Refuting False Stories and Proving the Great Status of Abu Hurayrah (RA)

Question:

An incident was heard from a person that:
“One day Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) was narrating hadith in the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque. When Sayyiduna Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) came to know about it, he said: ‘O Abu Hurairah! The matter you are narrating, I was with the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) at that time, and it was not like this. Do you not fear Allah that you are attributing something incorrect to the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him)? If it were someone else in your place, I would have cut off his neck.’ May Allah protect us.”
Is this incident authentic?

Meanwhile, the same person further said:
“Once a person asked Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him): ‘You narrate many hadiths today, whereas during the lifetime of Hazrat Umar (May Allah be pleased with him), this was not the case.’ To which Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) replied: ‘At that time, I feared for my neck being struck.'”
Are both these incidents correct?

Answer:

الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد:

These two incidents are without chain, baseless, and fabricated (made-up). These incidents are not proven with an authentic chain in any reliable book. On the contrary, in the light of authentic hadiths, it is established that:

Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had complete trust in Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him).

The following authentic hadiths confirm this:

(1) Hadith about embroidery

A woman was brought to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) who was making designs by embroidery with a needle on leather. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the companions:
“O Allah’s servant! Has anyone heard anything from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) about embroidery?”
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said:
“O Commander of the Faithful! I have heard the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) say:

«لاتَثْمِنْ ولا تَسْتَوْشِمْنَ»

‘Do not do embroidery and do not have it done by others.'”

This indicates that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had complete trust in Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him).

(2) Incident of Sayyiduna Hassan bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him)

Once Sayyiduna Hassan bin Thabit رضي الله عنه was reciting poetry in the mosque. Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه looked at him angrily. Sayyiduna Hassan رضي الله عنه said:
“I used to recite poetry even during the time of the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم.”
Then looking towards Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه, he said:
“By Allah! Have you heard the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم say this:

«أجِبْ عني، اللهم أيدْه بروحِ القُدُس»

‘Respond on my behalf, O Allah! Assist him with Your Holy Spirit.'”

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه said: “Yes, I have heard it.”

(3) Sayyiduna Ibn Umar رضي الله عنه‘s Statement

Sayyiduna Ibn Umar رضي الله عنه said to Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه:

’’یا أبا هُرَيْرَةَ! أنتَ كُنْتَ ألْزَمَنا لِرَسولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ، وأَحْفَظَنا لِحَدِيثِه‘‘

“O Abu Hurairah! You stayed with the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم more than all of us and have memorized the most hadith.”

The Trust of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه

Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه appointed Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه as the Muezzin during the Farewell Pilgrimage.

This position was also granted to Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه by the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم.

Testimony of Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها

When Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrated a hadith, and was asked about it, Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها said:

’’صدق أبو هُرَيْرَة‘‘

“Abu Hurairah spoke the truth.”

His funeral prayer was also led by Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه.

Dua of the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم

“اللَّهُمَّ حَبِّبْ عُبَيْدَكَ هَذَا، يَعْنِي أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، وَأُمَّهُ، إِلَىٰ عِبَادِكَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَحَبِّبْ إِلَيْهِمُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ”

“O Allah! Make this servant (Abu Hurairah) and his mother beloved among Your believing servants.”

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه says:
“Every believer who hears about me loves me without even seeing me.”

The Reality of the Second Incident (Fear of Being Strangled)

This narration is also fabricated and baseless. Details are provided below:

Narration 1:

It is narrated from Muhammad bin Ajlan that Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه said:
“If I had narrated these hadiths during the time of Hazrat Umar رضي الله عنه, he would have struck my forehead.”

❌ This narration is disconnected.
❌ Ibn Ajlan is a fabricator.
❌ The chain is missing.

Narration 2:

Narrated through Salih bin Abi al-Akhdar: “We did not narrate hadiths before the death of Umar رضي الله عنه.”

❌ The chain is weak and rejected.

Narration 3:

Narrated by Imam Abdul Razzaq from Muammar from Al-Zuhri: “I did not narrate hadiths during the time of Umar رضي الله عنه, I was certain that I would be whipped on my back.”

❌ This narration is disconnected and rejected because:

• Imam Zuhri did not hear anything from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه.
• Both Imam Abdul Razzaq and Imam Zuhri were fabricators.

Only one narration is authentic:

Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه said:
“Stop narrating more hadiths than the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, otherwise I will send you to Daws (your tribe).”

🔹 The scholars have written that Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه forbade excessive narration of hadith to prevent fitnah.
🔹 This command was not only for Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه but also for other companions.

A Great Incident of Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه‘s Memory

Abu Zu’ayzah, who was Marwan’s scribe, narrates that Marwan ibn al-Hakam had Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه write down hadiths, and the next year when he asked again about the same hadiths, Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه repeated the same hadiths word for word.

Warning:

Some people declared Abu Zu’ayzah unknown, but after the authentication by Al-Hakim and Al-Dhahabi, calling him unknown is wrong.

The Miracle of Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه

Qazi Abu Tayyib, may Allah have mercy on him, says: In Jami’ Mansur, when a young man rejected the Hadith of Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, and said:
“Abu Hurairah is an unreliable narrator of Hadith,”
at that very moment, a large snake came down from the roof of the mosque, and the young man kept running away from it.

Scholars’ Works in Defense of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him

1. Reference: Difa’ ‘an Abi Hurairah by Abdul Munim Saleh Al-Ali Al-Uzi
2. Reference: Al-Anwar Al-Kashifah by Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Yahya Al-Ma’alimi (pp. 104 to 228)

Important Benefit:

More than 700 narrators have transmitted Hadiths from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him. According to some, the number of narrators from him exceeds 800.

O Allah! Instill love for Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, in our hearts. Ameen

ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب