Abu-Hurayra ( أبو هريرة ) historically was a companion of the prophet Muhammad. He is most known for having the greatest number of Hadith attributed to him compared to any other companion, despite only being among the prophet for only a couple years before his passing. It is estimated that there are ~5,374 traditions attributed to him.
To put this in perspective, Abu Bakr, who was one of the first people to accept his messengership, one of the liclosest companions of the prophet, the father-in-law to the prophet, as well as being the first Calipha (r. 632-634) only had 142 traditions attributed to him according to Al-Nawawi, in his al-Tadhib. So Abu Hurayra narrated ~38 times more traditions than Abu Bakr.
Umar was also one of the closest companions to the prophet. It is stated in the following Hadith:
“”I and an Ansari neighbor of mine from Bani Umaiya bin Zaid who used to live in `Awali Al-Medina, used to visit the Prophet (ﷺ) in turns. He used to go one day, and I another day. When I went I would bring him the news of what had happened that day regarding the instructions and orders and when he went, he used to do the same for me.”
In addition to these frequent visits, he was also the prophet’s father-in-law and the second Calipha (r. 634-644). Despite all this, it is estimated that there are ~537 traditions directly attributed to Umar. So Abu Hurayra narrated over 10 times more traditions than Umar.
Ali was Muhammad’s nephew, lived in the same household as him, was with him for 32 years even before the start of his messengership, and was the first male to accept the message. In a hadith, it is claimed that Muhammad thought of him as his Aaron in relation to Moses.
حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ سَعْدٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِعَلِيٍّ “ أَمَا تَرْضَى أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى ”.
And narrated Sad that the Prophet (ﷺ) said to ‘Ali, “Will you not be pleased from this that you are to me like Aaron was to Moses?”
Despite this, there are 586 hadiths attributed directly to Ali. Therefore, Abu Hurairah narrated 9x more traditions than Ali.
Narrator
# of Traditions
Compared to Abu Hurayra %
Abu Hurayra
5374
–
Abu Bakr
142
2.64%
Umar
537
10%
Ali
586
2.7%
Uthman
146
0.28%
al-Zubayr
10
0.19%
Talhah
4
0.07%
Abd al-Rahman
9
0.17%
Ubayy ibn Ka’b
60
1.12%
Zayd ibn Thabit
13
0.24%
Salman al-Farsi
3
0.06%
If we compare Abu Hurayra against the next six top narrators, we see that he narrated more than double as many Hadith as the next most attributed narrator, Abd Allah ibn Umar.
Abu Hurayra: 5374
Abd Allah ibn Umar: 2630
Anas ibn Malik: 2286
‘Aisha: 2210
ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās: 1660
Jabir ibn Abd Allah:1540
Saʽid al-Khudri : 1170
Companions Views on Hadith
Part of the reason there were such few Hadith from some of the closest companions to the prophet was because all Hadith, besides the Quran, were frowned upon. This is particularly true in regard to the writing of Hadith. This is why outside of personal writing that people might have possessed, the first publication of Hadith was not completed until the Muwatta Imam Malik around the year 767 CE, ~150 AH. Ironically it is well understood that Imam Malik was against codifying his compilation and utilizing it as a source of law besides the Quran despite spending the next three decades refining it.
Muhammad’s View on Hadith
People have been fabricating Hadith about the prophet since he was alive. This is the reason that the prophet prohibited any writing from him aside from the Quran.
Abu Sa’id Khudri reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: Do not write anything about me. And whoever wrote about me other than the Quran then he should erase it. And narrate about me, for there is no harm in it and he who attributed any falsehood to me; and Hammam said: I think he also said: ” deliberately” – he should in fact find his abode in the Hell-Fire.
Narrated `Aisha: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) came to me and I told him about the slave-girl (Barirah) Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Buy and manumit her, for the Wala is for the one who manumits.” In the evening the Prophet (ﷺ) got up and glorified Allah as He deserved and then said, “Why do some people impose conditions which are not present in Allah’s Book (Laws)? Whoever imposes such a condition as is not in Allah’s Laws, then that condition is invalid even if he imposes one hundred conditions, for Allah’s conditions are more binding and reliable.”
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ ـ رضى الله عنها دَخَلَ عَلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَكَرْتُ لَهُ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” اشْتَرِي وَأَعْتِقِي، فَإِنَّ الْوَلاَءَ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ ”. ثُمَّ قَامَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنَ الْعَشِيِّ، فَأَثْنَى عَلَى اللَّهِ بِمَا هُوَ أَهْلُهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ ” مَا بَالُ أُنَاسٍ يَشْتَرِطُونَ شُرُوطًا لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ، مَنِ اشْتَرَطَ شَرْطًا لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَهْوَ بَاطِلٌ، وَإِنِ اشْتَرَطَ مِائَةَ شَرْطٍ، شَرْطُ اللَّهِ أَحَقُّ وَأَوْثَقُ ”.
Harmalah bin Yahyā bin Abd Allah bin Harmalah bin Imrān at-Tujībī narrated to me, he said Ibn Wahb narrated to us, he said Abū Shurayh narrated to me that he heard Sharāhīl bin Yazīd saying ‘Muslim bin Yasār informed me that he heard Abā Hurayrah saying, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, said: ‘There will be in the end of time charlatan liars coming to you with narrations that you nor your fathers heard, so beware of them lest they misguide you and cause you tribulations’.’
Narrated Ibn Al-Musaiyab: The companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) said, he said, “Some men from my companions will come to my Lake-Fount and they will be driven away from it, and I will say, ‘O Lord, my companions!’ It will be said, ‘You have no knowledge of what they innovated (Hadith) after you left: they turned apostate as renegades (reverted from Islam).
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ، صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ يَرِدُ عَلَى الْحَوْضِ رِجَالٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِي فَيُحَلَّئُونَ عَنْهُ فَأَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ أَصْحَابِي. فَيَقُولُ إِنَّكَ لاَ عِلْمَلَكَ بِمَا أَحْدَثُوا بَعْدَكَ، إِنَّهُمُ ارْتَدُّوا عَلَى أَدْبَارِهِمُ الْقَهْقَرَى ”. وَقَالَ شُعَيْبٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ كَانَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَيُجْلَوْنَ. وَقَالَ عُقَيْلٌ فَيُحَلَّئُونَ. وَقَالَ الزُّبَيْدِيُّ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي رَافِعٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Narrated `Abdullah bin Az-Zubair: I said to my father, ‘I do not hear from you any narration (Hadith) of Allah s Apostle as I hear (his narration) from so and so?” Az-Zubair replied. l was always with him (the Prophet) and I heard him saying “Whoever tells a lie against me (intentionally) then (surely) let him occupy, his seat in Hellfire.
Narrated Anas: The fact which stops me from narrating a great number of Hadiths to you is that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Whoever tells a lie against me intentionally, then (surely) let him occupy his seat in Hell-fire.”
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مَعْمَرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، قَالَ أَنَسٌ إِنَّهُ لَيَمْنَعُنِي أَنْ أُحَدِّثَكُمْ حَدِيثًا كَثِيرًا أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ مَنْ تَعَمَّدَ عَلَىَّ كَذِبًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ ”.
Ironically, even in this most sound and authentic Hadith, there are disputes about whether the prophet stated the lie must be intentional. This is because some narrations include the word deliberate, while others do not.
Narrated Salama: I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, “Whoever ascribes to me what I have not said then (surely) let him occupy his seat in Hell-fire.”
حَدَّثَنَا مَكِّيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ، عَنْ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ “ مَنْ يَقُلْ عَلَىَّ مَا لَمْ أَقُلْفَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ ”.
