Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Chapter 13: His Musnad is like his Mursal307

Abu Hurayra used to ascribe what he heard of prophetic traditions from any one to the Prophet (S) as if he himself had heard them from the Prophet (S) directly without looking for any evidence of certainty.

If you were in doubt of that, would you please notice his saying: “Prophet Muhammad (S) said to his uncle Abu Talib: “Say: there is no god but Allah (swt). I will witness it for you in the Day of Resurrection.” His uncle said: “I am afraid that Quraysh may blame me for that.”[302]

It was certain for all that Abu Talib had died ten years before Abu Hurayra came to Hijaz. So where were the Prophet (S) and his uncle talking in this tradition that Abu Hurayra narrated as if he had seen with his own eyes and heard them with his own ears?

He said: “When Allah (swt) revealed to the Prophet (S) (And warn your nearest relations), he stood up and said: “O people of Quraysh, I don't substitute for you near Allah (swt) (in the Day of Resurrection).[303]

All of the jurisprudents and scholars agreed unanimously that this Qur'anic verse was revealed to the Prophet (S) in the beginning of the Islamic mission and before declaring it in Mecca, where Abu Hurayra was still worshipping his idols in Yemen. He came to Hijaz twenty years after the revelation of this verse. He narrated this tradition as if he had been among the attendants to see the Prophet (S) with his eyes standing up and hear him with his ears warning his tribe.

He said: “The Prophet (S) prayed in his prayer saying: “O Allah (swt), save Salama bin Hisham, save al-Waleed bin al-Waleed, save Ayyash bin Abu Rabee'a. O Allah (swt) save the oppressed believers (who were held back by the polytheists in order not to emigrate with the others from Mecca to Medina).[304]

This happened seven years before Abu Hurayra came to Hijaz and became a Muslim. He narrated it as if he had been with the Prophet (S) when he was praying.

He said: “Abu Jahl said: “Does Muhammad prostrate for his god among you?'' It was said: “Yes.”[305]

If Abu Jahl really had said that, it would have been twenty years before Abu Hurayra came from Yemen and became a Muslim. He narrated it as if he had seen and heard what happened.

Where was he from the combat of ar-Rajee' and its leader Aassim bin Thabit al-Ansari, who was martyred in it to tell of it as if he had seen everything?[306] It happened in the month of Safar the fourth year of hijra, three years before Abu Hurayra came to Hijaz and became a Muslim.

Any one, who inquired the manner of Abu Hurayra in narrating traditions, would know that he was just as what we said. These few traditions were enough to prove that.

Ahmed Ameen noticed that and said about Abu Hurayra: “It seemed that he didn't narrate what he had heard from the Prophet (S) only, but he narrated what he was told of by the others.”[307]

Abu Hurayra himself confessed that. When he narrated that the Prophet (S) had said: “Whoever was impure when it dawned, he was not to fast.” Aa'isha and Um Salama denied it. He accused al-Fadhl bin al-Abbas, who was dead then,[308] of saying that. He said that he had heard it from al-Fadhl and had not heard it from the Prophet (S). Anyhow he confessed, whether it was true or false, that he ascribed to the Prophet (S) what he had heard from others.

If you say: what of it if he ascribed to the Prophet (S) a tradition that he had heard from another one?

We say: it does not matter, but the tradition must not be considered as true tradition unless all the series of narrators would be known and proved to be trusty.

That is to say the honesty of the narrator must be proved as condition for the tradition to be true. The tradition must not be considered as true one if the narrator was unknown.

In a word, many of Abu Hurayra's traditions were such that it could not be depended upon. They mixed with his true traditions that made us avoid them all according to the rule of suspicions.

Notes:

[302] It was mentioned by Muslim in his Sahih, vol.1, chapter of “Faith”, pg.31.

[303] It was mentioned by al-Bukhari in his Sahih, vol.2 chapter on Wasaaya, pg.86; by Muslim in his Sahih and Ahmed in his Musnad. We mentioned it in the previous chapter and commented on it.

