Abdullah b Salam, a companion visited the house of Uthman and he is reported to have addressed the besiegers as follows:
"Slay him not, for by Allah not a man among you shall slay him, but he shall meet the Lord mutilated without a hand, and verily the sword of God has continued sheathed, but surely by Allah if you slay him the Lord will indeed draw it, and will never sheath it from you. Never was a Prophet slain, but there were slain on account of him,70,000 persons, and never was a Caliph slain. but 35,000 Persons were killed on his account.