A narrator may accurately preserve what he transmits from one teacher, yet fail to do so with what he transmits from another. Such is the case with Ismā‘īl ibn Ayyāsh: he makes mistakes in what he transmits from narrators of the Hijaz, unlike what he transmits from Syrian narrators. Another example is Sufyān ibn Husayn in his transmissions from al-Zuhrī. There are many such cases. Thus, this narrator may have made mistakes in what he transmitted from Rawh ibn al-Qāsim—if matters were as Ibn Adī stated. This, however, requires further examination.

Al-Tabarānī narrated this hadith in al-Mu‘jam through Ibn Wahb, from Shabīb ibn Saīd. He also narrated it through Asbagh ibn al-Faraj, who said: Abd Allāh ibn Wahb narrated to us, from Shabīb ibn Saīd al-Makkī, from Rawh ibn al-Qāsim, from Abū Ja‘far al-Laythī al-Madanī, from Abū Umāmah Sahl ibn Hunayf, from his uncle Uthmān ibn Hunayf:

“A man used to visit Uthmān ibn Affān repeatedly concerning a need of his. He met Uthmān ibn Hunayf and complained to him about this. Uthmān ibn Hunayf told him: ‘Go to the place for ablution and perform ablution. Then go to the mosque and pray two units of prayer there. Then say: “O Allah, I ask You and turn to You through our Prophet Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—the Prophet of mercy. O Muhammad, I turn through you to your Lord, Mighty and Majestic, so that He may fulfill my need.” Mention your need, then set out so that I may go with you.’

The man went and did as he had been told. He then came to Uthmān ibn Affān’s door, and Uthmān seated him beside him on the rug and said: ‘What is your need?’ He stated his need, and Uthmān fulfilled it for him. Then he told him: ‘I had not remembered your need until this very moment.’ He also said: ‘Whenever you have a need, come to us.’

The man then left and met Uthmān ibn Hunayf. He said to him: ‘May Allah reward you with good! He would neither attend to my need nor pay any attention to me until you spoke to him on my behalf.’

Uthmān ibn Hunayf said to him: