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Chapter 16: His protest against his accusers

Abu Hurayra protested against those, who accused him of excessiveness in narrating traditions by saying:[356] “They say that Abu Hurayra narrates too much many traditions! Allah (swt) is our judge in the Day of Resurrection! They say why the Muhajireen and the Ansar do not narrate (prophetic traditions) so much as he does. My brothers of the Muhajireen were busy dealing in the markets and my brothers of the Ansar were busy managing their gardens (of date-palms), while I was a poor man keeping to the Prophet (S) for feed. So I was attendant when they were absent and I perceived where they forgot.”

Once the Prophet (S) said:” If one of you spreads his dress until I finish my speech then he joins it to his chest, he will never forget anything of my sayings at all. I spread my garment, which I had no cloths on me other than; until the Prophet (S) finished his speech then I joined it to my chest. I swear by Him, who had sent his Prophet (S) with the rightness, that I never forgot anything of his sayings until this day. By Allah (swt), if it was not for these two verses in the Qur'an, I would have never narrated anything.

(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 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)83

As Abu Hurayra got wealthier, he became more foolish.[357] He wanted to convince his accusers, who accused him of the quantity and the quality of his traditions, so he said this tradition to defend himself and to protest against them, but what a trivial protest he made! In fact he, unknowingly, gave his opponents evidence against himself, which proved that what they ascribed to him was true. I swear by the honor of truthfulness and the highness of the veracious that I have not seen among all what the fabricators did, a tradition farther away from the truth than this one. I wouldn't mention it or talk about it, unless the two sheikhs and their likes mentioned it in their (Sahihs) happily and worshipingly to their thought about the companions. They contradicted by that the rational and traditional evidences and contradicted the thoughts of the great first Muslims.[358] We have some notes about the invalidity of this tradition:

Firstly: Abu Hurayra pretended that the Muhajireen were away from the Prophet (S) because they were busy dealing in the markets and the Ansar were busy managing their gardens. He drove all the first Muslims of Muhajireen and Ansar with one stick. Was there any value for his saying that all the Muhajireen were busy of dealings in the markets after the saying of Allah (swt): (Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah (swt))[359]? Did what contradicted the holy Qur'an deserve but to be thrown off? And who was Abu Hurayra to be attendant while the close companions of the Prophet (S) were away from him? And that he memorized while they forgot? He said that full-mouthedly without shame or fear for he said that at the time of Mu'awiya, where there were no Omar, Othman, Ali, Talha, az-Zubayar, Salman, Ammar, al-Miqdade, Abu Zarr, or the likes. (A grievous word it is that comes out of their mouths; they speak nothing but a lie).[360] How far his word was from the truth! All people knew the position of Ali to the Prophet (S), the close relationship and the special respect. He put him in his lap when he was a child, embraced him to his chest, his pure flesh touched his flesh, chewed the bite and put it in his mouth. He never found a lie in a saying of his nor a fault in a deed of his. Allah (swt) had joined the Prophet (S) with the greatest of His angels that took him into the ways of nobilities and highest morals of the world. Ali followed the Prophet (S) as a young weaned camel following his mother. The Prophet (S) raised for Ali a banner of morals every day. He ordered Ali to follow his lead. Ali was with the Prophet (S)(and the great Khadija, the Prophet's (S) wife) in the cave of Harra' seeing the light of Gabriel and his mission and smelling the fragrance of the prophecy. After that he became the gate of the Prophet's (S) town of knowledge, the best judge of the umma, the keeper of the Prophet's (S) secrets, his guardian, the heir to his rule, the dispeller of his grief, the bearer of an attentive ear who had the knowledge of the Book. After all that, did Ali (as) forget of the Sunna what Abu Hurayra had kept, or did he keep a secret what Abu Hurayra announced?

(Glory be to Thee! this is a great calumny) 24:16.

