Companions & Great WomenA Companion

Abu Hurayra

أبو هريرة

A Companion from Daws who stayed close to the Prophet ﷺ and narrated more hadith than any other.

SahihSee it in the Atlas
Known as
Abu Hurayra
Died
59 or 60 AH

Life

He was of the tribe of Daws in Yemen. His own name is disputed; al-Dhahabi prefers 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Sakhr. He was called Abu Hurayra, 'father of the kitten', for a small cat he once carried in his sleeve. He came to Madinah in 6 AH and joined the Prophet ﷺ at Khaybar.

He was poor, one of the people of the Suffa, and stayed with the Prophet ﷺ when others were busy with trade and farms, which is why he heard so much. He told how the Prophet ﷺ had him spread out his cloak, and after that he forgot nothing he heard. Al-Dhahabi says no Companion narrated as much, and about eight hundred people narrated from him.

'Umar made him governor of Bahrain; he later declined office. Al-Dhahabi gives his death as 60 AH or the year before.

Evidence

Sahih

Sahih al-Bukhari 119

Grades
GraderVerdict
al-BukhariSahih (included by al-Bukhari in his Sahih) (Sahih)
Full narration

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ أَبُو مُصْعَبٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنِّي أَسْمَعُ مِنْكَ حَدِيثًا كَثِيرًا أَنْسَاهُ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ ابْسُطْ رِدَاءَكَ ‏"‏ فَبَسَطْتُهُ‏.‏ قَالَ فَغَرَفَ بِيَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ ضُمُّهُ ‏"‏ فَضَمَمْتُهُ فَمَا نَسِيتُ شَيْئًا بَعْدَهُ‏. حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْمُنْذِرِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي فُدَيْكٍ بِهَذَا أَوْ قَالَ غَرَفَ بِيَدِهِ فِيهِ‏.‏

Narrated Abu Huraira:I said to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) "I hear many narrations (Hadiths) from you but I forget them." Allah's Apostle said, "Spread your Rida' (garment)." I did accordingly and then he moved his hands as if filling them with something (and emptied them in my Rida') and then said, "Take and wrap this sheet over your body." I did it and after that I never forgot any thing. Narrated Ibrahim bin Al-Mundhir: Ibn Abi Fudaik narrated the same as above (Hadith...119) but added that the Prophet (ﷺ) had moved his hands as if filling them with something and then he emptied them in the Rida' of Abu Huraira

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