Mishkat al-Masabih 41

Uthman ibn Affan, may God be pleased with him, reported: When the Prophet died, some of his Companions grieved for him so deeply that some nearly began to be overcome by confused thoughts. Uthman said, “I was one of them. While I was sitting in the shade of one of the stone structures, Umar, may God be pleased with him, passed by and greeted me. I did not notice that he had passed or greeted me. Umar went to Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with him, and said to him, ‘Does it not surprise you that I passed by Uthman and greeted him, but he did not return my greeting?’ During Abu Bakr’s leadership, Umar and Abu Bakr both came over and greeted me. Then Abu Bakr said, ‘Your brother Umar told me that he passed by and greeted you, but you did not return his greeting. What made you do that?’ I said, ‘I did not do so.’ Umar said, ‘Yes, by God, you did; but that is your clan’s way, Banu Umayya.’ I said, ‘By God, I did not notice that you passed by or greeted me.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘Uthman is telling the truth. Something must have occupied you.’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He asked, ‘What was it?’ Uthman, may God be pleased with him, replied, ‘God, Mighty and Majestic, took His Prophet before we could ask him what would bring salvation to this community.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘I asked him about that.’ Uthman said, ‘I went to him and said, “May my father and mother be your ransom; you are the one most entitled to answer it.”’ Abu Bakr said, ‘I asked, “Messenger of God, what brings salvation to this community?” The Messenger of God replied, “Whoever accepts from me the confession that I offered to my uncle, which he rejected, will thereby attain salvation.”’ Ahmad narrated it.