Abū Sa’īd al-Ashajj narrated to me, Wakī’ narrated to us, al-A’mash narrated to us, on authority of al-Musayyab bin Rāfi’, on authority of Āmir bin Abdah, he said, Abd Allah [bin Mas’ūd] said: ‘Indeed Satan will appear in the form of a man and he will come to the people, narrating to them false Ḥadīth, and they will then depart. Then a man among them will say: ‘I heard a man whose face I recognize but I do not know his name narrating [such and such]…’
According to a narration some writers report from al-Hakim an-Nisaburi, Aisha stated the following:
Narrated ‘Aisha: My father had collected five hundred hadiths of the Prophet. On the night he did it, he tossed and turned in bed. I asked, “Do you have an illness or have you heard something?” In the morning, he said, “My daughter! Bring me the hadiths that I gave you.” I brought them. He wanted some fire and burned them. When I asked him why he burned them, he said, “I do not want to die having these hadiths with me because I am afraid that there are hadiths that are not originally as they are reported though I heard them from people whom I trust; I am afraid to narrate them that way”
After the demise of the Holy Prophet, Abu-Bakr gathered people and said, ‘You are reporting about the Messenger of Allah inconsistent narrations. People coming after you will be engaged in more intense discrepancy. Therefore, do not report anything about the Messenger of Allah, and if anyone asks you, you should refer to the Book of Allah as the arbitrator. You should thus deem lawful whatever is lawful therein and deem unlawful whatever is unlawful therein.’
Umar staunchly believed that the Quran was sufficient and was incredibly uptight regarding the spreading of Hadith.
Narrated ‘Ubaidullah bin `Abdullah: Ibn `Abbas said, “When the ailment of the Prophet (ﷺ) became worse, he said, ‘Bring for me (writing) paper and I will write for you a statement after which you will not go astray.’ But `Umar said, ‘The Prophet is seriously ill, and we have got Allah’s Book with us and that is sufficient for us.’ But the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) differed about this and there was a hue and cry. On that the Prophet (ﷺ) said to them, ‘Go away (and leave me alone). It is not right that you should quarrel in front of me.” Ibn `Abbas came out saying, “It was most unfortunate (a great disaster) that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was prevented from writing that statement for them because of their disagreement and noise.
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ لَمَّا اشْتَدَّ بِالنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَجَعُهُ قَالَ ” ائْتُونِي بِكِتَابٍ أَكْتُبُ لَكُمْ كِتَابًا لاَ تَضِلُّوا بَعْدَهُ ”. قَالَ عُمَرُ إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم غَلَبَهُ الْوَجَعُ وَعِنْدَنَا كِتَابُ اللَّهِ حَسْبُنَا فَاخْتَلَفُوا وَكَثُرَ اللَّغَطُ. قَالَ ” قُومُوا عَنِّي، وَلاَ يَنْبَغِي عِنْدِي التَّنَازُعُ ”. فَخَرَجَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ يَقُولُ إِنَّ الرَّزِيَّةَ كُلَّ الرَّزِيَّةِ مَا حَالَ بَيْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَبَيْنَ كِتَابِهِ.
It is reported that Umar, during his reign as Caliph, did not allow the free travel of the prophet’s companions without his permission because he did not want them to propagate Hadith. It wasn’t until the reign of Uthman that this ban was lifted, and the companions were allowed to emigrate to some of the newly Muslim-conquered regions.
In Tadhkirat al-huffaz, al-Dhahabi reported from Shu’bah, from Sa’id ibn Ibrahim from his father, that Umar detained Ibn Mas’ud, Abu al-Darda’ and Abu Mas’ud al-Ansari, saying to them: You have narrated hadith abundantly from the Messenger of Allah. It is reported that he had detained them in Medina, but they were set free by Uthman.
Ibn Sa’d and Ibn Asakir reports from Mahmud ibn Labid that he said: I heard Uthman ibn Affan addressing people from over the pulpit: It is unlawful for everyone to narrate any hadith he never heard of during the time of Abu Bakr and that of Umar. Verily that which made me abstain from narrating from the Messenger of Allah was not to be among the most conscious of his Companions, but I heard him declaring: “Whoever ascribing to me something I never said, he shall verily occupy his (destined) abode in Fire.”
Ali and Hadith
Narrated Abu Juhaifa: I asked Ali, “Do you have the knowledge of any Divine Inspiration (wahi) besides what is in Allah’s Book?” Ali replied, “No, by Him Who splits the grain of corn and creates the soul. I don’t think we have such knowledge, but we have the ability of understanding which Allah may endow a person with, so that he may understand the Qur’an, and we have what is written in this paper as well.” I asked, “What is written in this paper?” He replied, “The understanding, releasing of the captive, and that a Muslim should not be killed by a disbeliever.
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا مُطَرِّفٌ، أَنَّ عَامِرًا، حَدَّثَهُمْ عَنْ أَبِي جُحَيْفَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعَلِيٍّ ـ رضى الله عنه هَلْعِنْدَكُمْ شَىْءٌ مِنَ الْوَحْىِ إِلاَّ مَا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ قَالَ وَالَّذِي فَلَقَ الْحَبَّةَ وَبَرَأَ النَّسَمَةَ مَا أَعْلَمُهُ إِلاَّ فَهْمًا يُعْطِيهِ اللَّهُ رَجُلاً فِي الْقُرْآنِ، وَمَا فِي هَذِهِ الصَّحِيفَةِ. قُلْتُ وَمَا فِي الصَّحِيفَةِ قَالَ الْعَقْلُ وَفَكَاكُ الأَسِيرِ، وَأَنْ لاَ يُقْتَلَ مُسْلِمٌ بِكَافِرٍ.
So, who was Abu Hurairah, and how did he have access to so many narrations from the prophet, particularly for being with him for such a short amount of time? Was he so wise that the prophet kept him around as a close confidant? Was he so noble that he had the respect of all the other companions and was given special access to the prophet? The simple answer is no; he was not any of that, according to the historical account.
His reputation among his companions was not a good one. They used to scorn him and make fun of him because of his nonsensical fabricated narrations and his exaggeration in multiplying them. By the biographical and Hadith narrations, including ones directly attributed to him, he comes off as a village idiot.
On top of that, relatively little is known about Abu Hurairah and his past prior to joining the believers. There is no certainty as to where he was born or how old he was when he came to Medina; even his actual name is not certain. Abu Hurairah was his nickname (kunyah), meaning “Father of a Kitten.” From his narrations, it is indicated that when he first joined the believers, he was poor, hungry, and in search of food.
Views of Abu Hurairah from Companions
Aisha & Abu Hurairah
‘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 Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) did not narrate the Hadith as you narrate.
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 صلى الله عليه وسلم يُسْمِعُنِي ذَلِكَ وَكُنْتُ أُسَبِّحُ فَقَامَ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَقْضِيَ سُبْحَتِي وَلَوْ أَدْرَكْتُهُ لَرَدَدْتُ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَمْ يَكُنْ يَسْرُدُ الْحَدِيثَ كَسَرْدِكُمْ .
In the next narration, we have Abu Huraira fabricating what the messenger stated nullifies Salat, and ‘Aisha rebuking him for this.
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: A woman, an ass and a dog disrupt the prayer, but something like the back of a saddle guards against that.
Masruq reported: It was mentioned before’A’isha that prayer is invalidated (in case of passing) of a dog, an ass and a woman (before the worshipper, when he is not screened). Upon this ‘A’isha said: You likened us to the asses and the dogs. By Allah I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying prayer while I lay on the bedstead interposing between him and the Qibla. When I felt the need, I did not like to wit to front (of the Holy Prophet) and perturb the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and quietly moved out from under its (i. e. of the bedstead) legs.
Abu Razin reported: Abu Huraira came to us and he struck his forehead with his hand and said: Behold I you talk amongst yourself that I attribute wrongly to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) (certain things) in order to guide you to the right path. In such a case, I would myself go astray. Listen. I bear testimony to the fact that I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saying: When the thong of any one of you is broken, he should not walk in the second one until he has got it repaired.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ – وَاللَّفْظُ لأَبِي كُرَيْبٍ – قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي رَزِينٍ، قَالَ خَرَجَ إِلَيْنَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ فَضَرَبَ بِيَدِهِ عَلَى جَبْهَتِهِ فَقَالَ أَلاَ إِنَّكُمْ تَحَدَّثُونَ أَنِّي أَكْذِبُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِتَهْتَدُوا وَأَضِلَّ أَلاَ وَإِنِّي أَشْهَدُ لَسَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ “ إِذَا انْقَطَعَ شِسْعُ أَحَدِكُمْ فَلاَ يَمْشِ فِي الأُخْرَى حَتَّى يُصْلِحَهَا ” .
In the book Ta’wil Mukhtalif al-Hadith by Ibn Qutaybah (828-890 CE/213-276 AH), on page 150 of the Annotated Translation, Ibn Qutaybah cites the following Hadith regarding the controversy between Abu Hurairah and ‘A’ishah and the above Hadith.
