To what extent is the circulating story true regarding the demand by Uthman ibn Affan's daughter (may Allah be pleased with them both) for retribution against her father's killers, and Mu'awiyah's (may Allah be pleased with him) response to her saying: "That you be the cousin of the Commander of the Faithful is better for you than that you be a woman from the common Muslims"? And what has been established regarding Mu'awiyah's stance on the matter of retribution for Uthman's killers?

After the killing of Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, some Companions, such as Talhah, Al-Zubayr, Mu'awiyah, and Aisha, saw the immediate demand for retribution against Uthman's killers. As for Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, he believed in delaying it until order was established and the people of Sham pledged allegiance to him, enabling him to apprehend the killers due to their large number and the support they received. Nu'man ibn Bashir went to Mu'awiyah in Sham with Uthman's blood-stained shirt. Mu'awiyah displayed it on the pulpit and incited the people to avenge Uthman's blood. When Talhah and Al-Zubayr came to Ali, they demanded retribution. He apologized to them, explaining the difficulty due to the killers' support. Mu'awiyah refused to pledge allegiance to Ali until Uthman's killers were brought to justice, asserting that he would fight him over Uthman's blood because Ali harbored his killers.

As for Uthman's daughter demanding retribution from Mu'awiyah for her father, it was mentioned in a very weak narration that is not authentic, due to the weakness of the narrators and the fabrication of the hadith (definition).