Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) had memorized more than five thousand ahadith by heart. Some people envied him for this abundance of hadith, and in response to them, he gave the statement which is mentioned here. The correspondence between the chapter and the hadith is evident.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
It is said that Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu had memorized five thousand ahadith by heart.
Some people doubted this abundance of hadith.
In response to them, Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu narrated this hadith.
Its relevance to the chapter heading is that Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu informed numerous noble Companions radi Allahu anhum about the sayings and actions of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, which they were unaware of due to their absence from the gatherings of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
This hadith also refutes those who stipulate the condition of tawatur (mass transmission) for acting upon the ahadith of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

➋
It should be noted that Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu had great confidence in his memory due to special divine favor. Thus, in one hadith it is mentioned:
“When Allah, the Exalted, allots the last person to enter Paradise a place according to his desire, He will then say: ‘You are given as much again.’”
When Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu narrated this hadith, Abu Sa’id al-Khudri radi Allahu anhu said:
“The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had said regarding being given ten times as much, not just as much again.”
Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu replied:
“This is what I remember, and I heard it in this way from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Riqaq, Hadith: 6574)

Hadith Commentary:
This hadith has been narrated in several places, and the absolute mujtahid, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, has derived many rulings from it. The purpose of mentioning this hadith here is to show that the Ansar of Madinah generally engaged in agriculture.
From this, it is established that making fields and orchards a means of livelihood is not something blameworthy; rather, it is a source of reward and virtue, for the more creation benefits from them, the greater the increase in reward and virtue for the person.
And all praise is due to Allah for that.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has brought this narration under the chapter of tree planting because in this narration, the work of the Ansar also includes tree planting. Since the Ansar resided in a region of palm groves, the care of gardens was also included among their occupations. This is the very purpose of the chapter title.

(2)
The verses that Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu referenced in the context of narrating the hadith are as follows:
﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَا أَنزَلْنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْهُدَىٰ مِن بَعْدِ مَا بَيَّنَّاهُ لِلنَّاسِ فِي الْكِتَابِ ۙ أُولَـٰئِكَ يَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّـهُ وَيَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّاعِنُونَ ﴿١٥٩﴾ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ تَابُوا وَأَصْلَحُوا وَبَيَّنُوا فَأُولَـٰئِكَ أَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَأَنَا التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿١٦٠﴾)
“Indeed, those who conceal what We have sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We have made it clear for the people in the Book—those are the ones whom Allah curses, and those who curse, curse them as well. Except for those who repent and reform and make clear (what they concealed), I will accept their repentance, and I am the Most Accepting of Repentance, the Most Merciful.” (al-Baqarah: 159, 160: 2)

Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah states that “the work of wealth” refers to the Ansar being engaged in agriculture and tree planting. In this way, this hadith corresponds to the chapter heading. (Fath al-Bari: 5/36)

Hadith Commentary:
By the blessing of the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) supplication, the memory of Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) became sharp.
It is as if the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) filled the cloak with blessings through his supplications and then poured them out in abundance.
Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) pressed this cloak to his chest and filled his heart with these blessings, and thus he became recognized as the memorizer of more than five thousand hadiths.
Shame be upon those who, by declaring such a great memorizer of hadith and Companion of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) deficient in understanding hadith, only display their own foolishness.
Such scholars and jurists should fear Allah’s punishment, lest by being seized for insulting a Companion of the Messenger, they become among those who are losers in this world and the Hereafter.
The status of Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) in narration and in understanding is very lofty and exalted.
For details, see elsewhere.
The chapter on the signs of Prophethood ends here.
Now Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) begins the section on the virtues of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).
All the narrations mentioned so far, in one way or another, provide evidence for the signs of Prophethood.
And this is the intention of Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah).

Hadith Commentary:
➊
In one narration, it is mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
“Whoever among you spreads out his garment until I finish my speech, then gathers that garment to his chest, he will not forget anything from what he has heard from my words.”
Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) says that he spread out his cloak—he had no other garment besides it.
When the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) finished his speech, he gathered it to his chest.
By the One Who sent you with the truth! From that time until today, I have not forgotten anything from that speech.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Harth wal-Muzara‘ah, Hadith: 2350)
However, in the narration of Sahih Muslim, it is stated: “After that day, I have not forgotten any hadith.”
(Sahih Muslim, Fada’il al-Sahabah, Hadith: 6397(2492))
Even in the soundly transmitted hadith, there is generality: Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) did not forget only that speech, but did not forget any hadith at all.
➋
In the cloak, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) poured blessings along with supplications, as if filling it to the brim, due to which Abu Hurairah’s (radi Allahu anhu) memory became sharp.
When he filled his chest with this goodness and blessing, he became known as the preserver of hadith and narrator of Islam.
He had memorized more than five thousand ahadith by heart.
Shame upon those who, by declaring such a great preserver of hadith deficient in understanding hadith, only display their own foolishness.
➌
In this hadith as well, the affirmation of the signs of prophethood is intended.
All the ahadith mentioned under this heading contain, in one way or another, proof of the signs of prophethood, and this is precisely the objective of Imam al-Bukhari (rahimahullah).
And Allah knows best.

