Uthman bin Affan suffered a severe nosebleed in the year of the nosebleed, so severe that it prevented him from performing the Hajj, and he made his will.A man from Quraysh came in to see him and said, "Appoint a successor."Uthman asked, "Have the people been saying this?"The man replied, "Yes."Uthman asked, "And whom?"The man fell silent.Then another man came in, whom I believe to be Harith, and said, "Appoint a successor."Uthman asked, "Have the people been saying this?"He replied, "Yes."Uthman asked, "And who is he?"The man fell silent.Uthman said, "Perhaps they named Zubayr?"He replied, "Yes."Uthman said, "By the One in whose hand my soul rests, he is indeed the best of them as far as I know, and he was the most beloved of them to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."
حدثنا خالد بن مخلد حدثنا علي بن مسهر عن هشام بن عروة عن أبيه قال أخبرني
أصاب عثمان بن عفان رعاف شديد سنة الرعاف حتى حبسه عن الحج وأوصى فدخل عليه رجل من قريش قال استخلف قال وقالوه قال نعم قال ومن فسكت فدخل عليه رجل آخر أحسبه الحارث فقال استخلف فقال عثمان وقالوا فقال نعم قال ومن هو فسكت قال فلعلهم قالوا الزبير قال نعم قال أما والذي نفسي بيده إنه لخيرهم ما علمت وإن كان لأحبهم إلى رسول الله ﷺ
Bukhari related the hadith of Marwan from Uthman concerning the merit of Zubayr, and Ali bin Mushir and Abu Usama differed in its wording, both narrating from Hisham, from his father, from him.
The Hafiz said in the introduction, p. 367 (ed. TS), after quoting Daraqutni's statement, "I say, Bukhari narrated it from the hadith of Ali bin Mushir and Abu Usama together, and there is no discrepancy between them that would necessitate finding fault with it, as will come up in the chapter on the virtues of Zubayr, if Allah wills." End of quote.Then he explained it in the chapter on the virtues of Zubayr, but did not mention anything of what Daraqutni, may Allah have mercy on him, had pointed to. Perhaps he considered what was stated in the introduction sufficient.