ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Abu Hurayra 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.[^1] I served him, fought with him and performed the hajj[^2] with him. I was the most aware of his traditions. By Allah (S.w.T.), some of companions, who had accompanied the Prophet (S.) long before me, asked me about his traditions for they knew my keeping to him.