In fact, just a few of the Muhajireen were busy dealing in the markets. Why didn't those, who had nothing to do with trade or dealing like Abu Zarr, al-Miqdad, Ammar, and the seventy of Abu Hurayra's companions in the suffa, who didn't have cloths to cover their naked bodies except a piece of cloth tied around their necks…as he himself described them, narrated so much many traditions like him? In fact all of their traditions together were less than his.

So were the Ansar. Not all of them had gardens and properties as Abu Hurayra claimed. One of those, who did not have any property, was Salman al-Farisi, whom the Prophet (S) had said about: “Salman is one of us, the family of the Prophet (S).” [361] He also said: “If religion was on the Pleiades, Salman would get it.” Aa'isha said -from alIstee'ab-: “Salman had evening meetings with the Prophet (S) that he sat with him alone more than we did.” Ali said: “Salman al-Farisi is like the sage Luqman. He has known the knowledge of the first ages and the coming ages. He is a sea of knowledge that won't drain off.” Ka'bul Ahbar said: “Salman is filled up with knowledge and wisdom.” This was besides other virtues mentioned about him. People knew well that Abu Ayyoub al-Ansari lived in subsistence that nothing took him away from knowledge and worship. So were Abu Sa'eed al-Khudary, Abu Fudhala al-Ansari and the other great jurisprudents of the Ansar.

The Prophet (S) did not spend his time in disorder and confusion. He arranged his times, day and night, according to the tasks required at that time. He definitely specified a certain time for lecturing and teaching the Muslims about their religion and life, which would never contradict their times of work and labor or dealing in the markets. The Muhajireen and the Ansar adhered to these honored meeting of the Prophet (S) and were more careful of knowing and learning than what the dotards raved.

Secondly: if what Abu Hurayra pretended that the Prophet (S) had said to his companions: “If any one of you spreads his dress until I finish my speech and then joins it to his chest, he will never forget anything of my saying at all” was true, all the companions would contend to do that. They would obtain a great virtue without striving and gain the eternal knowledge without spending money. So what frustrated them to win that and what prevented them to spread their dresses for that? How would they lose this great opportunity? Were they so trivial to renounce what the Prophet (S) invited them for? Certainly not! They were his sincere companions, who strove to obey him whatever he said.

Thirdly: if what Abu Hurayra had said was true, the companions would extremely regret what they lost of that great virtue and copious knowledge. Their great sorrow about what they missed by not spreading their dresses in front of the Prophet (S), which was without any cost or tire, would spread among people and be mentioned in the books and that they would blame each other about their bad choice in leaving that important thing. At least they would envy Abu Hurayra, who had one dress only where they put on two or three, to win that virtue alone. There was nothing of that at all. Abu Hurayra had taken out this tradition from his own bag.

Fourthly: if what Abu Hurayra had told of was true, it would be narrated by the other companions, whom the Prophet (S) had invited for that. In fact, if it was so, the companions would consider it as one of the signs of the prophecy and as evidence of the religion. It would be famous like the sun in the midday, so why only Abu Hurayra tells this when no one else told of it!

Fifthly: there were differences between his traditions about this story. One time he said as narrated by al-A'raj:[362] “One day the Prophet (S) said to his companions: “If any one of you spreads his dress until I finish my speech and then he gathers it to his chest, he will never forget anything of my speech.” I spread my garment, which I had no dress on me other than, until the Prophet (S) finished his speech. I gathered it to my chest. I swear by Him, who had sent the Prophet (S) with the rightness, that I never forgot anything of that saying of the Prophet (S).”

Another time he said, as narrated by al-Maqbari:[363] “I said: “O messenger of Allah (swt), I sometimes forget what I hear from you.” He said: “Spread your dress!” He ladled with his hands (knowledge and put into the dress) then he said: “Gather it to your chest.” I did. I did never forget anything after that at all.”

