Mu'awiyah told me that I had recalled a person whose virtue could not be denied".

Mu'awiyah told me that I had recalled a person whose virtue could not be denied". Anyway, those who had brought the purse of gold to Abu Dharr went back to Uthman and told him what Abu Dharr had said. Uthman said to Marwan, "I already knew that Abu Dharr would not accept the money". Abu Dharr remained busy preaching as usual. Whatever he said was not in opposition to any particular person.

Rather, he wanted the people not to forget Allah on account of hoarding of money but to strengthen the principles of Islam by sympathizing with the poor. Abu Dharr could not tolerate the wealth of the Public Treasury being spent on the undeserving persons freely while the needy starved. He could not even tolerate the tearing and burning of the Qur'an. He could not help criticizing those guilty of such heinous crimes. He had the commands of Allah and His Prophet before him.

He had the principles of Islam in view. He wanted the Muslim rulers to tread the path of Islam. In short, on one side Abu Dharr was busy discharging his duty of preaching, and on the other side, Uthman was anxious how to gag him. To achieve this end he tried to devise every kind of plan but could not succeed. At last he ordered through a general proclamation, “Nobody should sit with Abu Dharr, nor talk to him". (al-Mas'udi) The order of the ruler had to be carried out unconditionally.

As soon as this proclamation was made people gave up contact with him and ceased talking with him. People fled from wherever Abu Dharr passed lest it should be reported to the Caliph that they had met Abu Dharr. Nobody listened to him, nor attended to him. But what a brave man Abu Dharr was. He never cared for these things. He was convinced that whatever he was doing was in consonance with the Will of Allah.

Therefore, he was completely satisfied with what he was doing and no restriction on his speech could succeed. Subaiti says that in spite of the proclamation Abu Dharr continued exhorting the people as usual, so much so, that in Medina the descendants of Umayyah who were the supporters of Uthman, got tired of him and complained to Uthman, that Abu Dharr had not given up his sermons as yet. He has tired us out. For Allah's sake devise some other means".

Hearing this Uthman ordered Abu Dharr to be presented in his court. Under orders from Uthman people caught Abu Dharr and brought him to the court. Uthman said, "O Abu Dharr! I have warned you in every way but you do not take my advice.