The Virtues Of Abu Hurairah [Ad-Dawsi] (RA)

Abu Huraira reported: I invited my mother, who was a polytlieist, to Islam. I invited her one day and she said to me something about Messenger of Allah ﷺ which I hated. I came to Messenger of Allah ﷺ weeping and said: Allah'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 Allah that He may set the mother of Abu Huraira right. Thereupon Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: O Allah, set the mother of Abu Huraira on the right path. I came out quite pleased with the supplication of Allah's Apostle ﷺ and when I came near the door it was closed from within. My mother heard the noise of my footsteps and she said: Abu Huraira, just wait, and I heard the noiee 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 Huraira, I bear witness to the fact that there is no god but Allah and Mubammad is His bondsman and His Messenger. He (Abu Huraira) said: I went back to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and (this time) I was shedding the tears of joy. I said: Allah's Messenger, be happy, for Allah has responded to your supplication and He has set on the right path the mother of Abu Huraira. He (the Holy Prophet) praised Allah, and extolled Him and uttered good words. I said: Allah's Messenger, supplicate to Allah 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 Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: O Allah, let there be love of these servants of yours, i. e. Abu Huraira and his mother, in the hearts of the believing servants and let their hearts be filled with the love of the believing servants. (Abu Huraira said: This prayer) was so well granted by Allah that no believer was ever born who heard of me and who saw me but did not love me.

حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ يُونُسَ الْيَمَامِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عِكْرِمَةُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، يَزِيدَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ كُنْتُ أَدْعُو أُمِّي إِلَى الإِسْلاَمِ وَهِيَ مُشْرِكَةٌ فَدَعَوْتُهَا يَوْمًا فَأَسْمَعَتْنِي فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَا أَكْرَهُ فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَنَا أَبْكِي قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي كُنْتُ أَدْعُو أُمِّي إِلَى الإِسْلاَمِ فَتَأْبَى عَلَىَّ فَدَعَوْتُهَا الْيَوْمَ فَأَسْمَعَتْنِي فِيكَ مَا أَكْرَهُ فَادْعُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَهْدِيَ أُمَّ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِ أُمَّ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ " . فَخَرَجْتُ مُسْتَبْشِرًا بِدَعْوَةِ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا جِئْتُ فَصِرْتُ إِلَى الْبَابِ فَإِذَا هُوَ مُجَافٌ فَسَمِعَتْ أُمِّي خَشْفَ قَدَمَىَّ فَقَالَتْ مَكَانَكَ يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ . وَسَمِعْتُ خَضْخَضَةَ الْمَاءِ قَالَ - فَاغْتَسَلَتْ وَلَبِسَتْ دِرْعَهَا وَعَجِلَتْ عَنْ خِمَارِهَا فَفَتَحَتِ الْبَابَ ثُمَّ قَالَتْ يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ - قَالَ - فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَتَيْتُهُ وَأَنَا أَبْكِي مِنَ الْفَرَحِ - قَالَ - قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَبْشِرْ قَدِ اسْتَجَابَ اللَّهُ دَعْوَتَكَ وَهَدَى أُمَّ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ . فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ وَقَالَ خَيْرًا - قَالَ - قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ادْعُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُحَبِّبَنِي أَنَا وَأُمِّي إِلَى عِبَادِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَيُحَبِّبَهُمْ إِلَيْنَا - قَالَ - فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " اللَّهُمَّ حَبِّبْ عُبَيْدَكَ هَذَا - يَعْنِي أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ وَأُمَّهُ - إِلَى عِبَادِكَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَحَبِّبْ إِلَيْهِمُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ " . فَمَا خُلِقَ مُؤْمِنٌ يَسْمَعُ بِي وَلاَ يَرَانِي إِلاَّ أَحَبَّنِي .

Al-A'raj reported that he heard Abu Huraira as saying: You are under the impression that Abu Huraira transmits so many ahadith from Allah's Messenger (may peace up upon him) ;
(bear in mind) Allah is the great Reckoner. I was a poor man and I served Messenger of Allah ﷺ being satisfied with bare subsistence, whereas the immigrants remained busy with transactions in the bazar;
while the Ansar had been engaged in looking after their properties. (He further reported) that Messenger of Allah ﷺ 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.

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ جَمِيعًا عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ إِنَّكُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يُكْثِرُ الْحَدِيثَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَاللَّهُ الْمَوْعِدُ كُنْتُ رَجُلاً مِسْكِينًا أَخْدُمُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى مِلْءِ بَطْنِي وَكَانَ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الصَّفْقُ بِالأَسْوَاقِ وَكَانَتِ الأَنْصَارُ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الْقِيَامُ عَلَى أَمْوَالِهِمْ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " مَنْ يَبْسُطُ ثَوْبَهُ فَلَنْ يَنْسَى شَيْئًا سَمِعَهُ مِنِّي " . فَبَسَطْتُ ثَوْبِي حَتَّى قَضَى حَدِيثَهُ ثُمَّ ضَمَمْتُهُ إِلَىَّ فَمَا نَسِيتُ شَيْئًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ .

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Abu Huraira but with the variation that the hadith transmitted on the authority of Malik conclude with the words of Abu Huraira and there is no mention of a transmission of these from Allah's Apostle ﷺ:" who spreads his cloth," to the end.

حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ يَحْيَى بْنِ خَالِدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْنٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي، هُرَيْرَةَ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ غَيْرَ أَنَّ مَالِكًا، انْتَهَى حَدِيثُهُ عِنْدَ انْقِضَاءِ قَوْلِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ فِي حَدِيثِهِ الرِّوَايَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ " مَنْ يَبْسُطْ ثَوْبَهُ " . إِلَى آخِرِهِ .

'A'isha reported: Don't you feel surprised at Abu Huraira? He came (one day) and sat beside the nook of my apartment and began to narrate (the hadith of Allah's Apostle). I was hearing while I was engaged in extolling Allah (reciting Subhan Allah) constantly. He stood up before I finished my repetition of Subhan Allah. if I were to meet him I would have warned him in stern words that Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not speak so quickly as you talk. Ibn Shihab transmitted on the authority of Ibn Musayyib that Abu Huraira said: People say that Abu Huraira transmits so many ahadith, whereas Allah is the Reckoner, and they say: How is it with Muhajirs and the Ansar that they do not narrate ahadith like him (like Abu Huraira)? Abu Huraira said: I tell you that my brothers from Ansar remained busy with their lands and my brothers Muhajirs were busy in transactions in the bazars, but I always kept myself attached to Messenger of Allah ﷺ with bare subsistence. I remained present (in the company of the Holy Prophet), whereas they had been absent. I retained in my mind (what Prophet ﷺ said), whereas they forgot it. One day Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: He who amongst you spreads the cloth and listens to my talk and would then press it against his chest would never forget anything heard from me. So I spread my mantle and when he had concluded his talk I then pressed it against my chest and so I never forgot after that day anything that he (the Holy Prophet) said. And if these two verses would not have been revealed in the Book I would have never transmitted anything (to anybody):" Those who conceal the clear evidence and the guidance that We revealed" (ii. 159) tip to the last verse.

وَحَدَّثَنِي حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى التُّجِيبِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ، شِهَابٍ أَنَّ عُرْوَةَ بْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ، حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ أَلاَ يُعْجِبُكَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ جَاءَ فَجَلَسَ إِلَى جَنْبِ حُجْرَتِي يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ يُسْمِعُنِي ذَلِكَ وَكُنْتُ أُسَبِّحُ فَقَامَ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَقْضِيَ سُبْحَتِي وَلَوْ أَدْرَكْتُهُ لَرَدَدْتُ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَسْرُدُ الْحَدِيثَ كَسَرْدِكُمْ .