Abu Hurayrah, also known as Abd al-Rahman ibn Sakhr al-Azdi, was a close companion of Prophet Muhammad. He was famous for telling many stories about the Prophet’s teachings and actions, called Hadith. Abu Huraira is respected in Sunni Islam for his commitment to sharing the wisdom of Prophet Muhammad through these stories. He’s admired for his vast knowledge of Hadith and his important role in Islamic learning. He narrated more than 5000 hadiths (about 5374 hadiths).
Abu Hurayrah al-Dawsi al-Yamani was a well-known companion of Prophet Muhammad and a storyteller of his teachings, called hadiths. He earned the nickname Abu Hurayrah, which means “Father of the Kitten,” because he cared for a kitten and played with it while working as a shepherd for others.
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) was a humble man from Yemen who achieved great prominence in Islamic history through his dedication. He was affectionately called “Father of a Kitten” because of his fondness for cats. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) spent about four years (some say two years) in the company of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), accompanying him on various expeditions and journeys.
Acceptance of Islam
Abu Hurairah embraced Islam after being introduced to it by At-Tufayl ibn Amr, the leader of his tribe, Banu Daws. At-Tufayl had met the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him) and embraced Islam early on. When he returned to their village, Abu Hurayrah was among the first to accept Islam, unlike many others from their tribe who held onto their old beliefs for a long time.
When At-Tufayl (R.A.) revisited Makkah, Abu Hurayrah (R.A.) accompanied him. There he had the honor and privilege of meeting the noble Prophet (S.A.W.) who asked him:
“What is your name?”
“Abdu Shams – Servant of a Sun,” Abu Hurayrah (R.A.) replied.
“Instead, let it be Abdur-Rahman – the Servant of the Beneficent Allah,” said the Prophet (S.A.W.).
“Yes, Abdur-Rahman (it shall be) O Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.),” he replied.
However, he continued to be known as Abu Hurayrah “the father of a kitten” because, like the Prophet (S.A.W.), he was fond of cats and often had a cat to play with since his childhood.
Abu Hurayrah (R.A) Migrate to Madinah
Abu Hurairah lived in Tihamah for many years before migrating to Madinah in the seventh year after the Hijrah. When he arrived in Madinah, the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him) was on a campaign to Khaybar. Abu Hurairah, being poor, stayed in the mosque with other companions who were also in need. He was unmarried and had no children, but his mother, who was still a non-believer, was with him. He prayed earnestly for her to embrace Islam, but she persistently refused.
His Mother Accept Islam
One day, he invited her to have faith in Allah alone and follow His Prophet (S.A.W.) but she uttered some words about the Prophet (S.A.W.) which saddened him greatly. With tears in his eyes, he went to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) who said to him:
“What makes you cry, O Abu Hurayrah?”
“I’ve been trying to convince my mother to accept Islam, but she always refuses. Today, I spoke to her again and heard things I didn’t want to hear. Please pray to Allah to soften my mother’s heart and guide her to Islam.”
The Prophet (S.A.W.) responded to Abu Hurayrah’s (R.A.) request and prayed for his mother. Abu Hurayrah said:
“I came home and found the door closed. I heard my mother washing, so I waited outside. When she was ready, she called me in. She said, ‘I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger.’ Overjoyed, I ran to the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.), crying tears of happiness.
I told him, ‘Good news, O Messenger of Allah! Allah has answered your prayer and guided my mother to Islam.'”
When they arrived in Madinah, they learned that the Prophet had already left to conquer Khaybar, a place dominated by Jews. Khaybar was about eight day’s journey north of Madinah, on the way to Damascus. Tufayl bin Amr and his group decided to join the Prophet in the expedition to Khaybar.
Abu Huraira’s Love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH)
“Abu Hurayrah loved the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) very much and felt blessed to be close to him. He never grew tired of gazing at the Prophet (S.A.W.), whose face shone like the sun. Abu Hurayrah was always eager to hear the Prophet’s words. He would often thank Allah for allowing him to be with the Prophet (S.A.W.) and say:”
“Praise be to Allah Who has guided Abu Hurayrah to Islam.” And, Praise be to Allah Who has taught Abu Hurayrah the Quran.”
