Light On the Muhammadan Sunnah Or Defence of the Hadith
Abu Hurayrah
If the traditions of the Messenger of Allah were altogether the cornerstone of religion — like the Qur'an — upon which Din is set up, and source of all rulings that every Muslim should know and follow, as he follows the Qur'an and if the Prophet (S) commanded his Companions to memorize these traditions so as to be followed after his demise, those Companions exaggerating in narrating them would be of higher religious position, firmer firm in faith, and sublimer in knowledge. Further, those narrating less would be lower than them in religious status, having degree of knowledge, honour and consideration beyond theirs. But in fact the situation — as revealed in the well-known hadith books — being on the contrary of this!! as the best of Companions in rank, higher in status, broader in knowledge of Din and sincerest in safe-guarding it, who were entrusted with shouldering the precepts of religion which they learnt from their teacher, like the Rightly-guided Caliphs and the Ten who claimed that he (S) died while being pleased with them or augured them with paradise, beside magnates of the Muhajirun and Ansar and others, were less than others in relating hadith to the extent that some of them have not reported from the Messenger even one hadith!!
Being unsatisfied with all this, the magnates among the Companions shunned relating the hadith and forbade others from doing so. Their extreme precaution in this regard led them to set to fire whatever was written down, as was known before. This fact made us dedicate a separate biography for the most prolific in relating hadith from the Messenger of Allah among the Companions, and broader in narration, though being one of the common
companions who was neither here nor there... that was. Abu Hurayrah.
Had not these abundant traditions — due to the commoners trust in them filled the hadith books deserved respect and trust inside the Muslims' hearts and seized their minds and thinking, to the extent they regarded them of the general rules of religion, though having intricate problems embarrassing the minds of the believers, with suspicions and superstitions constituting weak points in religion and reliable asanid to confirm the Israeliyyat and Masihiyyat (Jewish and Christian fabricated traditions) and other creeds... had not all these things been there, I would have never prepared this research, nor cared that much for it.
Disagreement about His Name:
During the pre-Islamic era and advent of Islam, there was no disagreement regarding any name like the one that was in regard of the name of Abu Hurayrah. No one had verified knowledge of the name his family gave to him so as to be called with among people.
Al-Nawawi says: Abu Hurayrah's name is Abd al-Rahman ibn Sakhr, according to authentic reports from thirty sources.
The Moroccan Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Barr, in al-Isti‘ab
There was much controversy and disagreement regarding the original names of Abu Hurayrah and his father, in a way that no one could know it exactly and accurately whether during the pre-Islamic period or after it in the Islamic era.. With such disagreement and confusion, nothing can be so reliable, and his nickname was more common than his name, as if he had no name other than that, with which he was called everywhere .
The author of al-Mishkat said: People differed much concerning the name of Abu Hurayrah and his descent, and he was only called with that
kunyah as if he having no other name. The kunyah became so widely known to the extent that the original name was forgotten, since much disagreement was there regarding it.
From what is exposed, giving him any definite special name would be no more than conjecture. So we suffice with mentioning his kunyah, which he himself manifested its real cause saying: I used to pasture the sheep of my family, having a little pussy (hirrah) which I used to place inside a tree at night. During daytime I would take it with me and play with it. That is why people gave me the nickname of "Abu Hurayrah"!!
His Growth and Origin:
Beside the disagreement regarding the name of Abu Hurayrah, nothing was known about his growing up or his biography before embracing Islam, except what he exposed about himself: that he used to play with a little she-cat, and he was poor and destitute, serving people in return for having food for living on. The only information available about his origin and descent, being that he descended from Tribe of Sulaym ibn Fahm that belonged to Tribe of Azd and of Dous then.
About this he said: I grew up as an orphan, and migrated as a destitute, and was a servant in return for food as sustenance (as a payment).
In his book al-Ma'arif, after referring to the disagreement among people regarding his name, and that he was from a tribe in Yemen called Dous, stated what follows:
"Abu Hurayrah said: I grew up as an orphan, and migrated as a destitute, and was a servant hired by Bisrah bint Ghazwan with my pay being only some food to sustain on... I used to serve them when they got down, and urge forward by singing when they mounted the horsebacks. And I was
nicknamed with Abu Hurayrah because of having a little pussy (hirrah) I used to play with."
His coming to Medina and Going to Khaybar:
After passing the thirty, Abu Hurayrah came to al-Medina, when the Prophet (S) was out (participating) in the Battle of Khaybar which took place in the seventh Hijrah year.
Ibn Sa'd in al-Tabaqat al-kubra, writes: The Dousis including Abu Hurayrah arrived at al-Madinah while the Messenger of Allah was in Khaybar. Thereat the Messenger asked his Companions to give Abu Hurayrah a share from the booty, which they did. And due to being poor, he betook himself to the Siffah 359 after r returning to al-Madina, living in it as long as he was residing in al-Madinah, being the most famous among those frequenting to it.
Reason of His Companionship to the Prophet:
Abu Hurayrah was frank and honest in revealing the reason behind his companionship to the Prophet (S), as he was honest in uncovering the truth about his growth. He didn't claim that he kept his company out of affection and seeking guidance — as the case with other Muslims but he said: "I kept his company for only filling my abdomen"
In a hadith reported by Ahmad and the two Shaykhs (al-Bukhari and Muslim), from Sufyan, from al Zuhri, Abd al-Rahman al-A'raj
In another narration by Muslim. He said: I was a destitute man, serving the Messenger of Allah in return for satiating my belly. In another narration by him too. I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (as a servant) with satiating my abdomen in return.
In history books it is recorded that he was gluttonous and greedy, being fed everyday in the Prophet's house, or the house of any of his Companions to the extent that some of them were averse to him.
Al-Bukhari reported that he said: I used to ask someone to cite for me a Qur'anic verse that was with me, so as to make him turn toward me and give me food. And the most benevolent of people to the needy was Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, who used to receive us and feed us of whatever he had in his house (of food).
From him too al-Tirmidhi reported: Whenever asking Ja'far about a verse, he would not give me any reply but only after going home (i.e. bringing food). That is why this Ja'far was considered by Abu Hurayrah as the best of all the Companions, giving him priority over Abu Bakr, Umar, Ali and Uthman, beside other great Companions (may God be pleased with them all).
Al-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim, through a reliable isnad (chain), reported that Abu Hurayrah said: No man has ever put on a sandal, or got on mounts, or trodden the earth, after the Messenger of Allah, better than Ja'far ibn Abi Talib. 361
See pp. 718, 719.
The Saffah is a shadowy place in the rear northern part of the Mosque of Prophet. And Ahl al-Suffah are - as said by Abu al-Fida' in his al-Ta'rikh al-mukhtasar - poor people having neither houses nor tribes, sleeping during lifetime of the Prophet in the mosque and staying there all night. So the ledge of the mosque was their abode, hence they were called with this nickname. When the Messenger of Allah was having supper, he would invite some of them to share him, dispersing the others among the Sahabah to feed them.
Al-A'raj is his disciple and companion.
Fath al-Bari, vol. VII, p. 62.