You see that the story according to the first tradition narrated by al-A'raj was between the Prophet (S) and his companions and that it was the Prophet (S), who invited them to spread their dresses fearing for them from forgetting, whereas, according to the second tradition narrated by al-Maqbari, it was just between Abu Hurayra and the Prophet (S) and that Abu Hurayra asked the Prophet (S)

The first tradition, which was narrated by al-A'raj, showed that (not forgetting) concerned the Prophet's (S) speech in that certain time only for he said (that saying of the Prophet (S)), whereas in the second tradition narrated by al-Maqbari, he generalized. That was to say he would not forget anything at all. He said: “I did never forget anything after that at all.” Those, who explained these traditions became confused and didn't know how to justify that until ibn Hajar decided in his book that this case happened two times;[364] one time not forgetting concerned that certain saying of the Prophet (S) and the other time not forgetting concerned the all, whether the previous or the following sayings of the Prophet (S).[365]

Muslim mentioned[366] it in a third way narrated by Yunus from ibnul Musayyab that Abu Hurayra had said: “…I never forgot, after that day, whatever the Prophet (S) told me of.” This tradition was more general than al-A'raj's tradition and more adequate than al-Maqbari's.

Ibn Sa'd in his Tabaqat[367] mentioned a tradition narrated by Amr bin Mardas bin Abdur Rahman al-Jundi that Abu Hurayra had said: “The Prophet (S) asked me to spread my dress. I did. He told me all the day. Then I gathered my dress to my abdomen. I didn't forget anything of what he had told me of.” His saying all the day was not mentioned in the other traditions except in this one narrated by al-Jundi.

Abu Ya'la mentioned it narrated by Abu Salama in a way different from all the ways of this tradition. He narrated that Abu Hurayra had gone to visit the Prophet (S) when he was ill. He greeted the Prophet (S), while the Prophet (S) was leaning on Ali's chest and Ali's hand was on the Prophet's (S) chest embracing him and the Prophet's (S) legs were extended. The Prophet (S) said: “O Abu Hurayra, approach to me.” He approached. Then the Prophet (S) said to him: “Approach to me.” He approached. Then he said to him: “Approach to me.” He approached until his fingers touched the Prophet's (S) fingers. The Prophet (S) asked him to sit down. He sat down. The Prophet (S) said to him: “Approach the end of your dress to me.” Abu Hurayra spread his dress and approached it to the Prophet (S). The Prophet (S) said to him: “O Abu Hurayra, I recommend you of some practices that you are not to leave as long as you live; you are to bathe in the morning of every Friday (Friday Ghusl), not to talk nonsense, not to play vainly, to fast three days of every month because it equals fasting the age, and the Fajr prayer, don't leave it even if you pray all the night because it is full of merits.” He said that thrice. Then the Prophet (S) asked him to gather his dress to himself. He gathered his dress to his chest.[368]

Abu Ya'la mentioned a tradition narrated by al-Waleed bin Jamee' that Abu Hurayra had said: “I complained to the Prophet (S) my weak memorization. He said to me: “Open your garment.” I opened it. Then he said: “Join it to your chest.” I did. After that I did never forget any tradition.”

Abu Ya'la mentioned a tradition narrated by Yunus bin Obayd from al-Hasan al-Basri that Abu Hurayra had said: “The Prophet (S) said: “Who will take from me a word, two or three and wrap them with his dress to learn them and teach them to the others?” I spread my dress in front of him while he was talking then I gathered it. I hope that I did not forget a word of what he had said.

Ahmed mentioned a tradition, somehow like that, narrated by al-Mubarak bin Fudhala from Abu Hurayra.

Abu Na'eem mentioned[369] a tradition narrated by Abdullah bin Abu Yahya from Sa'eed bin Abi Hind from Abu Hurayra that the Prophet (S) had said to him: “O Abu Hurayra, you don't ask me about the booties, which your friends ask me about!” I said: “I ask you to teach me from what Allah (swt) has taught you.” I took off my garment and spread it between him and me. The lice were creeping on it. He told me until I perceived his speech. He said to me: “Join it to you.” After that I didn't forget a letter from what he had told me of.”

