"This Is the Hand of 'Uthman"

When the Muslims came to al-Hudaybiyyah intending only to perform 'umrah, and Quraysh barred the way, the Prophet ﷺ needed an envoy whom the Makkans would not harm. He chose 'Uthman, whose clan was strong in Makkah, to tell them that the Muslims had come as pilgrims, not to fight.

'Uthman was held in Makkah longer than expected, and a rumour spread that he had been killed. The Prophet ﷺ called the Muslims to pledge under a tree that they would not flee — the Pledge of Ridwan, of which Allah said, ﴿لَقَدْ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ﴾ (“Allah was pleased with the believers when they pledged to you under the tree”) (48:18).

'Uthman himself was absent, so the Prophet ﷺ raised his own right hand and said, "This is the hand of 'Uthman," and struck it upon his other hand, saying, "This is for 'Uthman" (Sahih al-Bukhari 3698). Years later, when someone tried to fault 'Uthman for missing that pledge, Ibn 'Umar answered that the Prophet's ﷺ hand for 'Uthman was better than 'Uthman's own hand for himself.