Abu Muhammad [Ibn Qutaybah] said: “Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Qart’i, has narrated from ‘Abd al-A’la who then narrated from Sa’id and he then narrated from Qatadah and the latter from Abu al-Hasan al-A’raj who said that two men met ‘A’ishah and they said to her that Abu Hurayrah has narrated from the Prophet: [Indeed woman, animals and house signify evil omen.] She jumped and explained: [Liar — by the One who reveals al-Qur’an to Abu Qasim [the Prophet]! The one who narrated this hadith from the Prophet is lying!] Indeed, the Prophet said: [That Jahiliyyah people used to say that animals, woman and horse signal bad omen.] Then (‘A’ishah) recited: [No misfortune can happen on the earth or in your souls but is recorded in a decree before We bring it into existence….[Quran 57:22] to explain the situation.”
This Hadith can also be found in “Al-Mustakrak, 2:479; Kunz al-‘Ummal, 10:11 (No. 28557), 10:116 (No. 28585); Al-Sunan al-Kubra, 1:124; Majama’ al-Zawa’id, 5:124 (No. 8405).
Ibn Qutaybah also had the following commentary from Abu Hurairah himself, referenced on the same page as the excerpt above:
“As for the hadith which Abu Hurayrah narrated from the Prophet saying: [Woman, house, and animals signify evil omen] suspected to. be erroneously transmitted by him. Although he may hear the Prophet (said it), he does not understand it.”
Ali & Abu Hurairah
It is also narrated that ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib has said, “Among all the living, the person who has told the most lies about the Messenger of Allāh is Abu Hurayra al-Dawsi,” as we read on p. 28, Vol. 4, of Ibn Abul-Hadeed’s Sharh Nahjul-Balāgha.
Umar & Abu Hurairah
In his Musnad, Musaddad narrates through Khalid ibn Yahya who quotes his father quoting Abu Hurayra himself, saying that ‘Umar once reprimanded him on hearing that he was narrating incredibly too many traditions and attributing them to the Prophet. He rebuked him once and said,
“لتتركن الحديث عن رسول الله أو لألحقنك بأرض دوس أو بأرض القردة
“You shall leave alone quoting the Messenger of Allāh, or I shall send you back to the land Dous or to the land of apes.”
A similar narration is also found in Abu Zur’a al-Dimashqi, Tarikh Abi Zur’a al-Dimashqi, p. 270, and on page 73 of “Hadith Muhammad’s Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World” in the following passage:
“There is one report that ‘Umar b. al-Khattab told him [Abu Huraira], “Indeed, I say let the Prophet’s words alone or indeed I’ll send you back to the lands of [your tribe] Daws!”
Additionally, it states in Sahih Muslim 31, it states:
It is reported on the authority of Abu Huraira: We were sitting around the Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him). Abu Bakr and Umar were also there among the audience. In the meanwhile the Messenger of Allah got up and left us, He delayed in coming back to us, which caused anxiety that he might be attacked by some enemy when we were not with him; so being alarmed we got up. I was the first to be alarmed. I, therefore, went out to look for the Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him) and came to a garden belonging to the Banu an-Najjar, a section of the Ansar went round it looking for a gate but failed to find one. Seeing a rabi’ (i. e. streamlet) flowing into the garden from a well outside, drew myself together, like a fox, and slinked into (the place) where God’s Messenger was. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Is it Abu Huraira? I (Abu Huraira) replied: Yes, Messenger of Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) said: What is the matter with you? replied: You were amongst us but got up and went away and delayed for a time, so fearing that you might be attacked by some enemy when we were not with you, we became alarmed. I was the first to be alarmed. So when I came to this garden, I drew myself together as a fox does, and these people are following me. He addressed me as Abu Huraira and gave me his sandals and said: Take away these sandals of mine, and when you meet anyone outside this garden who testifies that there is no god but Allah, being assured of it in his heart, gladden him by announcing that he shall go to Paradise. Now the first one I met was Umar. He asked: What are these sandals, Abu Huraira? I replied: These are the sandals of the Messenger of Allah with which he has sent me to gladden anyone I meet who testifies that there is no god but Allah, being assured of it in his heart, with the announcement that he would go to Paradise. Thereupon ‘Umar struck me on the breast, and I fell on my rear. He then said: Go back, Abu Huraira, So I returned to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and was about to break into tears. ‘Umar followed me closely, and there he was behind me. The Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings be on him) said: What is the matter with you, Abu Huraira? I said: I happened to meet ‘Umar and conveyed to him the message with which you sent me. He struck me on my breast, which made me fall down upon my rear, and ordered me to go back. Upon this, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: What prompted you to do this, ‘Umar? He said: Messenger of Allah, my mother and father be sacrificed for you, did you send Abu Huraira with your sandals to gladden anyone he met and who testified that there is no god but Allah, and being assured of it in his heart, with the tidings that he would go to Paradise? He said: Yes. Umar said: Please do it not, for I am afraid that people will trust in it alone; let them go on doing (good) deeds. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Well, let them.
حَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ يُونُسَ الْحَنَفِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عِكْرِمَةُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو كَثِيرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ كُنَّا قُعُودًا حَوْلَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَعَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ فِي نَفَرٍ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ بَيْنِ أَظْهُرِنَا فَأَبْطَأَ عَلَيْنَا وَخَشِينَا أَنْ يُقْتَطَعَ دُونَنَا وَفَزِعْنَا فَقُمْنَا فَكُنْتُ أَوَّلَ مَنْ فَزِعَ فَخَرَجْتُ أَبْتَغِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَتَّى أَتَيْتُ حَائِطًا لِلأَنْصَارِ لِبَنِي النَّجَّارِ فَدُرْتُ بِهِ هَلْ أَجِدُ لَهُ بَابًا فَلَمْ أَجِدْ فَإِذَا رَبِيعٌ يَدْخُلُ فِي جَوْفِ حَائِطٍ مِنْ بِئْرٍ خَارِجَةٍ – وَالرَّبِيعُ الْجَدْوَلُ – فَاحْتَفَزْتُ كَمَا يَحْتَفِزُ الثَّعْلَبُ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ” أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ ” . فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . قَالَ ” مَا شَأْنُكَ ” . قُلْتُ كُنْتَ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِنَا فَقُمْتَ فَأَبْطَأْتَ عَلَيْنَا فَخَشِينَا أَنْ تُقْتَطَعَ دُونَنَا فَفَزِعْنَا فَكُنْتُ أَوَّلَ مَنْ فَزِعَ فَأَتَيْتُ هَذَا الْحَائِطَ فَاحْتَفَزْتُ كَمَا يَحْتَفِزُ الثَّعْلَبُ وَهَؤُلاَءِ النَّاسُ وَرَائِي فَقَالَ ” يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ” . وَأَعْطَانِي نَعْلَيْهِ قَالَ ” اذْهَبْ بِنَعْلَىَّ هَاتَيْنِ فَمَنْ لَقِيتَ مِنْ وَرَاءِ هَذَا الْحَائِطِ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ مُسْتَيْقِنًا بِهَا قَلْبُهُ فَبَشِّرْهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ ” فَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ لَقِيتُ عُمَرُ فَقَالَ مَا هَاتَانِ النَّعْلاَنِ يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ . فَقُلْتُ هَاتَانِ نَعْلاَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَعَثَنِي بِهِمَا مَنْ لَقِيتُ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ مُسْتَيْقِنًا بِهَا قَلْبُهُ بَشَّرْتُهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ . فَضَرَبَ عُمَرُ بِيَدِهِ بَيْنَ ثَدْيَىَّ فَخَرَرْتُ لاِسْتِي فَقَالَ ارْجِعْ يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَجْهَشْتُ بُكَاءً وَرَكِبَنِي عُمَرُ فَإِذَا هُوَ عَلَى أَثَرِي فَقَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” مَا لَكَ يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ” . قُلْتُ لَقِيتُ عُمَرَ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِالَّذِي بَعَثْتَنِي بِهِ فَضَرَبَ بَيْنَ ثَدْيَىَّ ضَرْبَةً خَرَرْتُ لاِسْتِي قَالَ ارْجِعْ . فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” يَا عُمَرُ مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتَ ” . قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي أَبَعَثْتَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ بِنَعْلَيْكَ مَنْ لَقِيَ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ مُسْتَيْقِنًا بِهَا قَلْبُهُ بَشَّرَهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ . قَالَ ” نَعَمْ ” . قَالَ فَلاَ تَفْعَلْ فَإِنِّي أَخْشَى أَنْ يَتَّكِلَ النَّاسُ عَلَيْهَا فَخَلِّهِمْ يَعْمَلُونَ . قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” فَخَلِّهِمْ ” .
