In that connection, it is firmly established that al-Hasan did indeed hear from Samura and unquestionably met him; he declared this explicitly in two separate reports (1).
Muʿadh ibn Muʿadh related: Shuʿba narrated to us, from Abu Maslama (2), from Abu Nadra, from Abu Hurayra:
“The Prophet ﷺ said to ten of his Companions who were gathered in a house: ‘The last of you to die will be in the Fire.’”
Samura ibn Jundub was one of them.
Abu Nadra added, “Samura was the last of them to pass away.”
This narration is extremely singular.
It is not soundly proven that Abu Nadra actually heard directly from Abu Hurayra, although supporting reports do exist.
Ismaʿil ibn Hakim transmitted—from Yunus, from al-Hasan, from Anas ibn Hakim—who said:
“I would pass through Medina and encounter Abu Hurayra; he would not begin any conversation until he asked me about Samura. When I informed him that Samura was still alive, he would rejoice.
He then said, ‘We were ten men in a house. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ looked at our faces and said, “The last of you to die will be in the Fire.” Eight of us have already died, so nothing is dearer to me now than death.’” (3)
(1) First: The hadith, “al-ghulam murtahan bi-‘aqiqatihi, tudhbahu ‘anhu yawma as-sabi‘, wa yusamma, wa yuhlaqu ra’suhu” (the newborn is held in pledge by his ‘aqiqah; a sacrifice is made for him on the seventh day, he is given his name, and his head is shaved). It is transmitted through Qatadah → al-Hasan → Samurah and is recorded by Ahmad 5/7, 17, 22; Abu Dawud 2838; al-Nasa’i 7/166; and al-Tirmidhi 1522. The chain is sound: in Sahih al-Bukhari 9/511 (Book of ‘Aqiqah) we read, “ ‘Abd Allah ibn Abi al-Aswad told us, Quraysh ibn Anas told us, from Habib ibn al-Shahid who said: Ibn Sirin instructed me to ask al-Hasan from whom he heard the hadith on ‘aqiqah; I asked, and he replied: from Samurah ibn Jundub.”
Second: The hadith, “The Prophet ﷺ rarely delivered a sermon without enjoining charity and forbidding mutilation.” Ahmad records it (5/12) through Hushaym → Humayd → al-Hasan: A man came to al-Hasan saying, “My slave has run away; I have vowed that if I catch him I will cut off his hand.” Al-Hasan said, “Samurah narrated to us…,” and then cited the hadith.
(2) The narrator is Sa‘id ibn Yazid ibn Maslamah al-Azdi al-Basri, a trustworthy transmitter cited by all six canonical compilers; the printed text mistakenly reads “Salamah.”
(3) This chain is not reliable: Isma‘il ibn Hakim—al-Khuza‘i, associate of al-Ziyadi—is listed by Ibn Abi Hatim (2/165) with neither praise nor criticism, while Anas ibn Hakim is unknown.