Bukhari

Explanation:
«والمعني انه كان يلازم قانعا بالقوت ولايتجر ولايزرع» [قسطلاني]
That is, whatever food they could find, they would be content with it and remain closely attached to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam); they neither engaged in farming nor in trade. For this reason, they attained superiority in the knowledge of hadith. Some people have written that Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) was not a jurist (faqih) and have considered his narration to be less preferable (marjuh) in comparison to analogy (qiyas). However, this is completely incorrect and a grave injustice to a noble Companion of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). Those who write such things are themselves ignorant.

Hadith Commentary:
1.
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, in this chapter, has explained the importance of preserving knowledge and the means to do so. A person should strive to safeguard knowledge after acquiring it, because neglecting knowledge is a form of ingratitude for the blessing. Furthermore, teaching, preaching, and acting upon knowledge all depend on preserving what has been learned. From the first hadith, it is understood that the more a person is passionate and engaged with knowledge, the sharper his memory and the stronger his retention will become. Moreover, he should detach himself from all worldly occupations and devote himself to the service of the science of hadith.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu, the narrator of Islam, also sacrificed every worldly comfort for the acquisition of hadith and attached himself to the blessed person of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. His companionship and association with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam lasted only three and a half years, yet in the hearing of hadith, no other companion was his equal. He had no need for a salary nor did he seek a stipend; his host was none other than the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself. He would receive food to his fill and would remain constantly engaged in the acquisition of hadith.

Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has presented three narrations from Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu in this chapter because he remembered more hadith than all the other companions radi Allahu anhum. When Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma participated in his funeral, he expressed this particular quality of his in these words: Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu was the one who preserved the hadith of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam for the people of Islam. Although he did not narrate all that he knew, even so, his narrations are more than those of all the other companions radi Allahu anhum. (Fath al-Bari: 1/282)

2.
In another narration, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has transmitted the words of Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu with further clarity: You say that Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu narrates many hadith from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, so why do the Ansar and Muhajirun not narrate as many hadith as Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu? (Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Buyu', Hadith: 2047)

Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu, regarding his caution in narrating hadith, expressed: If it were not for two verses of the Noble Qur'an, I would never have narrated anything. Those verses are:
﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَا أَنزَلْنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْهُدَىٰ مِن بَعْدِ مَا بَيَّنَّاهُ لِلنَّاسِ فِي الْكِتَابِ ۙ أُولَـٰئِكَ يَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّـهُ وَيَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّاعِنُونَ﴾﴿إِلَّا الَّذِينَ تَابُوا وَأَصْلَحُوا وَبَيَّنُوا فَأُولَـٰئِكَ أَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَأَنَا التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ﴾ (al-Baqarah: 1/159, 160)
"Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Book—those are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse (159) Except for those who repent and correct themselves and make evident [what they concealed]. Those—I will accept their repentance, and I am the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful."

Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu had neither the preoccupations of trade nor the engagements of agriculture, nor was he concerned with financial difficulties. Rather, he himself states that, like the poor of Suffah, he too was a poor man and would remain attached to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam at all times. (Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Buyu', Hadith: 2047)

This is also supported by a statement of Talhah ibn Ubaydullah radi Allahu anhu, who said: There is no doubt that Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu heard things from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that we did not hear, because he was a poor man, had no home, would eat with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and would stay with him. (al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim: 3/511)

Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma says: Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu remained more attached to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam than us and knew more of his hadith than we did. (Fath al-Bari: 1/283)

3.
From the second hadith presented by Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, it is understood that the strength of memory is a divine gift, but there are also some apparent means which become a cause for this divine bestowal. Among these is the special attention and supplications of the righteous, which can be attained through sincere service and obedience to them. In this hadith, Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu has unveiled a reality regarding his memory: that he received a specific supplication from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam regarding his memory. In short, whatever you see is due to the blessing of the supplication of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

4.
The generality of this second hadith necessitates that Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu's forgetfulness was completely removed. He would not be afflicted by it in hadith or other matters. However, in a narration of Sahih Muslim, Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu says: After the supplication of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, I was never afflicted with forgetfulness regarding hadith. From this, it is understood that his forgetfulness regarding the hadith of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was removed. Whereas, from a narration in Sahih Bukhari itself, it is understood that the hadith which the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam narrated in the gathering of supplication remained forever in his memory, and he was never afflicted with forgetfulness regarding them.

There appears to be some contradiction in these narrations, but the correct view is that after the supplication of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu was never afflicted with forgetfulness regarding the hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

An objection may be raised that when Abu Salamah radi Allahu anhu, a student of Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu, narrated the «لَا عَدْوَی وَلَا طِیَرَۃَ» hadith before him, Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu said: I do not remember it. The hadith scholars present this narration as an example in the chapter (He forgot after narrating). The answer is that this could happen occasionally, and it is not necessary that Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu himself forgot; rather, Abu Salamah radi Allahu anhu, who was his student, may have forgotten himself, or he may have heard the hadith from someone else and attributed it to Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu.

Another answer given is that Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu did not actually forget the narration, but when he saw that the student was of limited understanding and was causing contradictions in the narrations, he denied it.

5.
This was a miracle of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that, through his supplication, the forgetfulness of Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu was removed, even though this is among the natural human traits.

6.
In the third hadith, there is guidance that those branches of knowledge whose dissemination may cause tribulation and corruption among the masses should not be spread among the people. Hudhayfah radi Allahu anhu had knowledge regarding the hypocrites, which he did not spread. Similarly, Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu also possessed knowledge regarding certain events and tribulations, the dissemination of which could have caused discord and corruption, so he did not spread them.

Regarding this, Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu says: I memorized two vessels of knowledge from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. One vessel of knowledge I have made public, which pertained to what is lawful and unlawful, beliefs, and doctrines. But the knowledge of the other vessel is not for general dissemination.

In some narrations, there is explicit mention of three vessels of knowledge. There appears to be a contradiction in this, but upon reflection, there is no real contradiction, because the knowledge related to what is lawful and unlawful is double compared to other knowledge. Where their being double was considered, three vessels were mentioned, and where it was not, two vessels were mentioned. (Fath al-Bari: 1/286)

7.
The knowledge which he did not spread refers to those hadith in which there are explicit warnings against oppressive and tyrannical rulers, as well as predictions of events and tribulations. Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu would sometimes mention them by way of allusion, as he said: O Allah! I seek Your protection from the evil of the year 60 AH and from the rule of children. In that year, many tribulations arose in the Ummah and discord spread among the Muslims. This year marks the rule of Banu Umayyah. Although they rendered many services to Islam, there were also some flaws in their character. In such a tumultuous period, narrating such hadith posed a danger to one's life, so, as a matter of expediency, he remained silent.

Allah accepted the supplication of Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu, and he passed away in 59 AH. (Fath al-Bari: 1/286)

Note:
In some copies of Sahih Bukhari, at the end of the third hadith, these words appear: Imam Bukhari rahimahullah said: "Bal'um" is that part of the throat through which food descends.