In the book Ta’wil Mukhtalif al-Hadith by Ibn Qutaybah (828-890 CE/213-276 AH), on page 70 of the Annotated Translation, Ibn Qutaybah says regarding Ali, ‘Aisha, and ‘Umar’s view on Abu Hurarirah:
‘A’ishah was the most abrasive among those (companions) who rejected him [Abu Hurairah] and this ill-wind continued until the end of their lives. And so did ’Umar, who was abrasive against whoever transmitted numerous ahadith or reported information related to judicial judgment without any witness. He used to order (the narrators) to reduce the number of narrations so that the masses will not be confused or corrupted by falsehood.
Abu Hurairah also had an ongoing dislike by the companions as they complained he narrated too many Hadith and was lying about the prophet. This feud is also cited in the above book by Ibn Qutaybah on pages 50-51 by al-Nazzam, who cited the following Hadiths criticizing Abu Hurairah. It is worth noting that Ibn Qutaybah doesn’t refute these claims but acknowledges a known feud between the closest companions and Abu Hurairah.
“Discussing Abu Hurayrah, (al-Nazzam) criticized:..He used to report a hadith by walking with only a shoe and this was related to ‘A’ishah. She then started to walk with one shoe only and said: [I want to be different from Abu Hurayrah.]
“(Abu Hurayrah) reported that a dog, a woman and a donkey would nullify a prayer. And ‘A’ishah said: [The prophet performeda prayer in the middle of (our_ bed while I was lying on (the same) bed, (barricading) himself from the Qiblah.]”
“(Al-Nazzam) said: [‘Ali was informed that Abu Hurayrah began his ablution with the right side. (‘Ali) in the same clothing headed for some water and started to take ablution beginning with his left side and then said: [I want to be different from Abu Hurayrah.]”
“(Abut Hurairah) used to say: [My dear friend told me…my dear friend said…I saw my dear friend…!] And ‘Ali said to him: [Since when did the prophet become your dear frien, O Abu Hurayrah?]
“(Al-Nazzam) sadi that Abu Hurayrah has reported [Whoever was in the state of janabah (major impurity) by (the early part of) the day time should not fast.] On this matter, Marwan sent a messenger to ask ‘A’ishah and Hafsah, they replied: [The Prophet was in the state of janabah by (the early part of) day time and was also in the state of ihtilam (wet dream) but he performed his fasting.] (Marwan) then said to the messenger: [Go and tell Abu Hurayrah of this information!] Abu Hurayrah replied: [Indeed I have narrated this hadith and so did al-Fadl ibn al-‘Abbas, the martyr.] But the masses doubted that (Abu Hurayrah) has heard this (information) from the Prophet.”
Additionally, we see Abu Hurairah getting caught narrating false statements regarding the prophet in the following Hadith.
Narrated Abu Hurairah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: There is no transitive disease, no evil omen, or serpent in a hungry belly, and no hamah. A nomadic Arab asked: How is it that when camels are in the sand as if they were gazelles and a mangy camel comes among them and it gives them mange ? He replied: Who infected the first one ? Ma’mar, quoting al-Zuhri said: A man told me that Abu Hurairah narrated to him saying that he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say: A diseased camel should not be brought with a healthy camel to drink water. He said: The man then consulted him and said: Did you not tell us that Prophet (ﷺ) had said: There is no transitive disease, no serpent in a hungry belly and no hamah? He replied: I did not transmit it to you. Al-Zuhri said: Abu Salamah said: He had narrated it and I did not hear that Abu Hurairah had ever forgotten any tradition except this one.
Narrated Al-A’raj: Abu Huraira said, “You people claim that Abu Huraira narrates many narrations of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). (Anyhow) with Allah will be our appointment. I was a poor man and used to stick to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ), contented with what will fill my stomach, and the Muhajirin (emigrants) used to be busy trading in the markets, and the Ansar used to be busy looking after their properties. One day I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saying, ‘Who will spread his Rida’ (a garment covering the upper part of the body) till I finished my speech and then fold it (i.e. wrap it over your body) in which case he will never forget anything he had heard from me.” So I spread my garment which I was wearing; and by Him Who sent Muhammad with the Truth, ever since, I have never forgotten whatever I heard from him (the Prophet)”
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيٌّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، حَدَّثَنِي الزُّهْرِيُّ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَهُ مِنَ الأَعْرَجِ، يَقُولُ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يُكْثِرُ الْحَدِيثَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَاللَّهُ الْمَوْعِدُ، إِنِّي كُنْتُ امْرَأً مِسْكِينًا أَلْزَمُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى مِلْءِ بَطْنِي، وَكَانَ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الصَّفْقُ بِالأَسْوَاقِ، وَكَانَتِ الأَنْصَارُ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الْقِيَامُ عَلَى أَمْوَالِهِمْ، فَشَهِدْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ وَقَالَ “ مَنْ يَبْسُطْ رِدَاءَهُ حَتَّى أَقْضِيَ مَقَالَتِي ثُمَّ يَقْبِضْهُ، فَلَنْ يَنْسَى شَيْئًا سَمِعَهُ مِنِّي ”. فَبَسَطْتُ بُرْدَةً كَانَتْ عَلَىَّ، فَوَالَّذِي بَعَثَهُ بِالْحَقِّ مَا نَسِيتُ شَيْئًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ.
Even this narration above contradicts another narration from Abu Huraira regarding how this event supposedly transpired.
Narrated Abu Huraira: I said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! I hear many narrations from you, but I forget them.” He said, “Spread your covering sheet.” I spread my sheet, and he moved both his hands as if scooping something and emptied them in the sheet and said, “Wrap it.” I wrapped it around my body, and since then, I have never forgotten.
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 Allah’s Messenger (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 Allah’s Messenger (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 صلى الله عليه وسلم وَاللَّهُ الْمَوْعِدُ كُنْتُ رَجُلاً مِسْكِينًا أَخْدُمُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى مِلْءِ بَطْنِي وَكَانَ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الصَّفْقُ بِالأَسْوَاقِ وَكَانَتِ الأَنْصَارُ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الْقِيَامُ عَلَى أَمْوَالِهِمْ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ مَنْ يَبْسُطُ ثَوْبَهُ فَلَنْ يَنْسَى شَيْئًا سَمِعَهُ مِنِّي ” . فَبَسَطْتُ ثَوْبِي حَتَّى قَضَى حَدِيثَهُ ثُمَّ ضَمَمْتُهُ إِلَىَّ فَمَا نَسِيتُ شَيْئًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ .
Probably no other narrator has done more to convince people of the ridiculousness and absurdity of Hadith than the narrations of Abu Hurarirah.
Moses & the Stone
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “(The Prophet) Moses was a shy person and used to cover his body completely because of his extensive shyness. One of the children of Israel hurt him by saying, ‘He covers his body in this way only because of some defect in his skin, either leprosy or scrotal hernia, or he has some other defect.’ Allah wished to clear Moses of what they said about him, so one day while Moses was in seclusion, he took off his clothes and put them on a stone and started taking a bath. When he had finished the bath, he moved towards his clothes so as to take them, but the stone took his clothes and fled; Moses picked up his stick and ran after the stone saying, ‘O stone! Give me my garment!’ Till he reached a group of Bani Israel who saw him naked then, and found him the best of what Allah had created, and Allah cleared him of what they had accused him of. The stone stopped there and Moses took and put his garment on and started hitting the stone with his stick. By Allah, the stone still has some traces of the hitting, three, four or five marks. This was what Allah refers to in His Saying: — “O you who believe! Be you not like those Who annoyed Moses, But Allah proved his innocence of that which they alleged, And he was honorable In Allah’s Sight.” (33.69)
Hammim b. Munabbih reported: This is what Abu Huraira reported to us from Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and in this connection he narrated some of the ahadith and Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: It was said to people of Israel: Enter this land saying Hitta (Remove Thou from us the burden of our sins), whereupon We would forgive you your sins, but they twisted (this statement) and entered the gate dragging upon their buttocks and said: The” grain in the ear.”
