حَدَّثَنَا عَبْد اللَّهِ حَدَّثَنِي سُفْيَانُ بْنُ وَكِيعٍ حَدَّثَنِي قَبِيصَةُ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ عَيَّاشٍ عَنْ عَاصِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ كَيْفَ بَايَعْتُمْ عُثْمَانَ وَتَرَكْتُمْ عَلِيًّا رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ مَا ذَنْبِي قَدْ بَدَأْتُ بِعَلِيٍّ فَقُلْتُ أُبَايِعُكَ عَلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَسُنَّةِ رَسُولِهِ وَسِيرَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ فَقَالَ فِيمَا اسْتَطَعْتُ قَالَ ثُمَّ عَرَضْتُهَا عَلَى عُثْمَانَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَقَبِلَهَا
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 557
It was narrated that Abu Wa'il said: I said to 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Awf: How could you swear allegiance to 'Uthman (RA) and not to 'Ali (RA)? He said: It is not my fault. I started with 'Ali and said: I swear allegiance to you in accordance with the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger, and the way of Abu Bakr and 'Umar (RA). He said: As much as I can. Then I offered it to 'Uthman (RA) and he accepted it.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020