Whoever inspected this tradition in his different ways of narration would find it different in words and meanings. Its words or meanings were different and they contradicted each other for certainly it was vain. Thanks to Allah (swt) for that.

Sixthly: he said: “I spread my garment, which I had no dress on me other than.” This showed that his private parts would appear. Al-Qastalani and Zakariyya al-Ansari interpreted his saying in order to find an excuse for him. They said that he had spread some of his garment in order that his private parts not to be seen.

Seventhly: this story sounds like the fables. Glory be to Allah (swt)! He would not let this raving be mixed with the miracles of the Prophet (S). No one of the rational and wise people would believe this nonsense. The miracles of the Prophet (S) dazzled the brilliant and defeated the tyrants by the good method and moderate way of them (the miracles).

The Prophet (S) patted on Ali's chest and said, when he sent him to Yemen as judge[370]: “O Allah (swt), guide his heart and direct his tongue.” Ali said: “I swear by Allah (swt) that I never doubted in any judgment (I made) between any two persons after that.”

When the Qur'anic verse

(So that We may make it a reminder to you, and that the heeding ear might retain it)[371]

was revealed to the Prophet (S), he said addressing Ali: “I asked Allah (swt) to make it your ear.”[372] Ali said: “I didn't forget anything after that though I hadn't forgotten before that.”

The Prophet (S) said[373] in the day of (the battle of) Khaybar when he gave the banner to Ali: “O Allah (swt), save him from hot and cold.” Ali said: “After that I didn't suffer hot or cold.” He put on light cloths in the winter and heavy cloths in the summer to prove and draw attention always to the Prophet's (S) miracle.

When Jabir complained to the Prophet (S) that his father was in debt, the Prophet (S) went with him to his threshing-floor. He walked around the heap of the fruits and prayed Allah (swt) and invoked His blessing. He sat near it. The creditors came and took their debts from that heap. What remained from the heap sufficed Jabir and his family? When the Prophet (S) wanted to do someone a favour, he prayed Allah (swt) for him and when he wanted to hurt someone (who deserved that), he prayed to Allah (swt) against him as he did with Mu'awiya. He said: “Let Allah (swt) not satiate his stomach!” So did he with al-Hakam bin Abul Aass. But no one dared to say that the Prophet (S) did something of what Abu Hurayra told of. Because his wisdom, which lighted the way for the deviate sights and paved it with the signs of guidance, was far above that

Notes:

[356] It was mentioned by al-Bukhari in his Sahih, vol.2 chapter of Wikaala, section on what was mentioned in planting, pg.34; Muslim in his Sahih, vol.2 of Ahmed’s Musnad, and all of those collected Hadith.

[357] A proverb.

[358] Refer to our book Tuhfatul Muhadditheen.

[359] Qur’an, 24:37.

[360] Qur’an, 18:5.

[361] Biography of Salam alFarisi in alIstee’ab

[362] Refer to al-Bukhai’s Sahih, vol.2 chapter of Wikaala, section on what was mentioned in planting, pg.34 and Muslim’s Sahih, vol.2 section on Abu Hurayra’s virtues, pg.357. Al-Bukhari mentioned in his Sahih, vol.2, pg.1 a tradition narrated by Sa’eed bin al-Musayyab from Abu Salama that Abu Hurayra had said: “The prophet said in one of his traditions: “No one of you will spread his dress until I finish this speech and then to join it to his chest, unless he perceives all what I say.” I spread a garment I had on me until he finished his speech. Then I gathered it to my chest. I never forgot anything of that speech.”

[363] Al-Maqbari is Saed bin Abi Saed. Refer to al-Bukhari’s Sahih, vol.1 chapter of knowledge, section on memorizing knowledge, pg.24.

