Abu Hurairah

Abu Hurairah ( _ar. أبو هريرة), (also known as `Abd al-Rahman ibn Sakhr Al-Azdi ( _ar. عبدالرحمن بن صخر الأذدي), Abu Hurayrah, or Abu Horaira) (603 – 681) was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the narrator of Hadith most quoted in the "isnad" by Sunni MuslimsFact|date=August 2007.

Early life

Abu Hurairah was born in Baha, Yemen into the Banu Daws tribe from the region of Tihamah on the coast of the Red Sea. He was an orphan with only a mother and no other relatives. His name at birth was "Abd al-Shams" (servant of the sun). However, as a child, he had a cat and became known as "Abu Hurairah" (which literally means "Father of the Kitten" or more idiomatically "Of the kitten").

As a young man, he worked for Bushra bint Ghazwan.

Conversion

Abu Hurairah embraced Islam through Tufayl ibn Amr the chieftain of his tribe.cite web|url=http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/abu_hurayrah.htm |title=Abu Hurayrah |publisher=witness-pioneer.org |accessdate=2007-02-16]

Tufayl had returned to his village after meeting Muhammad and becoming a Muslim in the early years of his mission. Abu Hurairah was one of the first to respond to his call, unlike the majority of Tufayl's tribesmen.

Abu Hurairah accompanied Tufayl to Mecca to meet Muhammad who, according to Sunni tradition, renamed him Abd al-Rahman (servant of the Merciful, one of the 99 names of God). Hurairah then returned to his tribe for several years.

Medina and Mecca

In 629 he went to Medina with some others from his tribe. Since Muhammad was absent due to the Battle of Khaybar, he stayed in the masjid.

He was single without a wife or child. His mother, who was still a polytheist, was with him. He prayed for her to become a Muslim, but she refused. Sunni sources report:

One day, he again invited his mother to believe in the One God and His Prophet. She answered with some bad words about the Prophet. Abu Huraira went to the Prophet (p.b.u.h) with tears in his eyes. “Why are you crying, Abu Huraira?” asked the Prophet.

“I always invite my mother to Islam, and she always refuses,” said Abu Huraira. “I asked her again today. But she said some things about you that made me sad. Can you pray to God for her to turn to Islam?”

The Prophet prayed for Abu Huraira’s mother to accept Islam. When Abu Huraira went home, he found the door closed. He heard the splashing of water. He tried to enter the house, but his mother said, “Wait a minute. Don’t come in yet.” Then she got dressed and said, “You can come in now.”

When Abu Huraira went inside, his mother said, “I declare that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad (p.b.u.h) is His Servant and Messenger.”

Abu Huraira again went to the Prophet (p.b.u.h) crying. But this time his tears were tears of joy. “I have good news, Rasul Allah,” he said. “God has answered your prayer and guided my mother to Islam.” cite web |url=http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/kids/story/huraira.html|title=Abu Huraira |publisher=geocities.com|accessdate=2007-02-16]

Abu Huraira, with other Muslim, suffered from hunger when the Muslims were poor in Medina.

When I was afflicted with severe hunger, I would go to a companion of the Prophet and asked him about an ayah of the Qur'an and (stay with him) learning it so that he would take me with him to his house and give food. One day, my hunger became so severe that I placed a stone on my stomach. I then sat down in the path of the companions. Abu Bakr passed by and I asked him about an ayah of the Book of God. I only asked him so that he would invite me but he didn't.

Then Umar ibn al-Khattab passed by me and I asked him about an ayah but he also did not invite me. Then the Messenger of God, peace be on him, passed by and realized that I was hungry and said: "Abu Huraira!" "At your command" I replied and followed him until we entered his house. He found a bowl of milk and asked his family: "From where did you get this?" "Someone sent it to you" they replied. He then said to me: "O Abu Huraira, go to the Ahl as-Suffah and invite them." Abu Huraira did as he was told and they all drank from the milk.

Abu Hurairah then spent one year and ten months with Muhammad (p.b.u.h) in Madinah, before the Prohet's death on 8 June 632 in Madinah.

Death and Legacy

Abu Hurairah died in 681 at the age of 78.

Of the hadith held as authentic by the majority Sunnis, Abu Hurraira is the most quoted person. Next to him comes the names of such companions as Abdullah ibn Umar, Anas ibn Malik, Aishah, Jabir ibn Abdullah and Abu Said al-Khudri all of whom transmitted over a thousand sayings of Muhammad.

He is quoted saying:

“I grew up as an orphan. I emigrated as a poor person. I used to serve Gazevan’s daughter, Bushra. I served others when they stopped on the road. I drove the camels on the road. Then God made it possible for me to marry Bushra. Praise be to God who has strengthened His religion and made me an imam (leader).”

His daughter married Said ibn Al-Musayyib.

Sunni view

A majority of Sunni scholars consider Abu Hurairah to be one of the major narrators of Hadith, and like all of the "Sahabah", trustworthy.

Shi'a view

Shi'a tradition almost always rejects the authenticty of Abu Hurairah's hadith, seldom accepting only when there are similar hadith narrated by reliable Sahabah (companions). They consider him an enemy of Ali due to having been in favor with Mu'awiya, and thus hold him in low regard.

Critical view

Abu Hurairah is one of the more controversial figures in Sunni Islam. Critics of aspects of Islamic tradition which may be based on human, and not prophetic, tradition, find much fault with Abu Hurairah, regardless of Shiah, Sunni, or universalist perspective. He has been likened to Paul, in that he was a major contributor to innovations in religion without actually understanding or following the real message of the prophet.

References

External links

*Sunni links
** [http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/history/biographies/sahaabah/bio.ABU_HURAYRAH.html Biography of a Companion: Abu Hurayrah] - www.usc.edu
** [http://islamicweb.com/beliefs/cults/defend_abuhurayrah.htm Defense of Abu Hurayrah, A Reply to some erroneous claims] - islamicweb.com
** [http://www.geocities.com/kkhaan/hurairah.html Abu Huraira: The Beloved Narrator] - geocities.com
** [http://www.searchtruth.com/searchHadith.php?keyword=abu+huraira&translator=1&search=1&book=&start=0&records_display=100&search_word=exact Narrations sited by Imam Bukhari] - www.SearchTruth.com
** [http://www.searchtruth.com/searchHadith.php?keyword=abu+huraira&translator=2&search=1&book=&start=0&records_display=100&search_word=exact Narrations sited by Imam Muslim] - www.SearchTruth.com
** [http://www.livingislam.org/k/ahpp_e.html Abu Hurayra THE PARAGON OF THE PROPHETIC SUNNA] By Shiekh G. F. Haddad
** [http://www.livingislam.org/n/ahtv_e.html Abu Hurayra's Two Vessels of Knowledge] By Shiekh G. F. Haddad

*Shi'a links
** [http://www.al-islam.org/peshawar/5.3.html Abu Huraira's Character and Hadith Calling for His Condemnation] (excerpt from Peshawar Nights) - al-islam.org
** [http://www.al-islam.org/encyclopedia/chapter9/3.html Abu Hurairah or Paul?] - al-islam.org
** [http://www.rafed.net/english/books/abu-hurayra/index.html critical Shi'a biography] - rafed.net

*Critical Muslim links
** [http://www.free-minds.org/articles/hadith/testimony.htm Free-Minds.org critique of Abu Hurairah in one aspect of Islam]

*Non-Muslim links
** [http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.tcl?site_id=8112 Mausoleum of Abu Huraira] - archnet.org