Explanation:
The effect of this supplication of yours was that later, Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu surpassed everyone in the field of memorizing hadith, and Allah granted him abundant blessings in both religious and worldly matters. The act of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam placing his hand into the sheet was a good omen.

Hadith Commentary:
1.
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, in this chapter, has explained the importance of preserving knowledge and its means. A person should strive to safeguard knowledge after acquiring it, because neglecting knowledge is ingratitude for the blessing, and teaching, preaching, and practice 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 more his power of retention will develop. Furthermore, 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 comfort of the world for the acquisition of hadith and attached himself to the blessed person of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The companionship and association of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam lasted only three and a half years, but 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 the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself, he would get food to his fill, and he would remain constantly engaged in the acquisition of hadith. Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has presented three narrations of Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu in this chapter because he remembered more hadith than all the other noble companions radi Allahu anhum. When Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma participated in his funeral, he described this characteristic 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 noble 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 himself in these words: 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 reform and make [it] known. 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 constantly attached to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. (Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Buyu', Hadith: 2047) This is also supported by a statement of Talhah ibn Ubaydullah radi Allahu anhu, who says: 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 or property, would eat with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and stay with him. (al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim: 3/511) Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma says: Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu would remain 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 power 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 obtained a special 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 the 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 was removed regarding the hadith of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, while from another 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 did not forget 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 Messenger of Allah 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. And the hadith scholars present this narration as an example in the chapter (He forgot after narrating). The answer is that such a thing can 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 himself have forgotten, 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 confusion in the narrations, he denied it.

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

6.
In the third hadith, there is guidance that the dissemination of those sciences which 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 had knowledge regarding certain incidents and tribulations, the dissemination of which could have caused tribulation 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; I have spread the knowledge of one vessel, which pertained to the lawful and unlawful, beliefs and doctrines, but the knowledge of the other vessel is not to be generally spread. 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 contradiction, because the sciences related to the lawful and unlawful are double compared to other sciences. Where their being double was considered, three vessels were mentioned, and where this was not considered, two vessels were mentioned. (Fath al-Bari: 1/286)

7.
The sciences which he did not spread refer to those hadith in which there are explicit warnings against oppressive and tyrannical rulers, and in which there are predictions of incidents 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 division appeared among the Muslims. This year was the beginning of 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 was a danger to one's life, so for the sake of expediency, he remained silent. The supplication of Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu was accepted by Allah, 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: "Bulu‘m" is that part of the throat through which food descends.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu

Allah Ta’ala granted Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu a tremendous memory (due to the supplication of the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).

Once, Marwan ibn al-Hakam al-Umawi had him dictate some hadiths, and the following year said: That book has been lost, please dictate those same hadiths again.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu dictated those same hadiths again.

(Later, when that book was found) and both books were compared, there was not even a single letter of difference.

See: [المستدرك للحاكم 3 / 510 وسنده حسن]

Long after the death of Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu, a young man showed disrespect towards him, so a large snake fell from the roof of the central mosque of Baghdad and began to chase that young man, and then when the young man repented, the snake disappeared.

This young man was among the Ahl al-Ra’y (i.e., Hanafi).

See: [ماهنامه الحديث حضرو شماره 32 صفحه 14]

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu was an enemy to every person who was an enemy to Allah and His Messenger.

See: [طبقات ابن سعد 4/ 335 وسنده صحيح]

Regarding Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu, Imam Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Imam rahimahullah has spoken excellently, the summary of which is as follows:

Four types of people criticize Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu:

➊ Jahmi Mu’attil (those who deny the attributes of Allah, the Exalted)

➋ Khariji (Takfiri, those who advocate rebellion against Muslim rulers)

➌ Qadari (Mu’tazili, those who deny predestination and authentic hadiths)

➍ Ignorant (those who pose as jurists and, due to blind following without evidence, oppose authentic hadiths)

See: [المستدرك للحاكم 3 / 513 ح 6176 وسنده صحيح]

For the complete article, see: [كتاب الاربعين لابن تيميه صفحه 61 تا 65]

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
(1)
Wallahu al-maw‘id:
That is, ‘inda Allah al-maw‘id:
Allah alone will hold me and you accountable,
If I am lying, He will seize me,
If you are harboring suspicion, He will question you.

(2)
‘Ala mil’i batni:
When I would get something just enough to fill my stomach, I would eat it and spend all my time in the service of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam),
I had no concern for accumulating wealth.

(3)
Al-safq bi al-aswaq:
Buying and selling in the markets,
To finalize a deal, they would strike hands with each other, and this is the meaning of safq.

(4)
Yushghiluhum al-qiyam ‘ala amwalihim:
Their farming and agricultural work kept them occupied.

Benefits and Issues:
The narrations of Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) are more than those of any other Companion,
No Companion is his equal in this regard,
He narrated five thousand three hundred seventy-four (5374) narrations,
Of which six hundred nine are in Bukhari and Muslim, and the fundamental and essential reason for this is that he spent all his time with the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam),
He requested the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) to make supplication for him, saying that he would hear your hadith but forget them, so the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) instructed him to spread out his cloak,
Similarly, in this hadith, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) himself said that whoever spreads out his cloak will not forget anything he hears from me, and the second reason is his diligence in memorizing,
As will be mentioned ahead.