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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Light On the Muhammadan Sunnah Or Defence of the Hadith Shaykh Al-mudirah: The title given to Abu Hurayrah was Shaykh al-Mudirah. The care given by the ulama’, writers and poets to this mudirah was never given to similar sorts of sweets. These people kept on mocking it, calumniating Abu Hurayrah because of it for several centuries.

Following are some of their reports about the mudirah: In his book Thimar al-qulub fi al-mudaf wa al-mansub al-Tha'alibi writes: 362 Shaykh al-Mudirah was Abu Hurayrah, for his excellence and nearness to the Prophet (S), as a jester and glutton. Marwan ibn al-Hakam used to depute him (as a governor) on al-Madinah, when he would mount a donkey on which a saddle was tied. On meeting any man on his way he would say: The road! the road! (i.e. make room), the emir is coming.

He further was claiming to be expert in medicine. Al Taha'alibi, after referring to a part of his medicine, all of which being only food that heals the intestine disease, and cures gluttony, stated: “He had strong love for mudirah, and used to have it with Mu'awiyah, but in time of prayers he used to pray behind Ali (may God be pleased with him). When questioned about this, he would reply: mudirah of Mu'awiyah is verily fattier and tastier, while performing prayer behind Ali is better.

He was widely known and called with the name of "Shaykh al-Mudirah." Al-Tha'alibi concluded his statement with two poetic lines for some poet, in which he satirized Abu Hurayrah, I preferred not to state here. Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadani has dedicated one of his maqamat for this mudirah, in which he harshly satirized Abu Hurayrah saying: "Isa ibn Hisham related to us saying: I was once in Basrah with Abu al-Fath al-Exandari, the man of high eloquence and rhetoric.

I attended with him a banquet to which we were invited by some merchants. There a mudirah was served for us, that was so tasty, luxuriant, auguring of healthiness, and acknowledging imamate for Mu'awiyah. Al-Imam Muhammad Abduh, in his exposition of this, said: "Mu'awiyah claimed to be the caliph after swearing allegiance to Ali ibn Abi Talib (A), but no one was there to acknowledge his caliphate during lifetime of Ali except some of pleasure-seeking people, and runners after lusts.

Had this mudirah been among the ordinary food of Mu'awiyah, it would have enticed its eaters to acknowledge his caliphate, even though the real owner of the legitimate allegiance was alive.