‘Al-Barā’ [bin Āzib, the Companion] narrated to us’; he said: ‘Zayd bin Arqam narrated to us’- and he mentioned that [those chains] to Qatādah. [Qatādah] said ‘He lied; he did not hear from them. He would beg the people asking [about Ḥadīth] at the time of the plague’ [circa 67H].
قَدِمَ عَلَيْنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ الأَعْمَى فَجَعَلَ يَقُولُ حَدَّثَنَا الْبَرَاءُ قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنَا زَيْدُ بْنُ أَرْقَمَ فَذَكَرْنَا ذَلِكَ لِقَتَادَةَ فَقَالَ كَذَبَ مَا سَمِعَ مِنْهُمْ إِنَّمَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ سَائِلاً يَتَكَفَّفُ النَّاسَ زَمَنَ طَاعُونِ الْجَارِفِ