It was narrated that Al Ahnaf bin Qais said: “We set out as pilgrims and came to Al Madinah intending to perform Hajj. While we were in our camping place unloading our mounts, someone came to us and said: ‘The people have gathered in the Masjid and there is panic.’ So we set out and found the people gathered around a group in he middle of the Masjid, among whom were ‘Ali, Zubayr, Talhah and Saad bin Abl WaqqaWhile we were like that, ‘Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, came, wearing a yellow cloak with which he had covered his head. He said: ‘Is Talhah here? Is Az-Zubair here? Is Saad here?’ They said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘I adjure you by the One beside Whom there is none worthy of worship, didn’t the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم say: Whoever buys the Mirbad of Banu so-and-so, Allah will forgive him, and I bought it for twenty or twenty-five thousand, then I came to the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم and told him, and he said: Add it to our Masjid and the reward for it will be yours?’ They said: ‘By Allah, yes.’ He said: ‘I adjure you by the One beside Whom there is none worthy of worship, didn’t the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم say: Whoever buys the well of Rflmah, Allah will forgive him, so I bought it for such and such an amount, then I came to the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم and told him, and he said: Give it to provide water for the Muslims, and the reward for it will be yours?’ They said: ‘By Allah, yes.’ He said: ‘I adjure you by the One beside Whom there is none worthy of worship, didn’t the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم say: Whoever equips these (men) — meaning the army of Al-’Usrah (Tabuk) — Allah will forgive him, so I equipped them until they were not lacking even a rope or a bridle?’ They said: ‘By Allah, yes.’ He said: ‘Allah, bear witness, Allah, bear witness, Allah, bear witness.” (Hasan)