(1) Ahmad ibn al-Husayn ibn Hassan al-Samari, from Samarra, reports in Tabaqat al-Hanabilah that he met Imam Ahmad and transmitted some material from him; see Tabaqat al-Hanabilah 1:39 (no. 12) and Ibn al-Jawzi, Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad, p. 125, ed. Abdullah al-Turki. (2) It seems to me that he is Husayn ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Nakhai al-Kufi (not the better-known Husayn ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami, since Hafs ibn Ghiyath belongs to the eighth generation while Husayn al-Sulami is from the fifth). This Husayn is classed in the seventh generation. Ibn Hajar states in al-Taqrib: “Abu Hatim declared him unknown,” yet Ibn Hibban listed him among the reliable narrators; see Tahdhib al-Tahdhib 2:383 (no. 662). (3) Manuscript A reads “narrated from Hafs,” but the reading adopted here is the correct one; see Tahdhib al-Tahdhib 2:383. (4) Hafs ibn Ghiyath ibn Talaq ibn Muawiyah al-Nakhai, Abu Amr, a trustworthy Kufan judge and hadith scholar; born 117 AH/735 CE, died 195 AH/811 CE. See Tahdhib al-Tahdhib 2:415-418 (no. 725). (5) Abdullah ibn Sa id ibn Husayn al-Kindi al-Kufi, Abu Sa id al-Ashaj, a trustworthy transmitter of the later tenth generation; all six canonical collections narrate from him; died 257 AH/871 CE. See Taqrib al-Tahdhib 1:419 (no. 342). (6) Sulayman ibn Hayyan al-Azdi, Abu Khalid al-Ahmar, Kufan; al-Taqrib describes him as “reliable but prone to error.” He belongs to the eighth generation and is cited by all six books; died 190 AH/806 CE. See Taqrib al-Tahdhib 1:323 (no. 425). (7) I have not been able to identify him; many narrators bear this name and no decisive clue was found. The author likewise expresses uncertainty here.