A further supporting report comes through Sulayman ibn Qutah, from Ibn Abbas, who recited: “He acted unrighteously.” Ibn Jarir al-Tabari transmitted it in his Exegesis (12/33): Ibn Waki narrated to us; Ibn Uyaynah narrated to us, from Musa ibn Abi Aishah, from Sulayman ibn Qutah, with it.

I say: The narrators in this chain of transmission are trustworthy, apart from Ibn Waki—whose name was Sufyan—who is weak, as al-Dhahabi stated in al-Kashif. In al-Taqrib, al-Hafiz explained the reason for his weakness: “He was truthful, but his copyist caused him trouble, inserting into his material reports that were not from his hadith. He was advised, but did not accept the advice, and his hadith was consequently rejected.”

Perhaps also suitable as corroboration is what Qatadah and others narrated from Ikrimah, who said: “In some of the readings, it is: ‘He did an unrighteous deed.’” Its chain of transmission to Ikrimah is authentic.

In sum, the hadith is authentic in my view when all these routes are taken together, especially since a number of the early predecessors recited it according to the reading found in it, as Ibn Jarir mentioned—although he himself preferred the reading of the majority of the Quranic reciters: “Indeed, his conduct was unrighteous.” Refer to it if you wish.

Note: In al-Durr al-Manthur (3/336), al-Suyuti attributed the hadith under discussion to al-Bukhari in his Tarikh, Ibn Mardawayh, and al-Khatib, through several routes from Aishah. This is what he stated: “through several routes.” If that is established, it further strengthens the hadith. Allah knows best.

I then found a biographical notice for Humayd al-Azraq—through the guidance of one of the brothers, may Allah reward him well—in Ibn Hibban’s al-Thiqat (Reliable Narrators) (4/148–149). He listed him among the Followers, named his father Zadhawayh al-Azraq, and said: