Muslims Profiles: Abu Hurayrah

His name is Abdurrahman bin Sakhr, he is the master of retainers and endurance, and the companion of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

Abu Hurayrah received a lot of knowledge from the Prophet (PBUH).

Through his great efforts, hundreds of Hadiths or sayings of the Prophet (PBUH) were transmitted to later generations. His is the foremost name in the roll of Hadith transmitters. Next to him comes the names of such companions as Abdullah the son of Umar, Anas the son of Malik, Umm al-Mumininin Aicha, Jabir ibn Abdullah and Abu Said al-Khudri all of whom transmitted over a thousand sayings of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

Aat-Tufayl ibn Amr the chieftain of the Daws tribe helped Abu Hurayrah tp became a Muslim . The Daws tribe, which Abu Hurayrah belongs to, lived in the region of Tihamah which stretches along the coast of the Red Sea in southern Arabia. When at-Tufayl returned to his village after meeting the Prophet (PBUH) and becoming a Muslim in the early years of his mission, Abu Hurayrah was one of the first to respond to his call and embrace Islam. He was unlike the majority of the Daws people who remained stubborn with their old beliefs for a long time.

When at-Tufayl visited Mekkah again, Abu Hurayrah accompanied him. There he had the honored to meet the noble Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

The prophet asked him:

"What is your name?"

"Abdu Shams - Servant of a Sun," replied Abu Hurayrah.

"Instead, let it be Abdur-Rahman - the Servant of the Beneficent Lord," said the Prophet (PBUH).

However, he continued to be known as Abu Hurayrah, "the kitten man", literally "the father of a kitten" for he was fond of cats and since his childhood often had a cat to play with.

Abu Hurayrah stayed in Tihamah for a long time and it was only at the beginning of the seventh year of the Hijrah that he arrived in Madinah with others of his tribe. The Prophet (PBUH) had gone on a campaign to Khyber. Being poor, Abu Hurayrah took up h is place in the Masjid. He was single, and had no wife or a son. With him however was his mother who was still an atheist. He longed, and prayed, for her to become a Muslim but she stubbornly refused. One day, he was trying to convince her to have believe in Allah alone and embrace Islam, but she uttered some words about the Prophet (PBUH) which hurt him greatly. With tears in his eyes, he went to the noble Prophet (PBUH) who said to him:

"What makes you cry, O Abu Hurayrah?"

"I have not let up in inviting my mother to Islam but she has always rebuffed me. Today, I invited her again and I heard words from her which I do not like. Do make supplication to Allah Almighty to make the heart of Abu Hurayrah's mother incline to Islam."

Responding to Abu Hurayrah's request, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) prayed for his mother. Abu Hurayrah said:

"I went home and found the door closed. I heard the splashing of water and when I tried to enter my mother said: "Stay where you are, O Abu Hurayrah." And after putting on her clothes, she said, "Enter!" I entered and she said: "I testify that there is no god but Allah and I testify that Mohammad is His Servant and His Messenger."

"I returned to the Prophet, peace be on him, weeping with joy just as an hour before I had gone weeping from sadness and said: "I have good news, O Messenger of Allah. Allah has responded to your prayer and guided the mother of Abu Hurayrah to Islam."

Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) had great love and respect for Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and found favor with him. He was never tired of looking at the Prophet whose face appeared to him as having all the radiance of the sun and he was never tired of listening to his words. Often he would praise Allah for becoming a Muslim and having the chance of being near the Prophet (PBUH), he used to say:

"Praise be to Allah Who has guided Abu Hurayrah to Islam." Praise be to Allah Who has taught Abu Hurayrah the Qur'an."

"Praise be to Allah who has bestowed on Abu Hurayrah the companionship of Mohammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace."

On reaching Madinah, Abu Hurayrah decided on attaining knowledge. Zayd ibn Thabit the notable companion of the Prophet (PBUH) narrated :

"While Abu Hurayrah and I and another friend of mine were in the mosque praying to Allah Almighty and performing dhikr (mentioning Allah is names) to Him, the Messenger of Allah appeared. He came towards us and sat among us. We became silent and he said: "Carry on with what you were doing."

"So my friend and I made a supplication to Allah before Abu Hurayrah did and the Prophet (PBUH) began to say Ameen to our supplication.

"Then Abu Hurayrah made a supplication saying: "O Lord, I ask You for what my two companions have asked and I ask You for knowledge which will not be forgotten."

"The Prophet, peace be on him, said: 'Ameen.' "We then said: 'And we ask Allah for knowledge which will not be forgotten, and the Prophet replied: 'The Dawsi youth has asked for this before you."

With his startling memory, Abu Hurayrah memorized in the four years that he spent with the Prophet (PBUH), the gems of wisdom that emanated from his lips. He realized that he had a great gift and he set about to use it fully in serving Islam.

Unlike many of the Muhajirun(those who migrated from Mekkah to Madinah) he did not spend his time in the market-places, with buying and selling. Also he had no land to cultivate nor crops to tend. He spared the time to sit with the Prophet (PBUH) in Madinah and went with him on journeys and expeditions.