[304] Refer to al-Bukhari’s Sahih, vol,2 section on asking the lord to defeat infidels, pg.105.

[305] Muslim’s Sahih, vol.2, pg.467.

[306] Al-Bukhari’s Sahih, vol.2 chapter of Jihad, pg.117.

[307] Fajrul Islam (the dawn of Islam), pg.262.

[308] Refer to Al-Bukhari’s Sahih, vol.1 section on waking up in state of Junub while fasting , pg.225.

Chapter 14: His pretense of attending some Events

This man obliged us to doubt him. He pretended that he had attended some events that he had never done.

He said: “Once I entered the house of Ruqayya, the Prophet's (S) daughter and Othman's wife. She had a comb in her hand. She said: “The Prophet (S) left just a little ago. I combed his hair. He said to me: “How do you find Abu Abdullah (Othman)?” I said: “he is good.” He said to me: “Grace him! He is the most similar to me, among my companions, in morals.” It was mentioned by al-Hakim,[309] who said: “This tradition has a true series of narrators but untrue text, because Ruqayya had died in the third year of hijra during the battle of Badr, whereas Abu Hurayra came and became a Muslim after the battle of Khaybar.”

Ath-Thahabi mentioned this tradition in his book Talkheess al-Mustadrak and said: “It was true with its narrators but its text was denied for Ruqayya died at the time of the battle of Badr while Abu Hurayra became a Muslim at the time of the battle of Khaybar.”

Abu Hurayra said: “The Prophet (S) led us in the Zuhr or Asr prayer and he ended the prayer after two ruk'as (instead of four). Thul-Yadayn asked him: “Did you lessen the prayer or forget?”

Thul-Yadayen was martyred in the battle of Badr some years before Abu Hurayra became a Muslim.

How many times he boasted: “We conquered Khaybar but we didn't gain gold or silver. We gained sheep, cows, camels, wares and houses.”[310]

He said so, although he never participated in the battle. He became a Muslim after the Muslims had conquered Khaybar and the battle had been finished. Thus those, who explained the tradition, were confused when they reached his saying (we conquered Khaybar). They justified it by saying that Abu Hurayra had said it metaphorically. He referred to his Muslim fellows.[311]

He said: “We fought with the Prophet (S) in Khaybar. The Prophet (S) said to a man, who pretended to be a Muslim that he would be in Hell. When the fight began, the man fought courageously until he had many wounds. Some men were about to doubt the Prophet's (S) word. The man suffered the pain of his wounds. He took some arrows out of his quiver and suicided with them.”[312]

We have two notes about this tradition.

The first: he pretended that he participated in the battle with the Prophet (S) and it was proved that he had not been there. Those, who commented on the tradition, became confused and justified that Abu Hurayra said it metaphorically because he came from Yemen after the battle of Khaybar as al-Qastalani said.[313]

The second: the man, who killed himself, was the hypocrite Qazman bin al-Harth, the ally of the tribe of Zafar. He fought for the sake of fame. His case, which Abu Hurayra mentioned, was famous.[314] He was killed in the battle of Uhud many years before Abu Hurayra came to Hijaz and became a Muslim. Abu Hurayra was uncertain about him, therefore he confused everything.

Abu Hurayra said: “I had seen seventy of the suffa's inhabitants that no one of them had a dress on him.”[315]

Those seventy ones were all martyred in the combat of the well of Ma'ouna. The Prophet (S) became very sad for them. He prayed against their killers for a month. This combat took place in the fourth year of hijra, some years before Abu Hurayra came from Yemen. So how did he see them? Al-Qastalani said[316] that the seventy ones, whom Abu Hurayra had seen, were other than those. Allah (swt) is the most aware!

