Furthermore, between Abu Fatimah and al-Hasan stands Hawshab—ibn Muslim al-Thaqafi—who is less well known than Abu Fatimah. Ibn Abi Hatim mentioned no more than three narrators from him besides Abu Fatimah, whereas six trustworthy narrators transmitted from the latter, once Bishr ibn al-Hakam, mentioned by al-Bukhari, is added to the five mentioned by Ibn Abi Hatim. In the chain of transmission of this hadith there is a seventh narrator from him, namely Abu ‘Attab—Sahl ibn Hammad. An eighth may also be added: ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Awn. For Ibn Hibban said in the biography of this Miskin (5/449):

“He narrated from a man among the Companions; he narrated from al-Hasan (!). I think he is the one who narrated from ‘Ali, from whom ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Awn narrated.”

Al-Bukhari and Ibn Abi Hatim distinguished between the subject of this biography and this one who is reported to have narrated from ‘Ali, giving each a separate entry. However, they differed: al-Bukhari said:

“He heard ‘Ali; ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Awn narrated from him.”

Ibn Abi Hatim quoted his father as saying:

“He narrated from ‘Ali—may Allah be pleased with him—in mursal form; ... narrated from him ...”

Indeed, a ninth trustworthy narrator may be added to them: al-‘Abbas ibn al-Walid al-Narsi, as will be cited from Lisan al-Hafiz.

For this reason, I consider it highly unlikely that the defect in the hadith concerning Friday bathing should be attributed to this Abu Fatimah. Its defect lies in the discontinuity between al-Hasan and Abu Umamah. If it must instead be attributed to someone else, then it is Hawshab ibn Muslim, for the reason mentioned above: he is less well known than Abu Fatimah, even though al-Hafiz described him as “truthful.”