Request to Elect a Khalifa
On one occasion, Hazrat Uthman (ra) suffered from an illness and it was requested that he should appoint a Khalifa. Hisham has narrated this incident from his father. He narrates that Marwan bin Hakam told him that the year in which there was an outbreak of a disease which caused [severe] nosebleeds, Hazrat Uthman (ra) bin Affan also suffered from a severe nosebleed, to the extent that it prevented him from performing the Hajj and he even wrote down his will. In that moment, an individual from among the Quraish approached him and said, “Elect someone as the Khalifa” i.e. owing to his condition, he should appoint a Khalifa. Hazrat Uthman (ra) asked, “Have people made this request?” to which he replied in the affirmative. Hazrat Uthman (ra) asked who they wished to be appointed as the Khalifa, but to this, he remained silent. Then another person came, who the narrator says he believes was Harith and he also asked him to appoint a Khalifa. Hazrat Uthman (ra) asked, “Is this what the people are asking?” to which he replied, “Yes”. Hazrat Uthman (ra) asked, “Who should be the Khalifa?” to which the man remained silent. Hazrat Uthman (ra) then said, “Perhaps they desire to elect Zubair.” To which he replied, “Yes”. Hazrat Uthman (ra) then said, “By Him in Whose Hands is my life, as far as I know, he is the best among the people and he was the dearest to the Holy Prophet (sa).”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fada‘il Ashab al-Nabi (sa), Bab Manaqib Manaqib Zubair bin al-Awwam, Hadith 3717)