After inspecting and inquiring about Abu Hurayra, we found that he often narrated prophetic traditions, which he had not heard from the Prophet (S) and often told about the events that he had not attended or he pretended that he had attended. He might admire something he had heard from Ka'bul Ahbar[317] or another one and he narrated it as if he had heard it from the Prophet (S) like he did in his tradition: “Allah (swt) created Adam according to His own shape in sixty cubits long and seven cubits width.” All that made the believers avoid his traditions.

I wonder why those, who collected Hadith, filled their books with traditions narrated by this man without paying any attention to his wonders and oddities or without taking any notice of his fabrication and invention! If you inspected the two Sahihs of al-Bukhari and Muslim, you would wonder at the naivety of these two sheikhs. Here is an example showing this fact:

Muslim mentioned in his Sahih (the chapter of Abu Sufyan's virtues) a tradition narrated by Akrima bin Ammar al-Ijli al-Yamami that the Muslims did not look at Abu Sufyan and did not sit with him. He said to the Prophet (S): “O messenger of Allah (swt), I ask you for three things to grant me them.” The Prophet (S) said: “Yes, I do.” He said: “I have the best and the most beautiful one among the Arabs, my daughter Um Habeeba. I marry off her to you.” The Prophet (S) said: “Yes.” He said: “My son Mu'awiya, you make him a clerk for you.” The Prophet (S) said: “Yes.” He said: “and you order me to fight the unbelievers as I used to fight the Muslims.” The Prophet (S) said: “Yes.”[318]

It was mentioned by Muslim alone when he talked about the virtues of Abu Sufyan! It was considered unanimously to be null. Abu Sufyan became a Muslim forcedly after the conquest of Mecca. Before that he was an enemy to Allah (swt) and His apostle.

As for his daughter Um Habeeba, whose name was Ramla, she became a Muslim before hijra. She was one of the loyal Muslims. She was among those, who migrated to Abyssinia escaping from her father and people. The Prophet (S) got married to her while her father was excessive in his unbelief and excessive in his fighting against the Prophet (S). When Abu Sufyan heard that the Prophet (S) had married his daughter, he said: ”(That obstinate wouldn't be defeated).” He came to Medina tending to increase the period of the truce with the Prophet (S). He went to his daughter's house. When he wanted to sit down, Um Habeeba, his daughter, folded the rug. He said: “Do you prevent me from sitting on your rug?” She said: “Yes, I do. This is the rug of the Prophet (S) and you are an impure unbeliever.” Most of the historians mentioned this speech when they talked about Um Habeeba.[319]

Thanks be to Allah (swt) for His guidance. Thanks be to Allah (swt), Who made us able to distinguish the truth. Allah (swt)'s blessing and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad (S).

Notes:

[309] Refer to his Mustadrak, vol.4, pg.48.

[310] Refer to al-Bukhari’s Sahih, vol.3 section on battle of Khaibar, pg.37.

[311] Refer to pg.154, vol.8 of Irshad as-Sari and Tuhfatul Bari, which were printed together as one book. So said As-Sindi in his comment on the tradition in the margin of al-Bukhari’s Sahih.

[312] Al-Bukhari’s Sahih, vol.3 section on battle of Khaibar, pg.34 and vol.2 section on Jihad, pg.120.

[313] in his book Irshad as-Sari, vol.6, pg.322.

[314] It was mentioned by al-Waqidi, ibn Iss-haq, ibn Hajar in his Issaba and others. This Qazman fought courageously in the battle of Uhud against the polytheists until it was said to the prophet: “No one of us did as what he did.” The prophet said: “Nevertheless, he will be in Hell.” He was wounded seriously. He erected his sword on the ground, pressed his chest against it and killed himself. Refer to al-Bukhari’s Sahih, vol.2, section on Jihad, pg.101.

[315] Al-Bukhari’s Sahih, vol.2, pg.60.

[316] His book Irshad as-Sari, vol.2, pg.220.

[317] A Jew later became a Muslim.