[364] Refer to Irshad as-Sari by al-Qastalani, vol.1, pg.380.

[365] If this case happened one time rather than two or more, it would spread like the light. So why did the companions take no notice of it that no one of them narrated it except Abu Hurayra?

[366] In his Sahih, vol.2 section on Abu Hurayra’s virtues, pg.258.

[367] vol.4, pg.56 (Abu Hurayra’s biography).

[368] Refer to ibn Hajar’s Issaba, (Abu Hurayra’s biography).

[369] In his book Hilyatul Awliya’, pg.381 (Biography of Abu Hurayra).

[370] Ali’s (as) biography in al-Isteeab.

[371] Qur’an, 69:12.

[372] It was mentioned by az-Zamakhshari in his Kashshaf, ath-Tha’labi in his Tafseer, ar-Razi and others.

[373] It was mentioned by Ahmed bin Hanbal in his Musnad, ibn Abu Shayba and ibn Jareer. Refer to Muntakhab Kanzul Ommal, vol.5, pg.44.

Chapter 17: A look at his Virtues

We traced the traditions talking about the virtues of Abu Hurayra and we found that the only source of them, in the most cases, was Abu Hurayra himself.

Ibn Abdul Birr said in his book al-Isstee'ab: “Abu Hurayra became a Muslin in the year of (the battle of) Khaybar. He participated in the battle with the Prophet (S). Then he kept to the Prophet (S) caring for knowledge. He was content of no more than his feed. His hand was in the Prophet's (S) hand. He went with him wherever the Prophet (S) went. He was the most of the companions in memorizing the Prophet's (S) traditions. He attended with the Prophet (S) what the Muhajireen and the Ansar didn't attend because the Muhajireen were busy trading and the Ansar were busy working in their gardens. The Prophet (S) witnessed that he (Abu Hurayra) paid much attention to knowledge and Hadith. Once he said to the Prophet (S): “I hear much from you and I am afraid that I may forget some.” The Prophet (S) asked him to spread his dress. He did. The Prophet (S) ladled into Abu Hurayra's dress and asked him to join it to him. Abu Hurayra said: “I joined it to myself. I never forgot anything after that at all.”

These virtues were quoted from Abu Hurayra's own traditions, in which he talked about himself. We didn't find any source for these virtues save Abu Hurayra himself. The same was as to the other virtues ascribed to him undeservedly.

His becoming Muslim in the year of Khaybar was true because it was told by others than him, but that he had participated in the battle with the Prophet (S), was not told of by any one except him.

As for what he said that he kept to the Prophet (S) for the sake of knowledge and learning for nothing other than to satiate his stomach, his hand was in the Prophet's (S) hand and he went with him wherever he went, all of these things were pretended by him where he said: “I came to Medina while the Prophet (S) was in Khaybar. I was more than thirty years old then. I kept to him until he died. I went with him to his wives' houses.[374] I served him, fought with him and performed the hajj[375] with him. I was the most aware of his traditions. By Allah (swt), some of companions, who had accompanied the Prophet (S) long before me, asked me about his traditions for they knew my keeping to him. Among those were Omar, Othman, Ali, Talha, az-Zubayr…” The wise might wonder at the daring of this man narrating such traditions, which were unreal and untrue. But when they knew the fact that he didn't tell of these traditions and their likes at the time of the great companions but he dared to tell of them after the most of the companions had died and the countries of Sham,66 Iraq, Egypt, Africa and Persia were conquered where the companions spread here and there and that the new Muslims of the conquered countries didn't know anything about what happened at the time of the Prophet (S). Then he and the other liars found themselves in another world that didn't know anything about the first age of Islam. They found that their new world believed them and heard them worshipingly for they were the remainders of the Prophet's (S) companions, who were entrusted with his Sunna and that they had to announce it. Moreover, the Umayyad state did the best to support them. Hence they had a great opportunity to tell whatever they liked of wonders and oddities, which were unacceptable by the Sharia and reason. They told of absurd and null traditions for the sake of their benefits and to serve the policy of the unjust tyrants, who dealt with the religion of Allah (swt) as means to carry out their private aims and dealt with the people as their slaves. They divided the wealth of the Muslims among them as if it was their heritage! Those liars devoted themselves to the unjust oppressors, who, in return for that, gifted them with all means of comfort and tried their best to support them especially at the age of Mu'awiya. Those liars were the right hand, the spokesman and the spy of the Umayyad state.

