He threw dust in his face
Hammam said:
A man came and praised ‘Uthman in his face.al-Miqdad bin al-Aswad took dust and threw it on his face, saying : The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:When you see those who are given to praising people, throw dust in their faces.
Sunan Abi Dāwud
Hadīth No. 4804
Subhān Allāh. Look at what the Companion did. He threw dust in the face of the one praising Uthmān. He did exactly what the Messenger of Allāh sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam had said.
Had someone done this today he would have been called a Zāhiri. He would have been told he doesn't understand the Hadīth.
Interpretations for the words of the Messenger of Allāh sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam would have been offered.
And when he did this, Uthmaan did not rebuke him. He did not rebuke him because he knew the other Companion was right in doing what he did based on the hadiith he had narrated.
How far removed we are from the way of the Companions.
May Allah guide us to following only the Qur'ān and Sunnah