[318] Sahih of Muslim, vol.2, pg.361. It was untrue tradition fabricated by Akrima al-Yamami as it was confirmed by ibn Hazm. Ath-Thahabi said in his book Mizan al-I’tidal that Akrima al-Yamami fabricated a denied tradition mentioned in Muslim’s Sahih about the three things that Abu Sufyan asked the prophet for. Another false tradition narrated by Akrima that the prophet had said: “Abu Bakr is the best of people.” It was mentioned by ibn Adiy in his book al-Kamil, which was the best of books in distinguishing those, who fabricated tradition. Such was said by ath-Thahabi in his Mizan.

[319] Refer to an-Nawawi’s Sharh, printed in the margins of Irshad as-Sari and Tuhfat al-Bari, vol.11, pg.360.

Chapter 15: The Foremuslims deny his Traditions

People denied and disapproved the excessiveness of Abu Hurayra in narrating traditions at his time. He exceeded all the limits and had a peculiar style that made people doubt him and doubt his traditions. They denied the quantity and the quality of his traditions and blamed him frankly.

He himself said: “People say that Abu Hurayra tells too many of traditions. Allah (swt) is the judge in the hereafter. They say that why the Muhajireen and the Ansar don't tell like what he tells…”

He confessed that both the quantity and the quality of his traditions were subject to denying, therefore he threatened them painfully where he said: “Allah (swt) is the judge in the hereafter.” He showed at the end of this tradition that unless he was obliged according to his legal duties, he would never tell of anything at all for they doubted him. He said: “I swear by Allah (swt) that unless these two verses:

(Surely those who conceal the clear proofs and the guidance that We revealed after We made it clear in the Book for men, these it is whom Allah (swt) shall curse, and those who curse shall curse them (too) Except those who repent and amend and make manifest (the truth), these it is to whom I turn (mercifully); and I am the Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful)[320]

were in the Qur'an, I would never tell you of anything at all.”[321] It was clear to prove what we said.

Another clearer one narrated by Abu Razeen[322] that he said: “Abu Hurayra came out to us, beat his front with his hand and said: “You say that Abu Hurayra ascribes lies to the Prophet (S) so that you will be guided and I will go astray.”

When he came to Iraq with Mu'awiya and saw the big crowd, who came to meet him, he knelt on his knees and began to beat his baldhead to draw their attention. When they gathered around him, he said: “O people of Iraq, do you pretend that I ascribe lies to the Prophet (S) to burn myself in Hell?…and he began to abuse Imam ´Ali (as) to flatter the Umayyads.[323]

What sufficed this concern that those, who denied his traditions and criticized him, were of the great companions. Ahmed Ameen said[324] about Abu Hurayra: “The companions often criticized him for his excessiveness in narrating prophetic traditions and doubted him (to be a liar) according to what Muslim mentioned in his Sahih.” Then he mentioned two traditions from Muslim's Sahih showing Muslim's criticism and doubt in Abu Hurayra.

Mustafa Sadiq ar-Rafi'ei said in this concern: “The most in narrating traditions among the companions was Abu Hurayra. His companionship with the Prophet (S) was three years only, therefore Omar, Othman, Ali and Aa'isha denied his traditions and doubted him. He was the first narrator in the history of Islam to be doubted (accused of fabricating). Aa'isha was the most extreme of those, who denied his traditions.”[325]

An-Nazzam said: “Omar, Othman, Ali and Aa'isha considred Abu Hurayra as liar.”[326]

Ibn Qutayba said:[327] “An-Nazzam criticized Abu Hurayra by being accused of lying by Omar, Othman, Ali and Aa'isha that Abu Hurayra had accompanied the Prophet (S) for three years only but he narrated from him so many traditions, which were more than what had been narrated by any of the first and previous companions, who doubted him and denied his excessiveness.[328] They said: “How did you alone hear all of that? Who heard it with you?” Aa'isha was the most extreme in denying his traditions for she remained alive for a long time, where Abu Hurayra told of his traditions. Omar also was very extreme against the excessive narrators or those, who told of legal verdicts without any evidence…to the end of his saying, which confirmed what an-Nazzam had said. He did so forcedly and in spite of him for rightness always spoke justly and obstinately!

