There is rarely an Islamic lecture given, nor a single book
of Hadith written, except that Abu Hurayrahs name is mentioned within the chain
of narrators. Having narrated over 1,300 Hadith from memory, it’s no wonder why.
And yet, when we look into his biography, we find that he only spent four years
with the Prophet.
Abu Hurayrah was from Yemen and was born into a tribe known
as Ad-Daws. The Chief, Tufayl ibn Amr, had become a Muslim at the hands of the Prophet
and came back calling his people to Islam.
The majority remained adamant and
stubborn upon their beliefs. Abu Hurayra was of the few that embraced Islam. He
then emigrated to Madinah with his mother, Maymoona (who was a polytheist at
that time, but later converted to Islam), during the 7th year of
Hijrah.
His name during the Days of Ignorance was ‘Abd Ash-Shams
(Worshipper of the Sun), but when he embraced Islam, the Prophet named him
Abdur-Rahman. However, he is better known by his Kunya – Abu Hurayrah, which
translates to “Father of a Kitten”, due to his fondness for cats.
Besides his nickname and tremendous amount of Hadith
narrations, Abu Hurayrah is probably best known next for his extreme poverty.
He arrived in Madinah destitute, so took shelter in As-Suffa; which was an area
attached to the Masjid, where the companions of the Prophet who neither had family
nor wealth used to live. And this was probably the greatest factor which paved
way to his seeking knowledge and narration of Hadith.
However, it wasn’t the only factor. In a narration that is
unsurprisingly narrated by him, he is reported to have said:
“The people say that Abu Huraira
narrates too many narrations. In fact Allah knows whether I say the truth or not. They also ask, "Why do the emigrants and the Ansar not narrate as he
does?"
In fact, my emigrant brethren were
busy trading in the markets, and my Ansar brethren were busy with their
properties. I was a poor man keeping the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and was satisfied with what filled my
stomach. So, I used to be present while they (i.e. the emigrants and the Ansar)
were absent, and I used to remember while they forgot (the Hadith).
One day the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever spreads his sheet
till I finish this statement of mine and then gathers it on his chest, will
never forget anything of my statement." So, I spread my covering sheet
which was the only garment I had, till the Prophet (ﷺ)
finished his statement and then I gathered it over my chest. By Him Who had
sent him (i.e. Allah's Apostle) with the truth, since then I did not forget
even a single word of that statement of his, until this day of mine. By Allah,
but for two verses in Allah's Book, I would never have related any narration
(from the Prophet). (These two verses are):
”Verily, those who conceal the
clear proofs, evidences and the guidance, which We have sent down, after We
have made it clear for the people in the Book, they are the ones cursed by
Allah and cursed by the cursers.”
“Except
those who repent and do righteous deeds, and openly declare (the truth which
they concealed). These, I will accept their repentance. And I am the One Who
accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.””
From the above Hadith, we can
gather at least three etiquettes of seeking knowledge from Abu Hurayrah’s life
with the Prophet:
1) Spending time to acquire knowledge.
While the people
were engaged in their Dunya related matters, Abu Hurayrah spent his time occupying
himself with knowledge:
“In fact, my
emigrant brethren were busy trading in the markets, and my Ansar brethren were
busy with their properties.”
2) Being content with little of this
world
The one who
covets after the Dunya will have neither any time nor energy left to seek
knowledge. Abu Hurayrah thus said:
“I was a poor man keeping the company
of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and was satisfied
with what filled my stomach. So, I used to be present while they (i.e. the
emigrants and the Ansar) were absent, and I used to remember while they forgot
(the Hadith).”
This statement also teaches us that occupation with
the world is a cause of forgetting knowledge. The Prophet informed us in
another narration that the Dunya and the Hereafter do not combine in the heart
of a person. This is not to say that the rest of the companions were people who
coveted after the Dunya; on the contrary, they were the best people who walked
the face of this earth. However, they had family and wealth that needed to be
attended to, which Abu Hurayrah did not have, and this was a key factor which facilitated
his seeking of knowledge. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the Student of
Knowledge to free himself from any world distractions as much as possible.
3) Acting upon ones knowledge
“By Allah, but for two verses in
Allah's Book, I would never have related any narration (from the Prophet)”
Abu Hurayrah acted upon two verses in the Qur’an, and it was due to this that Allah elevated him with Hadith narration and opened
the door of knowledge, goodness, and immense rewards.
4) Making Dua
In another narration, Zayd ibn Thabit reported:
"While Abu
Hurayrah and I and another friend of mine were in the Masjid
praying to Allah Almighty and performing dhikr 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 began to
say amin to our du'a.
"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 upon him,
said, 'Amin.' 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.' "
These are just a few examples which demonstrate some of the
etiquettes Abu Hurayrah followed in seeking knowledge. Further delving into his biography sheds light into the hardship and struggles he faced solely for that purpose. His life is a perfect example and an exemplification of the meaning of seeking knowledge. He passed away in 59H at the age of 79, after playing a major role in the preservation of the Sunnah of the Prophet.
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