He was with the Prophet ﷺ in one of the gardens of Madinah, and in the Prophet's ﷺ hand was a stick with which he was striking between water and mud. A man came seeking permission to enter, and the Prophet ﷺ said, "Open the gate for him and give him glad tidings of Paradise."I went and found that it was Abu Bakr, so I opened the gate for him and gave him glad tidings of Paradise.Then another man sought permission to enter, and he said, "Open the gate for him and give him glad tidings of Paradise."It was Umar, so I opened the gate for him and gave him glad tidings of Paradise.Then another man sought permission to enter. The Prophet ﷺ had been reclining, but he sat up and said, "Open the gate for him and give him glad tidings of Paradise, along with a trial that will befall him."I went and found that it was Uthman, so I rose, opened the gate for him, and gave him glad tidings of Paradise. I also informed him of what the Prophet ﷺ had said.Uthman replied, "Allah is the One whose help is sought."
أنه كان مع النبي ﷺ في حائط من حيطان المدينة، وفي يد النبي ﷺ عود يضرب به بين الماء والطين، فجاء رجل يستفتح، فقال النبي ﷺ: افتح له وبشره بالجنة فذهبت فإذا أبو بكر، ففتحت له وبشرته بالجنة، ثم استفتح رجل آخر فقال: افتح له وبشره بالجنة فإذا عمر، ففتحت له وبشرته بالجنة، ثم استفتح رجل آخر، وكان متكئا فجلس، فقال: افتح له وبشره بالجنة، على بلوى تصيبه أو تكون فذهبت فإذا عثمان، فقمت، ففتحت له، وبشرته بالجنة، فأخبرته بالذي قال، قال: الله المستعان.