As for what ibn Qutayba[329] pretended that: “the companions gave in when Abu Hurayra told them about his special rank near the Prophet (S)”, it was nonsense and vain. The great companions knew him well and did not need any one to introduce him to them. If they had a bit of respect towards him, they would never accuse him and consider him as liar. You noticed his saying[330] that he fell to the ground faintingly (during the reign of the Prophet (S)) between the minbar and the room. The comers put their feet on his neck thinking that he was mad. Did that fit respect and honor?

In brief: it was certain that all the great veracious companions doubted him and denied his sayings. But when they went to the better world and those, who came after them, decided that the companions all in all were just and fair and they forbade criticizing them. They made that as legal verdict of the Sharia and hence they imprisoned the minds, gouged out the eyes, put porches on the hearts and deafen the ears. People became(Deaf, dumb (and) blind, so they will not turn back) 2:18.

Glory be to the infallible imams where they put the companions in their suitable places, which they themselves had already been in.[331] So their thought about Abu Hurayra was not different from the thought of Ali, Omar, Othman and Aa'isha. The Shias, since the age of Imam ´Ali (as) until nowadays, kept to the same way of their imams.

All of the Mu'tazilites might have the same point of view. Imam Abu Ja'far al-Iskafi said:[332] “Abu Hurayra was infected in his mind according to our sheikhs. His traditions were disapproved by them. Once Omar beat him and said to him: “You exceeded in your traditions. You might be a liar ascribing lies to the Prophet (S).” Sufyan ath-Thawri narrated a tradition from Mansoor that Ibrahim at-Taymi had said: “They didn't depend upon Abu Hurayra's traditions except those traditions, which were about Paradise and Hell.” Abu Ossama narrated a tradition that al-A'mash had said: “Ibrahim was trusty in narrating tradition. I used to show him whatever I heard of traditions. One day I brought him some traditions narrated by Abu Salih from Abu Hurayra. He said to me: “Let me away from Abu Hurayra! They left many of his traditions aside.” It was mentioned that Imam ´Ali (as) had said: “The most untruthful one (or he said of the alive), who ascribes lies to the Prophet (S), is Abu Hurayra ad-Doussi.” Abu Yousuf mentioned that he had said to Abu Haneefa: “Some prophetic traditions that reach us, contradict our analogy. What do we do with them?” He said: “If they were narrated by trusty people, we would depend upon them and leave our points of view aside.” I said: “What do you say about Abu Bakr and Omar?” He said: “They were trusty.” I said: “Ali and Othman?” He said: “So were they.” When he saw me mentioning the companions, he said: “All of the companions were fair and trusty except some ones.” He mentioned some, among them were Abu Hurayra and Anass bin Malik.

Imam Abu Haneefa and his companions left Abu Hurayra's tradition aside if it would contradict their analogy as they did with his tradition about the (missrat).[333] Abu Hurayra narrated that the Prophet (S) had said: “Don't confine milk in your sheep or camels' udders. He, who buys them, will have the choice after he milks them either to keep them if he accepts or return them to their keeper with a certain measure (about three kilos) of dates.” They didn't pay any attention to this tradition and said: “Abu Hurayra was not a jurisprudent and his tradition contradicted our analogy completely. Milking the animal was to be considered as trespassing the other's right, which must be compensated with the like or the value, but that measure of dates would not be one of them.[334]

