Technical note / Defect ('illah): In manuscripts (M) and (S) this word has been corrupted into "al-Darimi".

Technical note / Defect ('illah): In the manuscripts the preposition "'an" has been corrupted into "bin".

Grading: Its chain is "weak".
Technical note / Defect ('illah): There is disagreement over the identity of Muhammad bin 'Abd Allah. In the author's narration, and likewise in the narration of "Fada'il al-Sahabah", he appears as "Ibn 'Amr bin 'Uthman", while with the others who narrated it he appears as "Muhammad bin 'Abd Allah" without further lineage. Abu Nu'aym al-Asbahani, in "Ma'rifat al-Sahabah" after narration (230), identified him as "Ibn 'Amr bin 'Uthman". However, others differed from them, such as al-Bukhari in "al-Tarikh al-Kabir" (1/129-130 and 138-139), Ibn Abi Hatim in "al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil" (7/301 and 309), and Ibn Hibban in "al-Thiqat" (7/375 and 417), where they gave each of the two a separate biography.

Technical note / Defect ('illah): Al-Mizzi followed them; among the shaykhs of Zayd bin Abi Unaysah in "Tahdhib al-Kamal" (10/20) he wrote: "Muhammad bin 'Abd Allah, a shaykh who narrates from al-Muttalib, from Abu Hurayrah." Al-Mizzi counted him as someone other than "Muhammad bin 'Abd Allah bin 'Amr bin 'Uthman", whose biography is in "al-Tahdhib" (25/516-517), and there he did not mention Ibn Abi Unaysah among his students.

Technical note / Defect ('illah): We say: If he is the one identified by al-Bukhari and those who followed him, then he is "majhul" (unknown); that is why Imam al-Bukhari said: He cannot be relied upon as proof. Also, he is not known to have heard from "al-Muttalib", as al-Bukhari said in "al-Tarikh al-Awsat" (1/292).

Technical note / Defect ('illah): And if he is "Ibn 'Amr bin 'Uthman", then he is "layyin al-hadith" (weak in hadith), and his shaykh al-Muttalib bin 'Abd Allah (Ibn Hantab) is likewise not known to have heard from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), as al-Bukhari said in "al-Awsat" and Abu Hatim al-Razi said (in his son's book) "al-Marasil" (780). So much for the chain.
Important point: As for the text, Imam al-Bukhari declared it "munkar" in both his Tarikhs, "al-Kabir" (1/130) and "al-Awsat" (1/292), and said: I do not think he preserved it accurately, because Ruqayyah the daughter of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) died in the days of "Badr", whereas Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) emigrated about five years later. Similarly, Abu Nu'aym said in "Ma'rifat al-Sahabah" (6/3198): It is an error (wahm), because Ruqayyah (may Allah be pleased with her) died before the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) returned from Badr, and Abu Hurayrah's acceptance of Islam was in the year of "Khaybar", years after her death; it is likely that his visit was to "Umm Kulthum", not to Ruqayyah. Al-Hakim too declared it "wahin" (very weak) after this hadith and said something similar to what they said. We say: The report of Abu Hurayrah's arrival in the days of Khaybar has passed with the author at (2272), and the report of Ruqayyah's death at the time of Badr has passed at (5025) and (7024).

Note / Clarification: Muhammad bin Salamah is "Ibn 'Abd Allah al-Harrani", and Abu 'Abd al-Rahim is "Khalid bin Abi Yazid"; he has also been called Ibn Yazid bin Simak, and Ibn Simal bin Rustam al-Harrani.

Details of the narration: Ibn 'Asakir narrated it in "Tarikh Dimashq" (39/97) by way of Hilal bin al-'Ala' al-Raqqi, from al-Mu'afa bin Sulayman, with this chain.

Details of the narration: Al-Bukhari narrated it in "al-Kabir" (1/129-130) and "al-Awsat" (1/292), Ya'qub al-Fasawi in "al-Ma'rifah wa al-Tarikh" (3/162), Ibn Abi 'Asim in "al-Ahad wa al-Mathani" (2979), 'Abd Allah bin Ahmad in "Fada'il al-Sahabah" (834) and (840), al-Dulabi in "al-Dhurriyyah al-Tahirah" (63) and (74), al-Baghawi in "Mu'jam al-Sahabah" (1782), al-Tabarani in "al-Kabir" (99), Abu Nu'aym in "Ma'rifat al-Sahabah" (230), (4333) and (7353), and Ibn 'Asakir (39/97-98), through various routes from Muhammad bin Salamah.
Important point: Ibn 'Asakir (39/98) quoted Ya'qub al-Fasawi's statement: "Ruqayyah (may Allah be pleased with her) had died years before Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) (accepted Islam)."

Corroborating chains and supporting reports: On this topic there is a narration from 'Abd al-Rahman bin 'Uthman al-Qurashi al-Taymi (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came in to his daughter while she was washing 'Uthman's head, and said: "O my daughter, treat Abu 'Abd Allah ('Uthman) well, for he is the most like me in character among my Companions." Al-Tabarani narrated it in al-Kabir (98) by way of 'Abd al-Malik bin 'Abd Allah (a descendant of Qays bin Makhramah bin al-Muttalib), from 'Abd al-Rahman bin 'Uthman al-Qurashi.
Technical note / Defect ('illah): We have not found a biography of this 'Abd al-Malik; nevertheless al-Haythami said in "al-Majma'" (9/81): Its narrators are thiqah!

Details of the narration: Ibn 'Adi narrated in al-Kamil (5/134), and by way of him Ibn 'Asakir (39/28), by way of Khalid bin 'Amr, from 'Amr bin al-Azhar, from Hisham bin 'Urwah, from his father, from 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married off his daughter Umm Kulthum, he said to Umm Ayman: "Prepare my daughter Umm Kulthum, lead her in procession to 'Uthman, and beat the daff before her." She did so. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to her after the third (day), went in to her and said: "O my daughter, how have you found your husband?" She said: "The best of husbands." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, he is the most like of people to your forefather Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and your father Muhammad." (The narrator) named her Umm Kulthum.
Grading: But its chain is "talif" (ruined, i.e. severely weak): Khalid bin 'Amr and his shaykh 'Amr bin al-Azhar are both "muttaham bi al-kadhib" (accused of lying), and Ibn Hajar called it "mawdu'" (fabricated) in "Lisan al-Mizan" (6/187).