(Woe, then, to those who write the book with their hands and then say: This is from Allah (swt)) 2:79.

How I wonder, by Allah (swt), at al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmed and the others, who were well-advised and had great minds, to be led so foolishly by what Abu Hurayra and his likes raved. Could they know when Ali, Omar, Othman, Talha, az-Zubayr and the other companions did ask Abu Hurayra? Did they ask him in the wakefulness, in the sleep or in the world of imagination? About which tradition did they ask him? Who did narrate that except Abu Hurayra? Which one of the historians or the authors of books of Hadith or biographies mentioned that one of these great companions had narrated even a single tradition[376] from Abu Hurayra? When did they pay attention to his traditions? We didn't find that he had told of traditions in the presence of them. He didn't dare to. They often discarded him and denied his traditions as mentioned in details in the previous pages.

Now let us go back to what ibn Abdul Birr said about Abu Hurayra. His saying (that Abu Hurayra was the best of the companions in memorizing the prophetic traditions) was quoted from Abu Hurayra's tradition, in which he said: “I was the most aware of his traditions”.

His saying (that he attended the Prophet's (S) meetings, which the Muhajireen and the Ansar didn't attend) was quoted from Abu Hurayra's tradition, in which he talked about spreading his garment in front of the Prophet (S) as we mentioned it before with our comments.

His saying (that the Prophet (S) witnessed that he had paid much attention to the knowledge and the Hadith) was quoted from Abu Hurayra's Saying: “I said: “O messenger of Allah (swt), who is the happiest one to get your intercession? He said: “I thought that no one would ask me about this worthier than you when I saw you paying much attention to the Hadith.”[377]

Among his virtues, which those, who wrote his biography, talked about in details, was his haversack, from which he had eaten more than two hundred wasaqs[378] of dates, his escaped servant, whom he set free for the sake of Allah (swt), his keeping two vessels of knowledge that he spread one and kept the other secret, the Prophet's (S) prayer for him and his mother, his walking above the water until he crossed a gulf without becoming wet and many others of his comic tragic stories at the same time! May Allah (swt) be with us to bear all that!

Notes:

[374] Did the high morals of this great prophet permit so and so to mix with his wives so easily as this imprudent pretended?

[375] In Arabic, the verb he used had the sense of continuity, which meant that: he used to perform the hajj with the prophet every year. It was definitely untrue because after the hegira, the prophet didn’t perform the hajj except one time, which was the farewell hajj.

[376] Al-Hakim (in the biography of Abu Hurayra) counted those, who narrated traditions from Abu Hurayra. They were twenty-eight companions. Ali, Omar, Othman, Talha and az-Zubayr were not among them. The others, who narrated from him, narrated something about Paradise and Hell or morals and knowledge. No one of them narrated even a single tradition about the legal verdicts and duties.

[377] It was mentioned by al-Bukhari in his Sahih and ibn Hajar in his Issaba, where Abu Hurayra said: “I accompanied the prophet for three years. No one was better than me in perceiving the Hadith.”

[378] It was a unit of measurement among the Arabs. Two Hundred wasaqs were about thirty-five thousand kilos.

Chapter 18: His Drolleries

Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal mentioned[379] a tradition about Abu Hurayra narrated by Muhammad bin Ziyad saying: “Marwan, who was wali of Medina during the reign of Mu'awiya, sometimes assigned Abu Hurayra to be his deputy when he left Medina. Abu Hurayra beat the ground with his feet saying: “Clear the way! Clear the way! The Amir has come.” He referred to himself.

