Narrated 'Abdullah bin Abbas:

Ali bin Abu Talib came out of the house of Allah's Apostle during his fatal illness. The people asked, "O Abu Hasan (i.e. Ali)! How is the health of Allah's Apostle this morning?" 'Ali replied, "He has recovered with the Grace of Allah." 'Abbas bin 'Abdul Muttalib held him by the hand and said to him, "In three days you, by Allah, will be ruled (by somebody else ), And by Allah, I feel that Allah's Apostle will die from this ailment of his, for I know how the faces of the offspring of 'Abdul Muttalib look at the time of their death. So let us go to Allah's Apostle and ask him who will take over the Caliphate. If it is given to us we will know as to it, and if it is given to somebody else, we will inform him so that he may tell the new ruler to take care of us." 'Ali said, "By Allah, if we asked Allah's Apostle for it (i.e. the Caliphate) and he denied it us, the people will never give it to us after that. And by Allah, I will not ask Allah's Apostle for it."

حَدَّثَنِي إِسْحَاقُ، أَخْبَرَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ شُعَيْبِ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ الأَنْصَارِيُّ ـ وَكَانَ كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ أَحَدَ الثَّلاَثَةِ الَّذِينَ تِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ خَرَجَ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي وَجَعِهِ الَّذِي تُوُفِّيَ فِيهِ، فَقَالَ النَّاسُ يَا أَبَا حَسَنٍ، كَيْفَ أَصْبَحَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ أَصْبَحَ بِحَمْدِ اللَّهِ بَارِئًا، فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِهِ عَبَّاسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ أَنْتَ وَاللَّهِ بَعْدَ ثَلاَثٍ عَبْدُ الْعَصَا، وَإِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لأُرَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ سَوْفَ يُتَوَفَّى مِنْ وَجَعِهِ هَذَا، إِنِّي لأَعْرِفُ وُجُوهَ بَنِي عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ، اذْهَبْ بِنَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلْنَسْأَلْهُ فِيمَنْ هَذَا الأَمْرُ، إِنْ كَانَ فِينَا عَلِمْنَا ذَلِكَ، وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي غَيْرِنَا عَلِمْنَاهُ فَأَوْصَى بِنَا. فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ إِنَّا وَاللَّهِ لَئِنْ سَأَلْنَاهَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَمَنَعَنَاهَا لاَ يُعْطِينَاهَا النَّاسُ بَعْدَهُ، وَإِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَسْأَلُهَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ.