Sahih Bukhari 3717

حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ مَخْلَدٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُسْهِرٍ ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنِي مَرْوَانُ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ ، قَالَ : أَصَابَ عُثْمَانَ بْنَ عَفَّانَ رُعَافٌ شَدِيدٌ سَنَةَ الرُّعَافِ حَتَّى حَبَسَهُ عَنِ الْحَجِّ وَأَوْصَى فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ ، قَالَ : اسْتَخْلِفْ ، قَالَ : وَقَالُوهُ ، قَالَ : نَعَمْ ، قَالَ : وَمَنْ فَسَكَتَ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ أَحْسِبُهُ الْحَارِثَ ، فَقَالَ : اسْتَخْلِفْ ، فَقَالَ : عُثْمَانُ وَقَالُوا ، فَقَالَ : نَعَمْ ، قَالَ : وَمَنْ هُوَ فَسَكَتَ ، قَالَ : فَلَعَلَّهُمْ قَالُوا الزُّبَيْرَ ، قَالَ : نَعَمْ ، قَالَ : أَمَا وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّهُ لَخَيْرُهُمْ مَا عَلِمْتُ وَإِنْ كَانَ لَأَحَبَّهُمْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ .

Narrated Marwan bin Al-Hakam: `Uthman bin `Affan was afflicted with severe nose-bleeding in the year when such illness was prevelant and that prevented him from performing Hajj, and (because of it) he made his will. A man from Quraish came to him and said, Appoint your successor. `Uthman asked, Did the people name him? (i.e. the successor) the man said, Yes. `Uthman asked, Who is that? The man remained silent. Another man came to `Uthman and I think it was Al-Harith. He also said, Appoint your successor. `Uthman asked, Did the people name him? The man replied Yes. `Uthman said, Who is that? The man remained silent. `Uthman said, Perhaps they have mentioned Az-Zubair? The man said, Yes. `Uthman said, By Him in Whose Hands my life is, he is the best of them as I know, and the dearest of them to Allah's Apostle .