We knew that Abu Haneefa and his companions thought that the prayer would be invalid by any kind of speech, which was not a part of the prayer whether by forgetting, unknowing or thinking that the prayer was finished. The Hanafite jurisprudence was clear about this matter. So was the thought of Sufyan ath-Thawri. Hence the tradition of Abu Hurayra had no value among them, when he said that once the Prophet (S) had forgotten and ended the prayer after two ruk'as instead of four then he left his oratory and entered his room. When he came back, it was said to him: “Did you lessen the prayer or did you forget?” He said: “The prayer wasn't lessened and I didn't forget.” They said: “Yes, you did.” And after an argument between him and them, he believed them and completed his prayer with two other ruk'as. Then he offered the prostrate of the forgetting. According to this tradition, Malik, ash-Shafi'ei, Ahmed and al-Awza'ei gave a fatwa that talking (some speech that was not a part of the prayer) by someone, who forgot that he had been offering the prayer or he thought that he had ended the prayer, would not invalidate it. But Abu Hanifa, who didn't pay any attention to Abu Hurayra's tradition, said that talking during the prayer would make it invalid.[335]

Let us conclude this chapter with some events happened between Abu Hurayra and some of the companions showing you how they regarded him.

Abu Hurayra said: “When my tradition was mentioned to Omar, he called for me and said: “Were you with us that day when we were in the house of that (man)?” I said: “Yes, I was, when the Prophet (S) said: “Whoever ascribed to me an untrue tradition, his place would definitely be in Hell.”[336]

This proved that he neither told of traditions in the presence of Omar, nor he was one of those, whom Omar saw and heard narrating traditions. In fact Omar had heard his tradition from the people and he accused him of lying. He called for him and warned him from Hell if he would lie.

One day Omar rebuked him by saying:[337] “Either you leave narrating traditions or I will expel you to the land of Douss[338] or the land of monkeys.”

One day Omar became very angry with him for his excessiveness in narrating prophetic traditions. He beat him with his stick and rebuked him by saying: “You exceeded with your traditions and I think you ascribed false traditions to the Prophet (S).”

Omar deposed him from the emirate of Bahrain after he had beaten him until he wounded him. He got back from him ten thousand dinars to the treasury. He rebuked him with terrible words.

During the reign of the Prophet (S), Omar beat him until he fell on his back to the ground.[339]

When Imam ´Ali (as) had heard Abu Hurayra's traditions, he said: “The most lying of people, (or he said) of the alive people about the Prophet (S) is Abu Hurayra ad-Doussi.”

Abu Hurayra often said: “My intimate told me” “I saw my intimate” “My intimate, the Prophet (S), said to me”. Ali heard of that. He said to Abu Hurayra: “When was the Prophet (S) your intimate, Abu Hurayra?” Imam ´Ali (as) denied Abu Hurayra's saying because he distrusted him.[340] Ali (as) definitely was right for he (is with the Qur'an and the Qur'an is with Ali. They won't separate until they come to the Prophet's (S) pond in the Day of Resurrection).[341] Ali is with the rightness and the rightness is with Ali. It turns with him however he turns.[342]

Aa'isha called for Abu Hurayra after she had heard his traditions. She said to him: “What were those traditions, which we heard that you told of about the Prophet (S)? Did you hear other than what we heard or did you see other than what we saw?” He said: “Mother, the mirror and the kohl made you busy away from the prophet.”[343]

Abu Hurayra narrated a tradition saying that woman, dog and donkey[344] invalidate the prayer. Aa'isha denied that and said: “I saw the Prophet (S) offering the prayer while I was cross between him and the kiblah.”

He narrated a tradition that the Prophet (S) had forbidden to walk with one shoe. When Aa'isha heard that, she walked with one shoe and said that she would contradict Abu Hurayra.