Ibn Qutayba ad-Daynouri mentioned in his book[380] that Abu Rafi' had said: “Marwan sometimes assigned Abu Hurayra to be Amir of Medina (when he traveled). He rode a donkey with a saddle on its back and a fiber of date-palm on its head. When he met any one, he said: “Clear the way! The Amir has come.” He might sometimes pass by the children playing in the night. He suddenly jumped among them and beat the ground with his feet…”[381]

Abu Na'eem mentioned[382] that Tha'laba bin Abu Malik al-Qardhi had said: “One day Abu Hurayra, who was then the Amir assigned by Marwan, came through the market carrying a bundle of firewood. He said: “Clear the way for the Amir, o ibn Malik!” I said: “This is enough.” He said: “Clear the way for the Amir with his bundle.”

Abu Na'eem also mentioned a tradition narrated by Ahmed bin Hanbal from Othman ash-Shahham that Farqad as-Sabkhi had said: “Abu Hurayra went around the Ka'ba saying: “Woe to my stomach! If I satiate it, it will be surfeited and if I leave it hungry, it will shame me.”

It was mentioned by Rabee'ul Abrar that Abu Hurayra said: “O Allah (swt), grant me grinding teeth, a digesting stomach and a scattering anus.”[383]

Also it was mentioned by Rabee'ul Abrar that Abu Hurayra liked (madheera).[384] He ate it with Mu'awiya but when the time of prayer came, he offered the prayer behind Imam ´Ali (as). When he was asked about that, he said: “The (madheera) of Mu'awiya was fattier but the prayer behind Ali was better.” Therefore he was called (sheikh al-Madheera).[385]

Abu Othman an-Nahdi said that once Abu Hurayra was in travel with others. They stopped to rest. When they served food, they sent one of them to invite Abu Hurayra where he was offering the prayer. He said that he was fasting. When they were about to finish eating, he came and began to eat. They looked at their friend, whom they had sent to invite Abu Hurayra. He said: “Why do you look at me? I swear that he said to me he was fasting.” Abu Hurayra said: “He was right. I heard the Prophet (S) saying: “Fasting Ramadan and three days of every month equals fasting all the age.” I fasted the first three days of the month. I fasted for the duplication of fasting and I broke my fasting according to the easing of Allah (swt).”[386]

Al-Bukhari mentioned[387] that Muhammad bin Sireen had said: “We were with Abu Hurayra (in his house). He was clothed in two brocaded linen dresses. He blew his nose with his cloths and said: “What great! Abu Hurayra blows his nose with the linen. I remember when I fell to the ground faintly between the minbar of the Prophet (S) and the room of A'isha. The comers put their feet on my neck thinking I was mad. But it was no madness. It was but of hunger.”

Ibnul Atheer said in his book al-Bidayeh wan-Nihayeh that he saw Abu Hurayra playing a game called “Seh Dar” or “three doors”, which was a Persian game that involved gambling.

Ibn Mandhoor, in his book Lissan ul-Arab, added to that as in the tradition of Yahya bin Abi Katheer: “The Seh Dar is the little Devil. He means that it is a satanic thing.”[388]

Ad-Dimyeri said in his book Hayat ul-Haywan (the animals' life) about the chess game: “As-Sa'louki narrated that Amirul Mu'mineen Omar bin al-Khattab, Abul Bissr and Abu Hurayra permitted playing chess. It was famous in the books of jurisprudence that Abu Hurayra played chess. Al-Aajuri narrated that Abu Hurayra had said: “The Prophet (S) said: “If you pass by those who play the azlam,[389] the chess and the dice, don't greet them.”[390]

Notes:

[379] In his Musnad, vol.2, pg.34.

[380] Al-Ma’arif, pg.94 (biography of Abu Hurayra).

