Was Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib among the earliest Shiites for preferring Ali over Uthman, and is the hadith he narrates from his father, "Who is the best of people after the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Abu Bakr. I said: Then who? He said: Then Umar. And I feared that he would say Uthman, so I said: Then you. He said: I am but a man among the Muslims," authentic, and is Al-Bukhari's statement that there is a concern regarding its chain of narration correct?

The aforementioned Hadith is authentic and indicates the sound belief of Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah. He narrated it from his father Ali and disseminated it. He did not prefer his father over Abu Bakr and Umar, unlike the Shi'ah. His hesitation regarding Uthman's matter was due to his emotional state and youth during the conflict at that time. Merely preferring Ali over Uthman does not imply Shi'ism, as this was a difference of opinion among the Sunnis. Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah is among the most virtuous of the Salaf, and this report confirms the soundness of his belief, his fairness, and his adherence to the truth.