He narrated that: “Whoever was impure when it dawned, he was not to fast.” When Aa'isha and Hafsa[345] denied that, he unsaid his saying and excused that he hadn't heard it from the Prophet (S), but he had heard it from al-Fadhl bin al-Abbas, who was dead then.[346]

Once two men came to Aa'isha and said: “Abu Hurayra narrated that the Prophet (S) had said: “Evil omen is but in women and sumpters.'' Aa'isha became very excited and said: “I swear by Him, Who revealed the Qur'an to Abul Qassim (Muhammad) that he, who told of this tradition, was a liar.”[347]

One day he sat beside the room of Aa'isha narrating traditions about the Prophet (S). She was busy glorifying Allah (swt). When she finished, she said: “How wonder it is! Abu Hurayra sits beside my room ascribing traditions to the Prophet (S) and making me hear that. I was busy glorifying Allah (swt). If I got him, I would refute his traditions.”[348]

He narrated that the Prophet (S) had said: “Whenever one of you wakes up from sleep, let him wash his hands. He doesn't know where his hands were in the night.” Aa'isha denied that[349] and said: “How do we do with the (mihrass)[350]?”

He narrated that the Prophet (S) had said: “Whoever carries a coffin, has to do wudu'.” Ibn Abbas denied it and said: “Carrying dry pieces of wood doesn't require wudu'.”[351]

Abdullah bin Omar narrated a tradition saying: “The Prophet (S) ordered to kill the dogs except the hunting-dogs and the cattle-dogs.” They said to ibn Omar that Abu Hurayra had added the farm-dogs. He didn't care for that and said: “Abu Hurayra has a farm.” He accused him of adding the farm-dog to the Prophet's (S) tradition in order to keep his dog and farm.[352]

Abu Hurayra narrated that the Prophet (S) had said: “Whoever keeps a dog other than a hunting-dog, a cattle-dog or a farm-dog, Allah (swt) will take off one carat a day from his merits.” When they mentioned Abu Hurayra's saying to ibn Omar, he said: “May Allah (swt) have mercy upon Abu Hurayra. He had a farm.” He accused him of adding that to the tradition for the sake of his benefit. Salim bin Abdullah bin Omar accused him of that, too, in a tradition mentioned by Muslim.[353]

Ibn Omar didn't believe Abu Hurayra's tradition of the hedgehog and he still doubted about it.

When ibn Omar heard Abu Hurayra narrating: “Whoever followed a funeral, would have a carat of merit”, he didn't believe him and said that Abu Hurayra had exceeded with his traditions. He sent someone to Aa'isha asking her about it. When she confirmed the tradition, then he believed it.[354]

When Aamir bin Shurayh bin Hani heard Abu Hurayra narrating: “Whoever likes to meet Allah (swt), Allah (swt) likes meeting him and whoever hates to meet Allah (swt), Allah (swt) hates meeting him”, he didn't believe him until he asked Aa'isha. She narrated it and explained it to him.[355]

If we mentioned all the cases, in which the companions had denied Abu Hurayra's traditions and refuted them, we would waste our time, but that would suffice to prove what we wanted to say.

It was enough that Omar, Othman, Ali and Aa'isha denied his traditions and refuted them. It was decided by the Islamic jurisprudence to prefer criticising (a companion) to justifying (what he was accused of) when there was an opposition. But in this case there was no opposition at all because passion alone did not oppose the denying of those great people.

As to regard the companions all in all as truthful and fair, there was no evidence proving that. The companions themselves knew nothing about that. If we supposed so, it would be applied to the unknown ones and not to whom Omar, Othman, Ali and Aa'isha considered as liar and having many defects, which was confirmed by many evidences.

We, followers of the twelve Imams (as), have a moderate thought about the companions, which we explained in details in our book (Answers of Musa JarAllah (swt)). Whoever wants to know about that, let refer to it.

Notes:

[320] Qur’an, 2:159-160.

[321] Mentioned by al-Bukhari and Muslim in their Sahihs. We will mention it with comments in the next chapter inshAllah (swt).

[322] Muslim’s Sahih, vol.2, chapter of clothing, section on using right foot first in wearing shoes, pg.217.