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، حَدَّثَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنْ هَمَّامِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ، قَالَ هَذَا مَا حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . فَذَكَرَ أَحَادِيثَ مِنْهَا وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ قِيلَ لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ { ادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَقُولُوا حِطَّةٌ يُغْفَرْ لَكُمْ خَطَايَاكُمْ} فَبَدَّلُوا فَدَخَلُوا الْبَابَ يَزْحَفُونَ عَلَى أَسْتَاهِهِمْ وَقَالُوا حَبَّةٌ فِي شَعَرَةٍ” .
Narrated Abu Huraira: The angel of death was sent to Moses and when he went to him, Moses slapped him severely, spoiling one of his eyes. The angel went back to his Lord, and said, “You sent me to a slave who does not want to die.” Allah restored his eye and said, “Go back and tell him (i.e. Moses) to place his hand over the back of an ox, for he will be allowed to live for a number of years equal to the number of hairs coming under his hand.” (So the angel came to him and told him the same). Then Moses asked, “O my Lord! What will be then?” He said, “Death will be then.” He said, “(Let it be) now.” He asked Allah that He bring him near the Sacred Land at a distance of a stone’s throw. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) said, “Were I there, I would show you the grave of Moses by the way near the red sand hill.”
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) as saying that Sulaiman b. Dawud (once) said: I will go round in the night to my ninety wives, and every one of them will give birth to a child (who will grow up) as a horseman and fight in the cause of Allah His companions said to him: Say” Insha’ Allah.” but he did not say Inshii’ Allah. He went round all of them but none of them became pregnant but one, and she gave birth to a deformed child. And by Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, if he had said, Insha’ Allah (his wives would have given birth to the children who would all have grown up into horsemen and fought in the way of Allah).
Narrated Abu Hurairah: I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saying, “An ant bit a Prophet amongst the Prophets, and he ordered that the place of the ants be burnt. So, Allah inspired to him, ‘It is because one ant bit you that you burnt a nation amongst the nations that glorify Allah?”
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ يُونُسَ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، وَأَبِي، سَلَمَةَ أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ “ قَرَصَتْ نَمْلَةٌ نَبِيًّا مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ، فَأَمَرَ بِقَرْيَةِ النَّمْلِ فَأُحْرِقَتْ، فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ أَنْ قَرَصَتْكَ نَمْلَةٌ أَحْرَقْتَ أُمَّةً مِنَ الأُمَمِ تُسَبِّحُ اللَّهِ.”
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) as saying: When anyone wipes himself with pebbles (after answering the call of nature) he must make use of an odd number and when any one of you performs ablution he must snuff in his nose water and then clean it.
Narrated Abu Huraira: That once he was in the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) carrying a water pot for his ablution and for cleaning his private parts. While he was following him carrying it (i.e. the pot), the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Who is this?” He said, “I am Abu Huraira.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Bring me stones in order to clean my private parts, and do not bring any bones or animal dung.” Abu Huraira went on narrating: So I brought some stones, carrying them in the corner of my robe till I put them by his side and went away. When he finished, I walked with him and asked, “What about the bone and the animal dung?” He said, “They are of the food of Jinns. The delegate of Jinns of (the city of) Nasibin came to me–and how nice those Jinns were–and asked me for the remains of the human food. I invoked Allah for them that they would never pass by a bone or animal dung but find food on them.”
It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the, Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: While a man walks along a path, finds a thorny twig lying on the way and puts it aside, Allah would appreciate it and forgive him The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The martyrs are of five kinds: one who dies of plague; one who dies of diarrhea (or cholera) ; one who is drowned; one who is buried under debris and one who dies fighting in the way of Allah.
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “While a man was riding a cow, it turned towards him and said, ‘I have not been created for this purpose (i.e. carrying), I have been created for plowing.” The Prophet (ﷺ) added, “I, Abu Bakr and Umar believe in the story.” The Prophet (ﷺ) went on, “A wolf caught a sheep, and when the shepherd chased it, the wolf said, ‘Who will be its guard on the day of wild beasts, when there will be no shepherd for it except me?’ “After narrating it, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “I, Abu Bakr and Umar too believe it.” Abu Salama (a sub-narrator) said, “Abu Bakr and `Umar were not present then.”
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “When the call for the prayer is pronounced, Satan takes to his heels, farting with noise, When the call for the prayer is finished, he comes back. And when the Iqama is pronounced, he again takes to his heels, and after its completion, he returns again to interfere between the (praying) person and his heart, saying to him. ‘Remember this or that thing.’ till the person forgets whether he has offered three or four rakat: so if one forgets whether he has prayed three or four rakat, he should perform two prostrations of Sahu (i.e. forgetfulness).
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ إِذَا نُودِيَ بِالصَّلاَةِ أَدْبَرَ الشَّيْطَانُ وَلَهُ ضُرَاطٌ، فَإِذَا قُضِيَ أَقْبَلَ، فَإِذَا ثُوِّبَ بِهَا أَدْبَرَ، فَإِذَا قُضِيَ أَقْبَلَ، حَتَّى يَخْطِرَ بَيْنَ الإِنْسَانِ وَقَلْبِهِ، فَيَقُولُ اذْكُرْ كَذَا وَكَذَا. حَتَّى لاَ يَدْرِي أَثَلاَثًا صَلَّى أَمْ أَرْبَعًا فَإِذَا لَمْ يَدْرِ ثَلاَثًا صَلَّى أَوْ أَرْبَعًا سَجَدَ سَجْدَتَىِ السَّهْوِ ”.
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “If anyone of you rouses from sleep and performs the ablution, he should wash his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out thrice, because Satan has stayed in the upper part of his nose all the night.”
حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ حَمْزَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عِيسَى بْنِ طَلْحَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ إِذَا اسْتَيْقَظَ ـ أُرَاهُ ـ أَحَدُكُمْ مِنْ مَنَامِهِ فَتَوَضَّأَ فَلْيَسْتَنْثِرْ ثَلاَثًا، فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَبِيتُ عَلَى خَيْشُومِهِ ”.
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “When you hear the crowing of roosters, ask for Allah’s Blessings for (their crowing indicates that) they have seen an angel. And when you hear the braying of donkeys, seek Refuge with Allah from Satan for (their braying indicates) that they have seen a Satan.”
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ صِيَاحَ الدِّيَكَةِ فَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ، فَإِنَّهَا رَأَتْ مَلَكًا، وَإِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ نَهِيقَ الْحِمَارِ فَتَعَوَّذُوا بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ، فَإِنَّهُ رَأَى شَيْطَانًا ”.
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Allah loves sneezing but dislikes yawning; so if anyone of you sneezes and then praises Allah, every Muslim who hears him (praising Allah) has to say Tashmit to him. But as regards yawning, it is from Satan, so if one of you yawns, he should try his best to stop it, for when anyone of you yawns, Satan laughs at him.”
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) once offered the prayer and said, “Satan came in front of me and tried to interrupt my prayer, but Allah gave me an upper hand on him, and I choked him. No doubt, I thought of tying him to one of the pillars of the mosque till you get up in the morning and see him. Then I remembered the statement of Prophet Solomon, ‘My Lord ! Bestow on me a kingdom such as shall not belong to any other after me.’ Then Allah made him (Satan) return with his head down (humiliated).”
حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شَبَابَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ صَلَّى صَلاَةً قَالَ ” إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ عَرَضَ لِي، فَشَدَّ عَلَىَّ لِيَقْطَعَ الصَّلاَةَ عَلَىَّ، فَأَمْكَنَنِي اللَّهُ مِنْهُ، فَذَعَتُّهُ، وَلَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ أُوثِقَهُ إِلَى سَارِيَةٍ حَتَّى تُصْبِحُوا فَتَنْظُرُوا إِلَيْهِ فَذَكَرْتُ قَوْلَ سُلَيْمَانَ ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ـ رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لاَ يَنْبَغِي لأَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِي. فَرَدَّهُ اللَّهُ خَاسِيًا ”. ثُمَّ قَالَ النَّضْرُ بْنُ شُمَيْلٍ فَذَعَتُّهُ بِالذَّالِ أَىْ خَنَقْتُهُ وَفَدَعَّتُّهُ مِنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ {يَوْمَ يُدَعُّونَ} أَىْ يُدْفَعُونَ وَالصَّوَابُ، فَدَعَتُّهُ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ كَذَا قَالَ بِتَشْدِيدِ الْعَيْنِ وَالتَّاءِ.