“Praise be to Allah who has bestowed on Abu Hurayrah the companionship of Mohammad (S.A.W).”
On reaching Madinah after migration, Abu Hurayrah (S.A.) set his heart on attaining knowledge.
Zayd ibn Thabit (R.A.) has reported:
“While Abu Hurayrah, my friend, and I were praying and remembering Allah in the mosque, the Prophet Muhammad came and joined us. We stopped talking, but the Prophet told us to continue what we were doing.”
“So my friend and I prayed to Allah before Abu Hurayrah did, and the Prophet Muhammad started saying ‘Ameen’ to our prayer.”
“Then Abu Hurayrah (R.A.) made a supplication saying: “O Lord, I ask You for what my two companions have asked and I ask You for knowledge which will not be forgotten.”
“The Prophet (S.A.) said: ‘Ameen.’ “We then said: ‘And we ask Allah for knowledge which will not be forgotten, and the Prophet replied: “The young man from the Dawsi tribe made this request earlier than you,” the Prophet (S.A.W.) said. With his remarkable memory, Abu Hurayrah set out to memorize the wise teachings of the Prophet Muhammad during the four years he spent with him. He understood that he had a special gift and decided to use it fully in service to Islam.
Many companions were surprised by how many hadiths Abu Hurayrah had memorized. They often asked him when and where he had heard a particular hadith and what the circumstances were.
Abu Hurairah’s Remembrance Regarding Hadiths
Once, Marwan ibn al-Hakam wanted to test Abu Hurayrah’s memory. He sat with Abu Hurayrah in a room and secretly placed a scribe behind a curtain to write down whatever Abu Hurayrah said. A year later, Marwan called Abu Hurayrah again and asked him to recall the same hadiths. It was found that he hadn’t forgotten a single word.
Abu Hurayrah (R.A.) was eager to teach and share the hadiths and knowledge of Islam he had memorized. One day, he walked through the market of Madinah and saw people busy with buying and selling.
“How feeble are you, O people of Madinah!” he said.
“What do you see that is feeble in us, Abu Hurayrah?” they asked.
“The inheritance of the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) is being distributed and you remain here! Won’t you go and take your portion?”
“Where is this, O Abu Hurayrah?” they asked. “In the Masjid,” he replied.
Quickly they left. Abu Hurayrah (R.A.) waited until they returned. When they saw him, they said:
“O Abu Hurayrah, we went to the Masjid and entered and we did not see anything being distributed.”
“Didn’t you see anyone in the Masjid?” he asked.
“O yes, we saw some people performing Salat (prayer), some people reading the Quran, and some people discussing what is halal and what is haram.”
“Those teachings belong to Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.), not for buying and selling,” Abu Hurayrah (R.A.) responded. He faced many challenges and struggles while seeking knowledge. He often went hungry and was in need.
“Then Umar ibn al-Khattab (R.A.) passed by me and I asked him about an ayah but he also did not invite me. Then the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) passed by and realized that I was hungry and said: “Abu Hurayrah!”
“At your command” I replied and followed him until we entered his house. He found a bowl of milk and asked his family: “From where did you get this?”
“Someone sent it to you” they replied.
He then said to me: “O Abu Hurayrah, go to the Ahl as-Suffah and invite them.”
Hadith Narrator
Abu Hurayrah is famous for telling stories about the Prophet Muhammad’s life. He shared over 3,500 of these stories, and many collectors learned from him. It’s said that he told more stories than other companions because he focused solely on remembering the Prophet’s words and actions. Some stories attributed to him may not be true, but many authentic ones are found in respected collections. Abu Hurayrah’s stories provide valuable insights into the Prophet’s daily life and the society of his time.
