I say: This is a good chain of transmission; its narrators are trustworthy. Al-Manāwī said: “Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-ʿIrāqī said: ‘Its chain is sound.’ Another said: ‘It contains Baqiyyah, who was truthful but narrated objectionable, singular, and bizarre reports.’”

I say: There is no contradiction between the two statements. Baqiyyah is feared only on account of his concealment in transmission; but here, as you have seen, he explicitly stated that he heard the report directly, and this occurs in Aḥmad’s narration.

812 — “The best of the Successors is a man from Qaran named Uways.”

It was narrated by Muslim (7/189), Ibn Saʿd (6/113), al-ʿUqaylī in al-Ḍuʿafāʾ (p. 50), and al-Ḥākim (3/404), from Saʿīd al-Jurayrī, from Abū Naḍrah, from Usayr ibn Jābir: ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb said to Uways al-Qaranī, “Seek Allah’s forgiveness for me.” He replied, “You are more entitled to seek forgiveness for me, for you are among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.” ʿUmar said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say...” and then cited the hadith. Ibn ʿAsākir also narrated it through this route (3/98/2).

Ibn ʿAsākir then narrated from Ibn Ṣāʿid that he said: “The chains of transmission of the hadiths concerning Uways are authentic, transmitted by trustworthy narrators. This hadith is among them. The people of Basra call him Yasīr ibn Jābir, while the people of Kufa call him Yasīr ibn ʿAmr; and he was a Companion.”

It has a corroborating narration from ʿAlī, transmitted by Yazīd ibn Abī Ziyād from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Laylā, who said: “On the day of Ṣiffīn, a caller from among the companions of Muʿāwiyah and ʿAlī called out, ‘Is Uways al-Qaranī among you?’ They replied, ‘Yes.’ He spurred his mount until he came among them, then said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: The best of the Successors is Uways al-Qaranī.’” Al-Ḥākim narrated it (3/402) from Sharīk, from Yazīd ibn Abī Ziyād.

I say: This chain is weak because of Sharīk and Yazīd, for both were weak in precision. Nevertheless, the hadith is good as corroborating evidence.