Abī Kathīr al-Baṣrī, the client of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Samurah. Ibn Ḥibbān (5/332) and al-ʿIjlī declared him trustworthy, and a number of trustworthy transmitters besides Qatādah narrated from him—among the eminent Successors, such as Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn, Manṣūr ibn al-Muʿtamir, and Ayyūb al-Sakhtiyānī. Thus, al-Ḥāfiẓ refuted those who deemed him unknown, saying in al-Tahdhīb:

“ʿAbd al-Ḥaqq, following Ibn Ḥazm, alleged that he was unknown! Ibn al-Qaṭṭān then challenged this by citing al-ʿIjlī’s declaration of his trustworthiness.”

Accordingly, al-Ḥāfiẓ did not treat him fairly when he said in al-Taqrīb:

“Acceptable.”

Nor did al-Dhahabī when he said in al-Kāshif:

“He has been declared trustworthy.”

Therefore, the correct view is that he is trustworthy and that this hadith of his is authentic, as he stated in al-Talkhīṣ, as will be seen below. Nor is it impaired by the fact that its Companion narrator is unnamed, for all the Companions are upright, as has been stated repeatedly.

Moreover, the Companion has been named in another version. ʿAbd Allāh ibn Rajāʾ said: Hammām narrated to us, from Qatādah, from Kathīr ibn Abī Kathīr, from [Abū] ʿIyāḍ, from Abū Hurayrah, who said … and he mentioned it, omitting the words: “Satan’s sitting-place.”

Al-Ḥākim narrated it (4/271) and said:

“Its chain of transmission is authentic.”

Al-Dhahabī concurred with him. ʿAbd Allāh ibn Rajāʾ is trustworthy and among Muslim’s narrators, and the chain to him is authentic.