It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), "when he performed ablution, would rub his cheeks somewhat, then pass his fingers through his beard from beneath it."
(b) The father of Ibn Abi Hatim says that al-Walid narrated it with the chain: from al-Awza'i, from Abd al-Wahid, from Yazid al-Raqashi and Qatadah, who both said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to; as a mursal report, and that is closer to being correct.
(c) Its being mawquf on Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) is what is correct.
Abd al-Wahid bin Qays is alone in narrating it, and they differed over his reliability: Yahya bin Ma'in declared him trustworthy, while Yahya bin Sa'id al-Qattan and Muhammad bin Isma'il al-Bukhari rejected him.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الطهارة / 249
It is narrated from Nafi' (may Allah have mercy on him) that whenever Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) performed ablution, he would rub and wash his cheeks; sometimes he would run his fingers through his beard, and sometimes he would leave it.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الطهارة / 251
Nafi' (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated that Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) would rub and wash his cheeks thoroughly; sometimes he would run his fingers through his beard and sometimes he would leave it. This is how the narrator related it.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الطهارة / 252