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Allah created Adam, making him 60 cubits tall. When He created him, He said to him, “Go and greet that group of angels, and listen to their reply, for it will be your greeting (salutation) and the greeting (salutations of your offspring.” So, Adam said (to the angels), As-Salamu Alaikum (i.e. Peace be upon you). The angels said, “As-salamu Alaika wa Rahmatu-l-lahi” (i.e. Peace and Allah’s Mercy be upon you). Thus the angels added to Adam’s salutation the expression, ‘Wa Rahmatu-l-lahi,’ Any person who will enter Paradise will resemble Adam (in appearance and figure). People have been decreasing in stature since Adam’s creation.
حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ هَمَّامٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ آدَمَ وَطُولُهُ سِتُّونَ ذِرَاعًا، ثُمَّ قَالَ اذْهَبْ فَسَلِّمْ عَلَى أُولَئِكَ مِنَ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ، فَاسْتَمِعْ مَا يُحَيُّونَكَ، تَحِيَّتُكَ وَتَحِيَّةُ ذُرِّيَّتِكَ. فَقَالَ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ. فَقَالُوا السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ. فَزَادُوهُ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ. فَكُلُّ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ عَلَى صُورَةِ آدَمَ، فَلَمْ يَزَلِ الْخَلْقُ يَنْقُصُ حَتَّى الآنَ ”.
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Between the two blowings of the trumpet (there would be an interval of forty). They said: Abu Huraira, do you mean forty days? He said: I cannot say anything. They said: Do you mean forty months? He said: I cannot say anything. They said: Do you mean forty years? He said: I cannot say anything. Then Allah would cause the water to, descend from the sky and they (people) will sprout like vegetable. The only thing in a man which would not decay would be one bone (the tailbone) from which the whole frame would be reconstituted on the Day of Resurrection.
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Our Lord, the Blessed and the Exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the latter part of the night is left, and says: Who supplicates Me so that I may answer him? Who asks Me so that I may give to him? Who asks Me forgiveness so that I may forgive him?
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The Fire made a complaint before the Lord saying.” O Lord, some parts of mine have consumed the others.” So it was allowed to take two exhalations, one exhalation in winter and the other exhalation in summer. That is why you find extreme heat (in summer) and extreme cold (in winter).
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said “If a house fly falls in the drink of anyone of you, he should dip it (in the drink) and take it out, for one of its wings has a disease and the other has the cure for the disease.”
حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ مَخْلَدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ بِلاَلٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عُتْبَةُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُبَيْدُ بْنُ حُنَيْنٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَقُولُ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ إِذَا وَقَعَ الذُّبَابُ فِي شَرَابِ أَحَدِكُمْ فَلْيَغْمِسْهُ، ثُمَّ لِيَنْزِعْهُ، فَإِنَّ فِي إِحْدَى جَنَاحَيْهِ دَاءً وَالأُخْرَى شِفَاءً ”.
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “By Him in Whose Hand my soul is I was about to order for collecting firewood (fuel) and then order Someone to announce the Adhan for the prayer and then order someone to lead the prayer then I would go from behind and burn the houses of men who did not present themselves for the (compulsory congregational) prayer. By Him, in Whose Hands my soul is, if anyone of them had known that he would get a bone covered with good meat or two (small) pieces of meat present in between two ribs, he would have turned up for the `Isha’ prayer.’
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “A virgin should not be married till she is asked for her consent; and the matron should not be married till she is asked whether she agrees to marry or not.” It was asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! How will she (the virgin) express her consent?” He said, “By keeping silent.” Some people said that if a virgin is not asked for her consent and she is not married, and then a man, by playing a trick presents two false witnesses that he has married her with her consent and the judge confirms his marriage as a true one, and the husband knows that the witnesses were false ones, then there is no harm for him to consummate his marriage with her and the marriage is regarded as valid.
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “If a husband calls his wife to his bed (i.e. to have sexual relation) and she refuses and causes him to sleep in anger, the angels will curse her till morning.”
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ إِذَا دَعَا الرَّجُلُ امْرَأَتَهُ إِلَى فِرَاشِهِ فَأَبَتْ، فَبَاتَ غَضْبَانَ عَلَيْهَا، لَعَنَتْهَا الْمَلاَئِكَةُ حَتَّى تُصْبِحَ ”. تَابَعَهُ شُعْبَةُ وَأَبُو حَمْزَةَ وَابْنُ دَاوُدَ وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ.
One of the most famous and widely transmitted Hadith that is the posterchild of a mutawatir Hadith and the reliablity of Hadith transmissions attributes the prophet stating:
Narrated ‘Abdullah [bin Mas’ud]: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever lies upon me, then let him take his seat in the Fire.”
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هِشَامٍ الرِّفَاعِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَاصِمٌ، عَنْ زِرٍّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَىَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ ” .
Despite this warning, Abu Huraira blatantly fabricated Hadith and attributed them to the prophet.
Narrated Abu Huraira: “The Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘The best alms is that which is given when one is rich, and a giving hand is better than a taking one, and you should start first to support your dependents.’ A wife says, ‘You should either provide me with food or divorce me.’ A slave says, ‘Give me food and enjoy my service.” A son says, “Give me food; to whom do you leave me?” The people said, “O Abu Huraira! Did you hear that from Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) ?” He said, “No, it is from my own self.”
حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو صَالِحٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ أَفْضَلُ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا تَرَكَ غِنًى، وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى، وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ ”. تَقُولُ الْمَرْأَةُ إِمَّا أَنْ تُطْعِمَنِي وَإِمَّا أَنْ تُطَلِّقَنِي. وَيَقُولُ الْعَبْدُ أَطْعِمْنِي وَاسْتَعْمِلْنِي. وَيَقُولُ الاِبْنُ أَطْعِمْنِي، إِلَى مَنْ تَدَعُنِي فَقَالُوا يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ سَمِعْتَ هَذَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم. قَالَ لاَ هَذَا مِنْ كِيسِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ.
It is pretty well established that Abu Hurairah did not join the Muslims until after the Battle of Khaybar in 628 CE, yet there is a Hadith in Sahih Muslim 115, that claims that he was participating in that battle.
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira: We went to Khaibar along with the Apostle (ﷺ) and Allah granted us victory. We plundered neither gold nor silver but laid our hands on goods, corn and clothes, and then bent our stops to a valley; along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) there was a slave who was presented to him by one Rifa’a b. Zaid of the family of Judham, a tribe of Dubayb. When we got down into the valley the slave of the Messenger of Allah stood up and began to unpack the saddle-bag and was suddenly struck by a (stray) arrow which proved fatal. We said: There is a greeting for him, Messenger of Allah, as he is a martyr. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) remarked: Nay, not so. By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, the small garment which he stole from the booty on the day of Khaibar but which did not (legitimately) fall to his lot is burning like the Fire (of Hell) on him. The people were greatly perturbed (on hearing this). A person came there with a lace or two laces and said: Messenger of Allah, I found (them) on the day of Khaibar. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: This is a lace of fire or two laces of fire.
حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ ثَوْرِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ الدُّؤَلِيِّ، عَنْ سَالِمٍ أَبِي الْغَيْثِ، مَوْلَى ابْنِ مُطِيعٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، – وَهَذَا حَدِيثُهُ – حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ، – يَعْنِي ابْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ – عَنْ ثَوْرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْغَيْثِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ خَرَجْنَا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى خَيْبَرَ فَفَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا فَلَمْ نَغْنَمْ ذَهَبًا وَلاَ وَرِقًا غَنِمْنَا الْمَتَاعَ وَالطَّعَامَ وَالثِّيَابَ ثُمَّ انْطَلَقْنَا إِلَى الْوَادِي وَمَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَبْدٌ لَهُ وَهَبَهُ لَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ جُذَامٍ يُدْعَى رِفَاعَةَ بْنَ زَيْدٍ مِنْ بَنِي الضُّبَيْبِ فَلَمَّا نَزَلْنَا الْوَادِيَ قَامَ عَبْدُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَحُلُّ رَحْلَهُ فَرُمِيَ بِسَهْمٍ فَكَانَ فِيهِ حَتْفُهُ فَقُلْنَا هَنِيئًا لَهُ الشَّهَادَةُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” كَلاَّ وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ إِنَّ الشَّمْلَةَ لَتَلْتَهِبُ عَلَيْهِ نَارًا أَخَذَهَا مِنَ الْغَنَائِمِ يَوْمَ خَيْبَرَ لَمْ تُصِبْهَا الْمَقَاسِمُ ” . قَالَ فَفَزِعَ النَّاسُ . فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ بِشِرَاكٍ أَوْ شِرَاكَيْنِ . فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَصَبْتُ يَوْمَ خَيْبَرَ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” شِرَاكٌ مِنْ نَارٍ أَوْ شِرَاكَانِ مِنْ نَارٍ ” .
