`Ali (ra) about `Uthman (ra): There is nothing between us except goodness

Text of Hadith:

[Juray ibn Kulayb said: I saw that `Ali was ordering something and `Uthman was prohibiting from it. So I said to `Ali : “There is something wrong between you both.” He replied : “There is nothing between us apart from good, but the better one of us is the one who is more obedient to this religion.”]

Chain #1: al-Matalib al-`Aliyah fi Zawa’id al-Masaneed al-Thamaniyah by Ibn Hajar:
وَقَالَ مُسَدَّدٌ : ثنا يَحْيَى ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ ، عَنْ جُرَيِّ بْنِ كُلَيْبٍ ، قَالَ : رَأَيْتُ عَلِيًّا رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ يَأْمُرُ بِشَيْءٍ وَعُثْمَانَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ يَنْهَى عَنْهُ ، فَقُلْتُ لِعَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ : إِنَّ بَيْنَكُمَا لَشَرًّا . قَالَ : ” مَا بَيْنَنَا إِلَّا خَيْرٌ ، وَلَكِنْ خَيْرُنَا أَتْبَعُنَا لِهَذَا الدِّينِ ” .

Chain #2: al-Nasikh wal-Mansoukh by al-Qassim ibn Salam:
حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجٌ ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ جُرَيَّ بْنَ كُلَيْبٍ يَقُولُ : رَأَيْتُ عُثْمَانَ يَنْهَى عَنِ الْمُتْعَةِ وَعَلِيٌّ ، يَأْمُرُ بِهَا قَالَ : فَأَتَيْتُ عَلِيًّا ، فَقُلْتُ : إِنَّ بَيْنَكُمَا لَشَرًّا أَنْتَ تَأْمُرُ بِهَا وَعُثْمَانُ يَنْهَى عَنْهَا ، فَقَالَ : ” مَا بَيْنَنَا إِلا خَيِّرٌ ، وَلَكِنْ خَيْرُنَا أَتْبَعُنَا لِهَذَا الدِّينِ ” .

Grading: Hadith is at least Hasan.

Benefits:

The companions would openly differ in some rulings, especially when it comes to following some Sunan, but the difference does not create hatred and enmity as the Shia would like to portray. In fact, this narration goes even deeper to disprove Imamah itself, since `Uthman (ra) is claimed to be an evil usurper and oppressor by the Shia while `Ali (ra) says “There is nothing between us except goodness.” Meaning he absolutely and completely rejected the Shia claim.