقُولُ ضَعُوا هَذِهِ الْآيَاتِ فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا وَيُنْزَلُ عَلَيْهِ الْآيَةُ فَيَقُولُ ضَعُوا هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا وَكَانَتْ الْأَنْفَالُ مِنْ أَوَائِلِ مَا أُنْزِلَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَبَرَاءَةٌ مِنْ آخِرِ الْقُرْآنِ فَكَانَتْ قِصَّتُهَا شَبِيهًا بِقِصَّتِهَا فَقُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَلَمْ يُبَيِّنْ لَنَا أَنَّهَا مِنْهَا وَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهَا مِنْهَا فَمِنْ ثَمَّ قَرَنْتُ بَيْنَهُمَا وَلَمْ أَكْتُبْ بَيْنَهُمَا سَطْرًا بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ قَالَ ابْنُ جَعْفَرٍ وَوَضَعْتُهَا فِ السَّبْعِ الطِّوَالِ‏.‏

It was narrated from Zaid bin Aslam that his father said

I saw `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) on the day he was besieged in the place where funerals were held; if a stone were to be thrown it would not have landed anywhere but on a man`s head. And I saw `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) look out of the window beside the place where Jibreel (عليه السلام) once stood, and he said: O people, is Talhah among you? They kept quiet. Then he said: O people, is Talhah among you? They kept quiet. Then he said: O people, is Talhah among you? Talhah bin `Ubaidullah stood up and ‘Uthman (رضي الله عنه) said to him: Are you there? I did not think that you would be in a group of people, hearing me call you three times and not answering me. I adjure you by Allah, O Talhah, do you remember the day when you and I were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in such and such a place, and none of his Companions were with him except you and I. He said: Yes, [`Uthman said:] And the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to you: `O Talhah, there is no Prophet but he had a companion from among his ummah who will be with him in Paradise, and this `Uthman bin `Affan (رضي الله عنه)` - meaning me - `is that companion who will be with me in Paradise.” Talhah said: By Allah, yes [I remember that]. Then he went away.