Also, in another Hadith from Sahih Muslim, it states that Abu Huraira claimed that one who is unclean due to ejaculation should refrain from fasting. When the people asked the wives of the prophet, they denied such a claim. When Abu Huraira was confronted about this he said that he actualy heard it from Fadl bin ‘Abbas and not the messenger.
Abu Bakr (he is Abu Bakr b. Abd al-Rahman b. Harith) reported: I heard Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) narrating that he who is overtaken by dawn in a state of seminal emission should not observe fast. I made a mention of it to ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Harith (i. e. to his father) but he denied it. ‘Abd al-Rahman went and I also went along with him till we came to ‘A’isha and Umm Salama (Allah be pleased with both of them) and Abd al-Rahman asked them about it. Both of them said: (At times it so happened) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) woke up in the morning in a state of junub (but without seminal emission in a dream) and observed fast He (the narrator) said: We then proceeded till we went to Marwan and Abd al-Rahman made a mention of it to him. Upon this Marwan said: I stress upon you (with an oath) that you better go to Abu Huraira and refer to him what is said about it. So we came to Abu Huraira and Abu Bakr had been with us throughout, and ‘Abd al-Rahman made a mention of it to him, whereupon Abu Huraira said: Did they (the two wives of the Holy Prophet) tell you this? He replied: Yes Upon this (Abu Huraira) said: They have better knowledge. Abu Huraira then attributed what was said about it to Fadl b. ‘Abbas and said: “I heard it from Fadl and not from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).” Abu Huraira then retracted from what he used to say about it. Ibn Juraij (one of the narrators) reported: I asked ‘Abd al-Malik, if they (the two wives) said (made the statement) in regard to Ramadan, whereupon he said: It was so, and he (the Holy Prophet) (woke up in the) morning in a state of junub which was not due to the wet dream and then observed fast.
One glaring fact about many of the narrations from Abu Hurairah is that they appear to be of clear Jewish origin.
Jews turned to Mice
Abu Huraira reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: A group of Bani Isra’il was lost. I do not know what happened to it, but I think (that it ‘underwent a process of metamorphosis) and assumed the shape of rats. Don’t you see when the milk of the camel is placed before them, these do not drink and when the milk of goat is placed before them, these do drink. Abu Huraira said: I narrated this very hadith to Ka’b and he said: Did you hear this from Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)? I (Abu Huraira) said: Yes. He said this again and again, and I said: Have I read Torah? This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Ishaq with a slight variation of wording.
Abu Huraira reported that the rat (is the result of) metamorphosis (of a group of Bani Isra’il) and the proof of this is that when the milk of goat is placed before it, it drinks it, and when the milk of the camel is placed before it, it would not taste it at all. Ka’b said: Did you hear it from Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)? Thereupon he said: Has Torah been revealed to me?
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The Prophet (ﷺ) Abraham emigrated with Sarah and entered a village where there was a king or a tyrant. (The king) was told that Abraham had entered (the village) accompanied by a woman who was one of the most charming women. So, the king sent for Abraham and asked, ‘O Abraham! Who is this lady accompanying you?’ Abraham replied, ‘She is my sister (i.e. in religion).’ Then Abraham returned to her and said, ‘Do not contradict my statement, for I have informed them that you are my sister. By Allah, there are no true believers on this land except you and 1.’ Then Abraham sent her to the king. When the king got to her, she got up and performed ablution, prayed and said, ‘O Allah! If I have believed in You and Your Apostle, and have saved my private parts from everybody except my husband, then please do not let this pagan overpower me.’ On that the king fell in a mood of agitation and started moving his legs. Seeing the condition of the king, Sarah said, ‘O Allah! If he should die, the people will say that I have killed him.’ The king regained his power, and proceeded towards her but she got up again and performed ablution, prayed and said, ‘O Allah! If I have believed in You and Your Apostle and have kept my private parts safe from all except my husband, then please do not let this pagan overpower me.’ The king again fell in a mood of agitation and started moving his legs. On seeing that state of the king, Sarah said, ‘O Allah! If he should die, the people will say that I have killed him.’ The king got either two or three attacks, and after recovering from the last attack he said, ‘By Allah! You have sent a satan to me. Take her to Abraham and give her Ajar.’ So she came back to Abraham and said, ‘Allah humiliated the pagan and gave us a slave-girl for service.”
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “The Prophet (ﷺ) Abraham migrated with Sarah. The people (of the town where they migrated) gave her Ajar (i.e. Hajar). Sarah returned and said to Abraham, “Do you know that Allah has humiliated that pagan and he has given a slave-girl for my service?”
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ” هَاجَرَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بِسَارَةَ، فَأَعْطَوْهَا آجَرَ، فَرَجَعَتْ فَقَالَتْ أَشَعَرْتَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ كَبَتَ الْكَافِرَ وَأَخْدَمَ وَلِيدَةً ”. وَقَالَ ابْنُ سِيرِينَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” فَأَخْدَمَهَا هَاجَرَ ”.
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “None spoke in cradle but three: (The first was) Jesus, (the second was), there a man from Bani Israel called Juraij. While he was offering his prayers, his mother came and called him. He said (to himself), ‘Shall I answer her or keep on praying?” (He went on praying) and did not answer her, his mother said, “O Allah! Do not let him die till he sees the faces of prostitutes.” So while he was in his hermitage, a lady came and sought to seduce him, but he refused. So she went to a shepherd and presented herself to him to commit illegal sexual intercourse with her and then later she gave birth to a child and claimed that it belonged to Juraij. The people, therefore, came to him and dismantled his hermitage and expelled him out of it and abused him. Juraij performed the ablution and offered prayer, and then came to the child and said, ‘O child! Who is your father?’ The child replied, ‘The shepherd.’ (After hearing this) the people said, ‘We shall rebuild your hermitage of gold,’ but he said, ‘No, of nothing but mud.'(The third was the hero of the following story) A lady from Bani Israel was nursing her child at her breast when a handsome rider passed by her. She said, ‘O Allah ! Make my child like him.’ On that the child left her breast, and facing the rider said, ‘O Allah! Do not make me like him.’ The child then started to suck her breast again. (Abu Huraira further said, “As if I were now looking at the Prophet (ﷺ) sucking his finger (in way of demonstration.”) After a while the people passed by, with a lady slave and she (i.e. the child’s mother) said, ‘O Allah! Do not make my child like this (slave girl)!, On that the child left her breast and said, ‘O Allah! Make me like her.’ When she asked why, the child replied, ‘The rider is one of the tyrants while this slave girl is falsely accused of theft and illegal sexual intercourse.”
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “There was an Israeli man called Juraij, while he was praying, his mother came and called him, but he did not respond to her call. He said (to himself) whether he should continue the prayer or reply to his mother. She came to him the second time and called him and said, “O Allah! Do not let him die until he sees the faces of prostitutes.” Juraij used to live in a hermitage. A woman said that she would entice Juraij, so she went to him and presented herself (for an evil act) but he refused. She then went to a shepherd and allowed him to commit an illegal sexual intercourse with her and later she gave birth to a boy. She alleged that the baby was from Juraij. The people went to Juraij and broke down his hermitage, pulled him out of it and abused him. He performed ablution and offered the prayer, then he went to the male (baby) and asked him; “O boy! Who is your father?” The baby replied that his father was the shepherd. The people said that they would build for him a hermitage of gold but Juraij asked them to make it of mud only.”
The reason for this heavy influence from Talmudic sources is that according to history, it is known that Abu Hurairah was narrating Hadith from a Jewish Rabbi named Ka’b al-Ahbar, who supposedly converted to Islam during the reign of Umar. It is narrated that Ka’b al-Ahbar joined Umar on his trip to Jerusalem after its conquering.
