[Machine] I saw Uthman perform ablution. He washed his face, rinsed his mouth and nose three times, wiped his head and both ears, both outside and inside, and he combed his beard three times while washing his face before washing his feet. Then he said, "I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ do what you have witnessed me doing." The two scholars, Al-Bukhari and Muslim, both agreed to exclude the mentioning of combing the beard three times in their narrations about Uthman's ablution. This hadith is authentic and it has been supported by all of its narrators except 'Amir ibn Shaqiq. I do not know of any criticism against 'Amir ibn Shaqiq from any other source. Additionally, there is a valid witness regarding combing the beard from 'Ammar ibn Yasir, Anas ibn Malik, and Aisha bin Mu'awiyah, son of Mu'awiyah. Then he said, "And he has a valid witness."  

رَأَيْتُ عُثْمَانَ تَوَضَّأَ فَغَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ وَاسْتَنْشَقَ وَمَضْمَضَ ثَلَاثًا وَمَسَحَ بِرَأْسِهِ وَأُذُنَيْهِ ظَاهِرِهِمَا وَبَاطِنِهُمَا وَخَلَّلَ لِحْيَتَهُ ثَلَاثًا حِينَ غَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَغْسِلَ قَدَمَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ «رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَفْعَلُ الَّذِي رَأَيْتُمُونِي فَعَلْتُ» «وَقَدِ اتَّفَقَ الشَّيْخَانِ عَلَى إِخْرَاجِ طُرُقٍ لِحَدِيثِ عُثْمَانَ فِي دُبُرِ وُضُوئِهِ وَلَمْ يَذْكُرَا فِي رِوَايَاتِهِمَا تَخْلِيلَ اللِّحْيَةِ ثَلَاثًا وَهَذَا إِسْنَادٌ صَحِيحٌ قَدِ احْتَجَّا بِجَمِيعِ رُوَاتِهِ غَيْرِ عَامِرِ بْنِ شَقِيقٍ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ فِي عَامِرِ بْنِ شَقِيقٍ طَعْنًا بِوَجْهٍ مِنَ الْوُجُوهِ» وَلَهُ فِي تَخْلِيلِ اللِّحْيَةِ شَاهِدٌ صَحِيحٌ عَنْ عَمَّارِ بْنِ يَاسِرٍ وَأَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ وَعَائِشَةَ ابن معين ثم قال وله شاهد صحيح