“When the matter of 'Uthman ibn Maz'un—who had abstained from women—came to pass, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent for him and said: ‘O 'Uthman, I was not commanded to adopt monasticism. Have you turned away from my sunnah?’” The hadith.

I say: Its chain is good. Ahmad also narrated (6/226), through 'Urwah, who said: “The wife of 'Uthman ibn Maz'un—I think her name was Khawlah bint Hakim—entered upon 'A'ishah, looking dishevelled ...” The hadith includes that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, met 'Uthman and said: “O 'Uthman, monasticism has not been prescribed for us. Do I not provide you with an example to follow? By Allah, I am the most fearful of Allah among you and the most observant of His limits.”

I say: Its chain is authentic; its narrators are those of the two Sahihs. Although it outwardly appears to be mursal, it is most likely that 'Urwah received it from his maternal aunt, 'A'ishah. It seems that this is why a similar report from 'Urwah appears in al-Bukhari. And Allah knows best.

Abu Nu'aym also narrated in Akhbar Isfahan (2/245), through Muhammad ibn Humayd: Jarir narrated to us from al-A'mash, from Abu Hazim, from Abu Hurayrah, in a report traced back to the Prophet: “I was not sent with monasticism ...” The hadith includes a story. However, concerning Muhammad ibn Humayd al-Razi, al-Hafiz said: “A weak hadith master, though Ibn Ma'in held a favorable opinion of him.”

Ibn Qutaybah also narrated in Gharib al-Hadith (1/102/1), through Ibn Jurayj, from al-Hasan ibn Muslim, from Tawus, in a report traced back to the Prophet: “There is no self-bridling, nose-piercing, monasticism, celibacy, or wandering in Islam.” This chain consists of trustworthy narrators, but it is mursal. In al-Jami' al-Saghir, he attributed it to 'Abd al-Razzaq from Tawus as a mursal report. It is most likely that 'Abd al-Razzaq recorded it through Ibn Jurayj with this chain.