558 - And 'Abd al-Malik al-Maymuni informed me, saying: Ibn Hanbal narrated to us, saying: Abu Mu'awiyah narrated to us, saying: al-A'mash narrated to us, from 'Abd Allah ibn Sinan, he said: 'Abd Allah [ibn Mas'ud] said when 'Uthman was made Caliph: "We have spared no effort in supporting the most noble among us." I asked Ibrahim al-Harbi about his saying: "We have appointed the best of those who remain, the most noble among us," so he said: I asked al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufrah: What is the meaning of your saying: "the most noble among us"? He replied: We do not know of anyone who shut his door upon the two daughters of a Prophet except 'Uthman, may Allah have mercy upon him. Then I returned to the inquiry of Ishaq; Abu 'Abd Allah [Ahmad ibn Hanbal] said: Every person who places 'Ali before 'Uthman has disparaged the Muhajirun and the Ansar.
٥٥٨ - وَأَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ الْمَيْمُونِيُّ، قَالَ: ثَنَا ابْنُ حَنْبَلٍ، قَالَ: ثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، قَالَ: ثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ حِينَ اسْتُخْلِفَ عُثْمَانُ: «مَا أَلَوْنَا عَنْ أَعْلَاهَا ذَا فُوقٍ» ، سَأَلْتُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَرْبِيَّ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ: أَمَّرْنَا خَيْرَ مَنْ بَقِيَ أَعْلَاهَا ذَا فُوقٍ؟ ⦗٣٩٢⦘ فَقَالَ: قَدْ قُلْتُ لِلْمُهَلِّبِ بْنِ أَبِي صُفْرَةَ: مَا مَعْنَاكُمْ، أَعْلَاهَا ذَا فُوقٍ؟ قَالَ: مَا نَعْلَمُ أَنَّ أَحَدًا أَغْلَقَ بَابَهُ عَلَى ابْنَتِي نَبِيٍّ إِلَّا عُثْمَانَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، ثُمَّ رَجَعْتُ إِلَى مَسْأَلَةِ إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ: فَكُلُّ مَنْ قَدَّمَ عَلِيًّا عَلَى عُثْمَانَ فَقَدْ أَزْرَى بِالْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ "
