Arabic Text
حَدَّثَنِي عُبَيْدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي، سَمِعْتُ مَرْوَانَ، كُنْتُ عِنْدَ عُثْمَانَ، أَتَاهُ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ اسْتَخْلِفْ. قَالَ وَقِيلَ ذَاكَ قَالَ نَعَمْ، الزُّبَيْرُ. قَالَ أَمَا وَاللَّهِ إِنَّكُمْ لَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ خَيْرُكُمْ. ثَلاَثًا.
English Translation
Narrated Marwan bin Al-Hakam: While I was with 'Uthman, a man came to him and said, "Appoint your successor." 'Uthman said, "Has such successor been named?" He replied, "Yes, Az-Zubair." 'Uthman said, thrice, "By Allah! Indeed you know that he is the best of you."
This hadith is from Sahih al-Bukhari, the most rigorously authenticated collection in Islamic scholarship. No editorial opinion is added.