Many companions were amazed at the number of Hadith he had memorized and often questioned him on when he had heard a certain Hadith and under what circumstances.

Once Marwan ibn al-Hakam wanted to give Abu Hurayrah's a small test to see how strong his memory was. He sat with him in one room and behind a curtain he placed a scribe, unknown to Abu Hurayrah, and ordered him to write down whatever Abu Hurayrah said. A year later, Marwan called Abu Hurayrah again and asked him to recall the same Hadiths which the scribe had recorded. He was amazed when he found out that he had forgotten not a single word.

Abu Hurayrah devoted his life to teaching and transmitting the Hadiths he had memorized and knowledge of Islam in general. It is reported that one day he was passing by some people engrossed in the business of buying and selling.

"How feeble are you, O people of Madinah!" he said.

"What do you see that is feeble in us, Abu Hurayrah?" they asked.

"The inheritance of the Messenger of Allah, peace be on him, is being distributed and you remain here! Won't you go and take your portion?"

"Where is this, O Abu Hurayrah?" they asked.

"In the Masjid," he replied.

Quickly they left. Abu Hurayrah waited until they returned. When they saw him, they said: "O Abu Hurayrah, we went to the Masjid and entered and we did not see anything being distributed."

"Didn't you see anyone in the Masjid?" he asked.

"O yes, we saw some people performing Salah, some people reading the Qur'an and some people discussing about what is halaal and what is haraam."

"Woe unto you," replied Abu Hurayrah," that is the inheritance of Mohammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace."

Abu Hurayrah went through much hardship and difficulties as a result of his dedicated search for knowledge. He was often hungry and destitute. He said about himself:

"When I was afflicted with severe hunger, I would go to a companion' of the Prophet (PBUH) and asked him about an ayah (verse) of the Qur'an and (stay with him) learning it so that he would take me with him to his house and give food. "

Abu Hurayrah spent most of his time in spiritual exercises and devotion to Allah. Staying up for the night in prayer and devotion - was a regular practice of his family including his wife and his daughter, (for he was married and has a daughter at that time). He would spend a third o f the night prayer, his wife for another third and his daughter for a third. In this way, in the house of Abu Hurayrah no hour of the night would pass without worshiping Allah and praying.

During the caliphate of Umar, Umar appointed Abu Hurayrah as governor of Bakrain. Umar was very careful about the type of persons whom he appointed as governors. He was always concerned that his governors should live simply and frugally and not acquire much wealth even though this was through lawful means.

In Bahrain, Abu Hurayrah became quite wealthy. Umar heard of this and recalled him to Madinah. Umar thought he had acquired his wealth through unlawful means and questioned him about where and how he had get such a fortune. Abu Hurayrah replied: "From breeding horses and gifts which I received."

"Hand it over to the treasury of the Muslims," ordered Umar.

Abu Hurayrah did as he was told and prayed: "O Lord, forgive the Amir al-Muminin." Subsequently, Umar asked him to become governor once again but he declined. Asked about the reason behind his refusal, Abu Hurayrah said:

"So that my honor would not be besmirched, my wealth taken and my back beaten."

And he added: "And I fear to judge without knowledge and speak without wisdom."

Throughout his life Abu Hurayrah used to be kind and courteous to his mother. Whenever he wanted to leave home, he would stand at the door of her room and say: As-salaamu alaykum, mom, wa rahrnatullahi wa barakatuhu, peace be on you, mother, and the mercy and blessings of Allah." She would reply: "Wa alayka-s salaam, son, wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu - And on you be peace, my son, and the mercy and blessings of Allah." Often, he would also say: "May Allah have mercy on you as you cared for me when I was small," and she would reply: "May Allah have mercy on you as you delivered me from error when I was old." Abu Hurayrah always advised people to be kind and tender to their parents.

Abu Hurayrah took good care to accompany the Prophet peace be upon him to wherever the Prophet peace be upon him goes; whether to pilgrimage or to war (jihad). Abu Anas Malik bin Abi Aamir says:

Once a man came to Talha bin Ubaydillah and said: "O, father of Mohammad! Do you know this Yamani Abu Hurayrah ? Is he more knowledgeable about the Prophet's hadeeth than you? Because we hear things from him that we do not hear from you. Or does he narrate what the Prophet did not really say?" Ibn Ubaydillah answered: "That Abu Hurayrah heard from the Prophet peace be upon him what we did not hear then there is no doubt about it. Let me tell you about it. We always had to take care of our houses, goats and works. We used to visit the messenger of Allah peace be upon him at the two folds of daylight and Abu Hurayrah was there and poor. He was a guest at the Prophet's house, and had nothing in his hands. Therefore we do not doubt it that he heard from the Prophet what we did not hear, and you would never find a man who has goodness in his self that he would say what the messenger of Allah did not say."

Source: sunnahonline.com