Salafi Research Institute SRI
In Defence of The Sahabi al-Jalil
The Faqeeh, The Mujtahid, The Muhaddith
Abu Hurairah
(Radhiallaahu Anhu)
Series Part 18 / Part 7
By
Haafidh Sher Muhammad
Series Compilers, Translated and Annotated
Abu Hibbaan & Abu Khuzaimah Ansaari
Abu Hurairah reported:
I invited my mother, who was a polytheist, to Islam. I invited her one day and she said to me something about Allaah’s Messenger (Sallalhu Alayhi Wasallam) which I hated. I came to Allaah’s Messenger (Sallalhu Alayhi Wasallam) weeping and said: Allaah’s Messenger, I invited my mother to Islam but she did not accept (my invitation). I invited her today but she said to me something which I did not like. (Kindly) supplicate Allaah that He may set the mother of Abu Hurairah right. Thereupon Allaah’s Messenger (Sallalhu Alayhi Wasallam) said: O Allaah, set the mother of Abu Hurairah on the right path. I came out quite pleased with the supplication of Allaah’s Prophet (Sallalhu Alayhi Wasallam) and when I came near the door it was closed from within. My mother heard the noise of my footsteps and she said: Abu Hurairah, just wait, and I heard the noise of falling of water. She took a bath and put on the shirt and quickly covered her head with a headdress and opened the door and then said: Abu Hurairah, I bear witness to the fact that there is none worthy of worship (in truth) but Allaah and Muhammad is His bondsman and His Messenger. He (Abu Hurairah) said: I went back to Allaah’s Messenger (Sallalhu Alayhi Wasallam) and (this time) I was shedding the tears of joy. I said: Allaah’s Messenger, be happy, for Allaah has responded to your supplication and He has set on the right path the mother of Abu Hurairah. He (the Prophet) praised Allaah, and extolled Him and uttered good words. I said: Allaah’s Messenger, supplicate to Allaah so that He may instil love of mine and that of my mother too in the believing servants and let our hearts be filled with their love, whereupon Allaah’s Messenger (Sallalhu Alayhi Wasallam) said: O Allaah, let there be love of these servants of yours, i.e. Abu Hurairah and his mother, in the hearts of the believing servants and let their hearts be filled with the love of the believing servants. (Abu Hurairah said: This prayer) was so well granted by Allaah that no believer was ever born who heard of me and who saw me but did not love me. (Saheeh Muslim no.2491)
Al-A’raj reported that he heard Abu Hurairah as saying:
You are under the impression that Abu Hurairah transmits so many ahadeeth from Allaah’s Messenger (may peace up upon him); (bear in mind) Allaah is the great Reckoner. I was a poor man and I served Allaah’s Messenger (Sallalhu Alayhi Wasallam) being satisfied with bare subsistence, whereas the immigrants remained busy with transactions in the bazzar; while the Ansar had been engaged in looking after their properties. (He further reported) that Allaah’s Messenger (Sallalhu Alayhi Wasallam) said: He who spreads the cloth would not forget anything that he would hear from me. I spread my cloth until he narrated something. I then pressed it against my (chest), so I never forgot anything that I heard from him. (Saheeh al-Bukhaari 2047, Saheeh Muslim 2492)
Abdullah Ibn Umar once said to Abu Hurairah,
“you used to accompany the Messenger of Allaah (Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam) more than us and you used to learn the most ahadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah (Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam)” (Sunan Tirmidhee no.3836)
Abu Bakr (Radhiallahu Anhu) sent Abu Hurairah (Radhiallahu Anhu) as the announcer at the last sermon (Saheeh al-Bukhaari no.369)
Once Abu Hurairah (Radhiallahu Anhu) narrated a hadeeth and the mother of the believers A’ishah said,
“Abu Hurairah has spoken the truth” (Tabaqaat Ibn Saad 4/332)
Imaam Bukhaari has narrated with a good chain from Abee Salamah from Abu Hurairah Abdush-Shams. (at-Taareek al-Kabeer 6/132 no.1938). so we find that Abu Hurairahs (Radhiallahu Anhu) name before he accepted Islaam was Abdush-Shams.
Abu Hurairah (Radhiallahu Anhu) said,
“I accompanied the Messenger of Allaah (Sallalhu Alayhi Wasallam) for 3 years.” (Kitaab al-Ma’arifah Wat-taareekh 3/161)
The famous successor ie taabi’ee Humaid bin Abdur Rahmaan al-Humairee said Abu Hurairah (Radhiallahu Anhu) spend 4 years in the company of the Messenger of Allaah (Sallalhu Alayhi Wasallam). (Sunan Abee Dawood no.81, Sunan Nasaa’ee 1/130 no.239, Haafidh Ibn Hajr authenticated it in Buloogh al-Maraam)
Abu Hurairah (Radhiallahu Anhu) said he was present with the Messenger of Allaah (Sallalhu Alayhi Wasallam) at the battle of Khaybar (Taareekh Abee Zura’h no.232)
Abu Hurairah (Radhiallahu Anhu) would pray the tahajjud prayer and he would do so spending a third of a night and his wife would also spend a third of a night and so would his son. (Kitaab az-Zuhd of Imaam Ahmad pg.177 no.986, Kitaab az-Zuhd of Abee Dawood no.298, Hilyatul-Auliyaa 1/382, 383)
During his governance Abu Hurairah (Radhiallahu Anhu) would walk through the Bazzar with sticks he would pick up. (Kitaab az-Zuhd of Abee Daawood no.297, Hilyatul-Auliyaa 1/384-385).
Abdullah ibn Raaf’e narrates I asked Abu Hurairah (Radhiallahu Anhu) why are you called Abu Hurairah? He replied,
“Are you not scared of me?” I replied, “I am I swear by Allah I am scared of you.” Abu Hurairah replied, “I used to herd sheep for my family and I used to have a kitten and in the evening I used to leave him in a tree and in the day I used to play with him and so the people famed me with the title of Abu Hurairah (the father of cats) (Tabaqaat Ibn Saad 4/329).
Muhammad ibn Seereen was asked about Abu Hurairah (Radhiallahu Anhu) so he said,
“He was fair in complexion and he was pleasant soft hearted person and he used to use Henna (on his hair) and he would have a cotton based clothes.”(Tabaqaat Ibn Saad 4/333-334)
Abu Hurairah (Radhiallahu Anhu) was an enemy of those who were enemies of Allah and his Messenger (Sallalhu Alayhi Wasallam).”(Tabaqaat Ibn Saad 4/335)