Malik related to me that he heard that Umar ibn al-Khattab wanted to go to Iraq, and Kab al-Ahbar said to him, “Do not go there, amir al- muminin. There is nine-tenths of sorcery there and it is the place of the rebellious jinn and the disease which the doctors are unable to cure.”
But after Umar discovered what Ka’b was doing, he forbade him from narrating hadith, threatening to exile him if he continued [Al-Bidya wa al-nihayah, vol. III, p. 206 & vol. II, p. 433].
It is because of this that it is speculated that Ka’b was involved in the assassination of Umar, as there are narrations where Ka’b told Umar that his death was prophesized in the Torah and that he was going to die in three days, which happened.
There is a very strong case that Ka’b was a hypocrite and actually an atheist (zanadiqah) who intended to insert falsehood into the traditions attributed to the prophet. This is even mentioned in the Quran.
[5:41] O you messenger, do not be saddened by those who hasten to disbelieve among those who say, “We believe,” with their mouths, while their hearts do not believe. Among the Jews, some listened to lies. They listened to people who never met you, and who distorted the words out of context, then said, “If you are given this, accept it, but if you are given anything different, beware.” Whomever GOD wills to divert, you can do nothing to help him against GOD. GOD does not wish to cleanse their hearts. They have incurred humiliation in this world, and in the Hereafter, they will suffer a terrible retribution.
It is well documented that even during the prophet’s life, fabricators were attributing lies to the prophet, and this continued with its apex occurring, most likely during the Ummayad dynasty.
Hammad ibn Zayd is reported to have said: The Zanadiqah (atheists) have fabricated twelve thousand traditions, ascribing them to the Messenger of Allah (S).
Al-Mahdi said: One of the Zanadiqah has confessed before me that he composed four hundred traditions, and they were being circulated and conveyed among people.
Ibn Asakir reported that a zindiq (atheist) was brought once to al-Rashid who gave his orders to behead him, when he (zindiq) said: O Amir al-Mu’minin, aren’t you aware of four thousand traditions I fabricated, in which I forbid what is lawful (halal) and deem lawful what is forbidden (in the Qur’an).
It is reported too that when Abd al-Karim ibn Abi al-Awja’ intended to behead him, he said: I have composed for you four thousand traditions forbidding through them what is lawful and sanctioning what is unlawful (haram).
Sahl ibn al-Sirri al-Hafiz says: Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Jubyari, Muhammad ibn Ukashah al-Kirmani and Muhammad ibn Tamim al-Farabi falsified and fabricated more than ten thousand traditions against the Messenger of Allah.
Al-Bukhari writes: I commit to memory one hundred correct traditions and two hundred falsified traditions.
The number of inauthentic Hadith that Bukhari collected was actually much higher. This is because he claimed to have collected some 600,000 hadith, of which he retained only 7,563, with the number reducing to around 2,600 without consideration of repetitions or different versions of the same hadith.
Mu’awiyah and Abu Hurayra
So how did individuals like Abu Hurairah and K’ab get such a disproportionate influence on Hadith? From the previous article, it should not be a surprise that this elevation in their status was carried out during the reign of Mu’awiya and the Ummayad dynasty,
Narrated Humaid bin ‘Abdur-Rahman that he heard Mu’awiya talking to a group of people from Quraish at Al-Madina, and on mentioning Ka’b Al-Ahbar, he said, “He was one of the most truthful of those who used to talk about the people of the Scripture. And indeed in spite of that we used to test him for lying.”
After the death of Uthman, Abū Hurayra was courted by Mu’awiyah in exchange for his dubious willingness to fabricate Hadith and attribute them to the prophet. In return, Mu’awiyah rewarded him handsomely, giving him wealth, luxuries, and women.
For his fabrications, Abu Hurayra was placed as the governor of Medina. He was also given a wife named Bisra who was the prominent daughter of the governor of Basra, appointed by ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, who died years before their marriage.
Abu Hurayra, prior to his fortune, used to work for Bisra as a servant. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani mentions Bisra in the first section of his famous work Al-Isaba fi Akhbar al-Sahābaالاصابة في أخبار الصحابة and says the following about Bisra,
“She used to let him work for her during the time of the Prophet, then he married her after that when Marwan [ibn al-Hakam] used to let him be in charge of Medīna during the time of Mu’awiyah.” In his Tabaqāt, Ibn Sa’d quotes Abū Hurayra as saying the following about his wife, Bisra,
“و كانت قد استأجرته في العهد النبوي ثم تزوجها بعد ذلك لما كان مروان يستخلفه في امرة المدينة على عهد معاوية
“I placed myself at the service of the daughter of Ghazwan in exchange for food for my stomach and for something to wear on my feet… She used to order me to ride while serving her and to approach her barefoot to serve her. After that, Allāh made her my wife, so I ordered her to ride as she served me and to approach me barefoot!!” Thus, Abū Hurayra “got even” with the unfortunate lady.
أكريت نفسي من ابنة غزوان على طعام بطني و عقبة رجلي… فكانت تكلفني أن أركب قائما، و أورد حافيا، فلما كان بعد ذلك زوجنيها الله فكلفتها أن تركب قائمة و أن تورد حافية!!
Mu’awiyah and the Ummayad dynasty removed the restrictions placed upon Abu Hurairah from narrating Hadith. They used him for their own means and transformed him from a village idiot to someone to be venerated and looked upon for religious laws and guidance. Rather than having his work discarded as untrustworthy, he is viewed as an authority to the traditions of the prophet. Roughly 1,034 Hadith compiled by Bukhari and 391 Hadith compiled by Muslim are from Abu Hurairah and labeled as Sahih (authentic). This is strange because by their own standards if someone attributed a lie to the prophet, they would be destined for Hell. This shows that the ulema who accept Hadith and propagate these blatant fabrications don’t even follow their own standards and promote this garbage as if it is divine revelation from God.
Narrated Anas: The fact which stops me from narrating a great number of Hadiths to you is that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Whoever tells a lie against me intentionally, then let him occupy his seat in Hell-fire.”
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مَعْمَرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، قَالَ أَنَسٌ إِنَّهُ لَيَمْنَعُنِي أَنْ أُحَدِّثَكُمْ حَدِيثًا كَثِيرًا أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ مَنْ تَعَمَّدَ عَلَىَّ كَذِبًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ ”.
So, despite all the overwhelming evidence that the Sunni’s most prolific narrator is entirely unreliable, why does the ulema refuse to budge on this matter? The answer is that they know if their most prolific narrator is a sham, then so is their entire foundation of traditions. This has been known even before the compilations of Bukhari and Muslim that the whole Sunnah rested on maintaining the integrity of the companions. It is documented in the books “Tawil Mukhtalif al-Hadith” by Ibn-Qutayba p. 228, and “Hadith Muhammad’s Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World,” p. 302 by Jonathan Brown, that in an audience before the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid, the early Sunni Umar b. Habib (d. 204/819-20) responded to Mu’tazilite and Ahl al-ra’y arguments regarding the reliability of Abu Hurayra and claimed “that if one opened the door to criticizing the Companions of the Prophet, Muslims would lose the whole Shariah.“
Narrated Abu Huraira: “The Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘The best alms is that which is given when one is rich, and a giving hand is better than a taking one, and you should start first to support your dependents.’ A wife says, ‘You should either provide me with food or divorce me.’ A slave says, ‘Give me food and enjoy my service.” A son says, “Give me food; to whom do you leave me?” The people said, “O Abu Huraira! Did you hear that from Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) ?” He said, “No, it is from my own self.”
حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو صَالِحٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ أَفْضَلُ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا تَرَكَ غِنًى، وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى، وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ ”. تَقُولُ الْمَرْأَةُ إِمَّا أَنْ تُطْعِمَنِي وَإِمَّا أَنْ تُطَلِّقَنِي. وَيَقُولُ الْعَبْدُ أَطْعِمْنِي وَاسْتَعْمِلْنِي. وَيَقُولُ الاِبْنُ أَطْعِمْنِي، إِلَى مَنْ تَدَعُنِي فَقَالُوا يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ سَمِعْتَ هَذَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم. قَالَ لاَ هَذَا مِنْ كِيسِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ.
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