Some Bukhari Hadiths Narrated by Abu Hurairah (R.A)
Finally, we will quote some of the hadiths narrated by Abu Hurayra:
The Prophet said, “Faith (Belief) consists of more than sixty branches (i.e. parts). And Haya (This term “Haya” covers a large number of concepts which are to be taken together; amongst them are self-respect, modesty, bashfulness, and scruple, etc.) is a part of faith.” Chapter Belief Hadith Number: 9
Allah’s Apostle said, “By Him in Whose Hands my life is, none of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father and his children.” Chapter Belief Hadith Number: 14
Allah’s Apostle was asked, “What is the best deed?” He replied, “To believe in Allah and His Apostle (Muhammad). The questioner then asked, “What is the next (in goodness)? He replied, “To participate in Jihad (religious fighting) in Allah’s Cause.” The questioner again asked, “What is the next (in goodness)?” He replied, “To perform Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca) ‘Mabroor, (which is accepted by Allah and is performed to seek Allah’s pleasure only and not to show off and without sinning and by the traditions of the Prophet).” Chapter Belief Hadith Number: 26
The Prophet said, “(Religious) knowledge will be taken away (by the death of religious scholars) ignorance (in religion) and afflictions will appear, and Harj will increase.” It was asked, “What is Harj, O Allah’s Apostle?” He replied by beckoning with his hand indicating “killing.” (Fateh-al-Bari Page 192, Vol. 1) Hadith Number: 85
There is none among the companions of the Prophet who has narrated more Hadiths than I except ‘Abdallah bin Amr (bin Al-‘As) who used to write them and I never did the same. Chapter Knowledge Hadith No: 113
Abu Hurairah Spiritual Activites
Abu Hurayrah spent a lot of time in spiritual activities and devotion to Allah. His family, including his wife and daughter, would regularly engage in Qiyam al-Layl, staying up for the night in prayer and devotion. Abu Hurayrah would pray for a third of the night, his wife for another third, and his daughter for the remaining third. This meant that in Abu Hurayrah’s house, every hour of the night was filled with worship, remembrance of Allah, and prayers.
During the Reign of Caliph Umar bin Khattab (RA)
During Umar ibn Khattab’s time as caliph, he chose Abu Hurayrah as the governor of Bahrain. Umar was very careful about who he picked as governors. He wanted them to live simply and not become too rich, even if they earned their wealth in lawful ways.
In Bahrain, Abu Hurairah became wealthy. When Umar heard about this, he called him back to Madinah. Umar suspected that Abu Hurayrah might have gained his wealth unlawfully, so he asked him about how he got so rich.
Abu Hurayrah (R.A.) replied: “From breeding horses and gifts which I received.”
“Hand it over to the treasury of the Muslims,” ordered Umar (R.A.).
Abu Hurayrah (R.A.) did as he was told and raised his hands to the heavens and prayed:
“O Lord, forgive the Amir al-Muminin.”
Subsequently, Umar (R.A.) asked him to become governor once again but he declined. Umar (R.A.) asked him why he refused and he said:
Abu Hurayrah always treated his mother kindly. When he left home, he would say, “Peace be upon you, my mother, and the mercy and blessings of Allah.” She would reply, “And on you be peace, my son, and the mercy and blessings of Allah.” They would exchange prayers for each other’s well-being. He often expressed gratitude for her care when he was young, and she prayed for his guidance when he grew older.
Abu Hurayrah (R.A.) always encouraged other people to be kind and good to their parents.
One day he saw two men walking together, one older than the other. He asked the younger one:
“What is this man to you?”
“My father,” the person replied.
“Don’t call him by his name. Don’t walk in front of him and don’t sit before him,” advised Abu Hurayrah (R.A.).
Abu Hurayrah’s Death
Muslims owe a debt of gratitude to Abu Hurayrah (R.A.) for helping to preserve and transmit the valuable legacy of the Prophet (S.A.W.), May Allah bless him and grant him peace. Abu Hurairah died in the year 679 (59 AH) at the age of 76 and was buried at al-Baqi’. His funeral prayer was led by Al-Walid ibn Utba, who was the governor of Madina and was attended by Abd Allah ibn Umar and Abu Sa’id al Khudri.