They Preferred Each Other to be Caliph

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

It is recorded, in Hafizh ‘Imad ad-Din Abu al-Fida’ Isma’il ibn ‘Umar ibn Katsir’s (r.a.) al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah, that after the death of Sayyidina Abu Hafsw ‘Umar ibn al-Khaththab al-Faruq (r.a.), the shura’ made Sayyidina ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn ‘Awf (r.a.) responsible for collating their opinions on the best candidate for the next caliph.  Most of them chose Sayyidina Abu ‘Amr ‘Utsman ibn ‘Affan (r.a.).  Sayyidina ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn ‘Awf (r.a.) asked Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib (k.w.), “If not you, who do you suggest for me?” 

Sayyidina ‘Ali (k.w.) said “‘Utsman”. 

And when Sayyidina ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn ‘Awf (r.a.) asked Sayyidina ‘Utsman (r.a.) the same question, he replied, “‘Ali.”