I heard Ali delivering a sermon, and he recited this verse, "Indeed, those for whom the best reward has already been decreed from Us" [Anbiya 21:101]. He said, "It was revealed concerning Uthman and his companions."
سمعت عليا يخطب، وتلا هذه الآية: {إن الذين سبقت لهم منا الحسني} الآية. قال: نزلت في عثمان وأصحابه.
No references are available.
Ibn Abu Shayba narrated it in his Musannaf (32715), Ahmad in Fadail al-Sahabah (771), Ibn Jareer in his Tafsir (16/415), and Tahawi in Sharh Mushkil (21/3), all of them through the route of Shuba, from Abu Bishr, from Yusuf bin Saad, from Muhammad bin Hatib, who mentioned it. Its isnad is sahih.His saying, "hasab," means "that which is thrown," that is, that which is cast in. From this the pebbles are called "hasba," because they are stones that are thrown, meaning they are cast into Hell, as Allah Most High said, "whose fuel is people and stones" [Baqarah 2:24], meaning the disbelievers and their idols made of stone.It has also been said that "hasab" means firewood in the language of the people of Yemen, and some have recited it as "the firewood of Hell," though this is an irregular recitation, and its meaning would be "the fuel of Hell."His saying, "you will enter it" means, you will go into it. And his saying, "and all abide therein forever" means, both the worshippers and the worshipped, whether of stones or trees.