That is what he said! Yet Jaʿfar ibn Abī al-Mughīrah and Yaʿqūb ibn ʿAbd Allāh—the latter being al-Qummī—were each described by al-Ḥāfiẓ in his biographical entry as follows:

“Truthful, but prone to error.”

Their chain of transmission has another hidden defect as well: it is disconnected between ʿUthmān, may Allah be pleased with him, and Ibn Abzā—whose name was Saʿīd ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abzā al-Kūfī. Abū Zurʿah said:

“His narration from ʿUthmān is mursal (disconnected).”

For this reason, al-Dhahabī said in Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ (3/375), following the hadith:

“Aḥmad narrated it ... but its chain of transmission is open to criticism.”

Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Kathīr said in al-Bidāyah (8/339):

“This hadith is utterly rejected, and its chain of transmission is weak. This Yaʿqūb is al-Qummī, and he had Shiite leanings; a person such as this cannot have his solitary narration accepted. Even if it were assumed to be authentic, it does not refer to ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zubayr, for he possessed praiseworthy qualities, and he assumed leadership only for the sake of Allah, exalted is He. Indeed, after the death of Muʿāwiyah ibn Yazīd, he was unquestionably the imam. He was more rightly guided than Marwān ibn al-Ḥakam, who contested him after the community had united behind him, allegiance had been pledged to him throughout the lands, and his authority had become established. And Allah knows best.”

However, the hadith has also been transmitted from ʿUthmān, may Allah be pleased with him, through another route. Imam Aḥmad said (1/67): “ʿAlī ibn ʿAyyāsh narrated to us; al-Walīd ibn Muslim narrated to us. He said: al-Awzāʿī informed me, from Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān, that he narrated to him from al-Mughīrah ibn Shuʿbah, that he entered upon ʿUthmān, may Allah be pleased with him, while he was under siege ...” He then mentioned the account, which includes ʿUthmān’s statement: “I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, say:”