• Knowledge of the teknonyms (kunyas) of those whose given names are known (1), and of the given names of those who are known primarily by their teknonyms (2).
• Those whose given name itself functions as a teknonym.
• Those who possess numerous teknonyms or descriptive epithets.
• Those whose teknonym matches their father’s name, or vice-versa (3), or whose teknonym is the same as that of his wife (4).
• Those who are attributed to someone other than their own father (5), or (6) to (7) something (8) other than what would immediately come to mind (9).
• Those (10) whose own name coincides with that of their father and grandfather (11), or whose name (12) coincides with that of their teacher and his teacher, and so on.
• Those whose teacher’s name is identical with that of the narrator reporting from him.
(1) In MS J the word is written “al-musammiyyin” with two ya’s; MSS H and Z have “al-muslimin,” a scribal corruption. MS D reads “al-musammīn” with a kasrah on the second mīm. The adopted text follows MSS A and W.
(2) MSS J and H read “al-mukanniyyin” with two ya’s; MS B has “al-maknīn” (fatha on the mīm, sukūn on the kāf, kasrah on the nūn). The chosen reading follows MSS A, D, and W.
(3) MSS J and H give the variant “al-ʿaks” (“the converse”).
(4) The word “kunyatuhu” (his kunya) is missing from MS A.
(5) MSS B and Z insert “such as al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad,” a gloss taken from Nuzhat al-Nazar.
(6) MS A adds the verb “nusiba” (was attributed).
(7) The preposition “ila” is absent from MS D.
(8) The preposition “ila” is absent from MS A.
(9) MS B adds “such as al-Haddha”; MSS J, D, H, and W read instead “li-l-fahm” (“for comprehension”).
(10) MS Z reads “wafaq” (“agreed”); the adopted wording matches Nuzhat al-Nazar.
(11) The phrase “wa-jaddihi” (and his grandfather) is missing from MS B.
(12) In MSS B and W the word appears as “ism” (name).