حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو ظَفَرٍ عَبْدُ السَّلَامِ حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرٌ عَنْ عَوْفٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الْحَجَّاجَ يَخْطُبُ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ إِنَّ مَثَلَ عُثْمَانَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ کَمَثَلِ عِيسَی ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ يَقْرَؤُهَا وَيُفَسِّرُهَا إِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَا عِيسَی إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيکَ وَرَافِعُکَ إِلَيَّ وَمُطَهِّرُکَ مِنْ الَّذِينَ کَفَرُوا يُشِيرُ إِلَيْنَا بِيَدِهِ وَإِلَی أَهْلِ الشَّامِ
سنن ابودوٗد · Hadith 4641
Awf said: I heard al-Hajjaj addressing the people say: The similitude of Uthman with Allah is like the similitude of Jesus son of Mary. He then recited the following verse and explained it: “Behold! Allah said: O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehood) of those who blaspheme. ” He was making a sign with his hand to us and to the people of Syria.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020