[323] Refer to an-Nahj al-Hameedi by Abu Ja’far al-Iskafi, vol.1, pg.359.

[324] In his book Fajrul Islam (Dawn of Islam), pg.262.

[325] Refer to his book Adab al-Arab, vol.1, pg.282.

[326] Refer to Ta’weel Mukhtalif al-Hadith by ibn Qutayba, pg.27.

[327] Ta’weel Mukhtalif al-Hadith, pg.48.

[328] Ibn Qutayba wanted to refute an-Nazzam, but unknowingly he confirmed his saying and added to the list of deniers all the first companions

[329] in his book Ta’weel Mukhtalif al-Hadith, pg.50.

[330] At the beginnings of this book.

[331] Ahmed Ameen said in his book Fajrul Islam, pg.259: “It seemed that the companions themselves criticized each other and preferred one to the other at their time. If someone narrated a tradition, he would be asked for the evidence. Once Abu Hurayra narrated a tradition, which ibn Abbas denied and he narrated another tradition that Aa’isha denied. Fatima bint Qays narrated a tradition from her husband that Omar denied and said: “Do we leave our God’s book and our Prophet’s Sunna for a woman’s saying? We don’t know if it is true or false, she memorizes or forgets! Aa’isha also denied it and said to Fatima: “Don’t you fear Allah (swt).” There were many cases of the like.

[332] Sharh an-Nahj al-Hameedi, vol.1, pg.360.

[333] A cow, a ewe or a she-camel that was not milked for some days to let the milk remain in the udders in order to deceive the buyer that it gave a lot of milk.

[334] Refer to Fajr al-Islam by Ahmed Ameen, pg.263.

[335] Refer to an-Nawawi’s Sharh Sahih Muslim, vol.4, pg.234.

[336] it was mentioned by Musaddad in his Musnad and by ibn Hajar in his Issaba.

[337] Refer to Kanzul Ommal by Ibn Asakir, tradition 4885, vol.5, pg.239.

[338] The birthplace of Abu Hurayra.

[339] Muslim’s Sahih, vol.1, pg.34.

[340] Ibn Qutayba said that in his book Ta’weel Mukhtalif al-Hadith, pg.52.

[341] Mentioned by al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, at-Tabari in his Awsat and by ibn Asakir in his Kanzul Ommal, vol.6, pg.153.

[342] Refer to Kanzul Ommal, vol.6, pg.157.

[343] Refer to al-Hakim’s Mustadrak, vol. 3, pg.509 and ath-Thahabi’s Talkheess al-Mustadrak. Of course Aa’isha refused his excuse.

[344] If they were in front of someone during offering the prayer (according to Abu Hurayra).

[345] It was so mentioned in Ta’weel Mukhtalif al-Hadith, but it was Aa’isha and Um Salama, who denied this tradition.

[346] These three traditions (about woman, dog and donkey, walking in one shoe and this one) were mentioned in Ta’weel Mukhtalif al-Hadith by ibn Qutayba, pg.27-.

[347] Ta’weel Mukhtalif al-Hadith, pg.126.

[348] Refer to Muslim’s Sahih, vol.2 section on virtues of Abu Hurayra, pg.358.

[349] Refer to Fajrul Islam by Ahmed Ameen, pg.259. Aa’isha denied his tradition because she didn’t trust him but her excuse about the (mihrass) was not logical.

[350] A big hollow rock was filled with water for wash. It was very heavy.

[351] It was mentioned by Ahmed Ameen in his book Fajrul Islam, pg.259.

[352] Refer to Muslim’s Sahih, vol.1 section on killing dogs, pg.625.

[353] in his Sahih, vol.1, pg.626.

[354] Muslim’s Sahih, vol.1, pg.349-. Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, vol.3, pg.510 mentioned something like that.

[355] Muslim’s Sahih, vol.2 section on whoever likes to meet Allah (swt) (swt) Allah (swt) (swt) likes to meet him, pg.422.