[381] It was also mentioned by ibn Sa’d in his Tabaqat, vol.4, pg.60 (biography of Abu Hurayra).

[382] In Hilytul Awliya’, vol.1, pg.382.

[383] Sheikh Qummy in his biography of Abu Hurayra in his book Alkuna wal alQaab references Rabee’ul Abrar.

[384] A kind of soup cooked with sour yogurt.

[385] According to this story it seemed that he attended the battle of Siffeen (between Ali and Mu’awiya) and that he flattered the two sides in order not to prevent himself to return to the victorious side. I have seen near Siffeen, between Iraq and Syria, a shrine called Abu Hurayra. More than one had told me that Abu Hurayra, in some days of the battle of Siffeen, offered the prayer with the army of Imam ´Ali (as) and ate with the army of Mu’awiya, but if the fight began he went to the mountain. When he was asked about that, he said: “Ali is more aware, Mu’awiya’s (food) is fattier and the mountain is safer.”

[386] Refer to Abu Na’eem’s Hilyatul Awliya’, vol.1, pg.385.

[387] Refer to his Sahih, vol4 chapter of AlItisam bil-kitab wal-Sunnah, pg.157. It was also mentioned by Abu Na’eem in his Hilytul Awliya’, vol.1, pg.379.

[388] Refer to Lissan al-Arab, vol.6, pg.30.

[389] A game of gamble.

[390] Ad-Dimyeri doubted the narrators of this tradition and denied what as-Sawli said that Imam Zeinul Aabideen had permitted playing the chess. It was certain that all the infallible imams prohibited playing chess. So did Malik bin Anass, Ahmed bin Hanbal and Abu Haneefa.

Chapter 19: His Death And His Offspring

He died in his castle in al-Aqeeq.[391] He was carried to Medina by the sons of Othman bin Affan until they reached al-Baqee' (graveyard) as kind of gratitude in return for his good thought about their father.[392] Al-Waleed bin Otba bin Abu Sufyan, who was the goversor of Medina then, offered the prayer for the dead instead of Marwan, who was deposed.[393] Al-Waleed advanced to offer the prayer, in spite of that ibn Omar, Abu Sa'eed al-Khudari and other companions were there, to honor Abu Hurayra in return for his great services for the Umayyads.

Al-Waleed sent his uncle Mu'awiya a letter telling him of the death of Abu Hurayra. Mu'awiya wrote to his nephew: “Look for his inheritors and pay them ten thousand dinars. Do them favors and let them be comfortable in your neighborhood because Abu Hurayra supported Othman and was with him in the house when he was killed.''

He died in fifty-seven or (it was said) fifty-eight or fifty-nine of hijra. He was seventy-eight years old.

As for his offspring, as we knew, he had a son called al-Muharrir and a daughter. Al-Muharrir had a son called Na'eem, who narrated that his grandfather Abu Hurayra had a thread with two thousand knots. He did not sleep until he glorified Allah (swt) with his two thousand knots thread.[394]

Na'eem also narrated from his grandfather that someone had asked the Prophet (S): “What do you advise me to trade with? The Prophet (S) said to him: “Deal with cloth! Because the dealer of cloth wishes people to be always in good and wealth.”

Ibn Sa'd mentioned al-Muharrir in his Tabaqat and said that he narrated a little traditions and that he died during the reign of Omar bin Abdul Aziz

Notes:

[391] It was mentioned by ibn Hajar in al-Issaba, ibn Abdul Birr in al-Isstee’ab, ibnul Hakim in al-Mustadrak and other historians.

[392] Refer to ibn Sa’d’s Tabaqat, vol.4, pg.63 (Abu Hurayra’s biography).

[393] Refer to Isstee’ab, Issaba, Tabaqat and al-Mustadrak (Abu Hurayra’s biography).

[394] Refer to Hilyatul Awliya’, vol.1, pg.380 and 383.