❖ A Scholarly Analysis of Allegations Against Abu Hurairah (RA)
✿ Various Forms of Hadith Rejection
The fitnah (trial) of rejecting Hadith manifests in multiple forms. A key tactic among some rejecters is not to deny Hadith outright, but rather to attack the integrity of the personalities who played a central role in compiling and preserving the Prophetic traditions.
This approach is intended to undermine the credibility of those narrators, thereby casting doubt on the entire Hadith corpus. If these foundational pillars are discredited, the entire structure of Hadith becomes susceptible to rejection.
✿ Personalities Targeted by Critics
Hadith rejecters and orientalists have particularly targeted the following figures:
- Abu Hurairah (RA)
- Imam Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri (رحمه الله)
These two scholars are among the most prolific narrators of Hadith in Islamic history:
- Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated approximately 5,374 Ahadith.
- Imam al-Zuhri (رحمه الله) narrated around 2,200 Ahadith.
Criticizing these giants serves to discredit a vast portion of the Hadith literature.
① Accusation: Fabrication of Hadith
◈ Goldziher’s Claim
The orientalist Ignaz Goldziher alleged that Abu Hurairah (RA) fabricated Hadiths, and even his own contemporaries doubted his narrations. He based this on a narration from Ibn ʿUmar (RA) regarding the killing of dogs.
◈ Example Quoted by Critics
According to Ibn ʿUmar (RA), the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered the killing of dogs, except those used for hunting or guarding livestock. When informed that Abu Hurairah (RA) included "farming dogs" in the exception, Ibn ʿUmar (RA) remarked:
“Abu Hurairah owns farmland.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 4019; Tirmidhī, 1488)
◈ Goldziher’s Interpretation
In his book Muslim Studies (Vol. 2, p. 56), Goldziher claimed that such statements reflect the subjective additions of narrators in the early period and imply doubts over the reliability of Abu Hurairah (RA).
Response to the Accusation
❖ Abu Hurairah (RA) is not the sole narrator:
This Hadith is also narrated by:
- Sufyan ibn Abi Zuhayr (RA) (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 2323)
- ʿAbdullah ibn Mughaffal (RA) (Tirmidhī, 1487)
- Also found in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 4036 and other sources.
❖ Ibn ʿUmar’s (RA) comment was not a critique:
According to Imam Nawawi (رحمه الله) in al-Minhāj (Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 4/236), Ibn ʿUmar’s (RA) statement was not an objection, but rather an explanation for why Abu Hurairah (RA) remembered that specific exemption well, due to his involvement in farming.
❖ Further textual support:
Even in Ibn ʿUmar’s (RA) own narration in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (4029), the farming dog is included in the exceptions:
“Whoever keeps a dog for purposes other than farming, herding, or hunting, his reward will be decreased by one qirāṭ daily.”
This confirms that Abu Hurairah (RA) did not invent anything, and that his version is fully supported by other authentic narrations.
② Accusation: Excessive Narration of Hadith
Critics argue that even Companions (RA) were skeptical of Abu Hurairah’s (RA) frequent narrations. They cite:
“People used to say: Abu Hurairah narrates too many Ahadith.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb Faḍāʾil al-Ṣaḥābah, Ḥadīth 11)
Response to the Accusation
❖ Reason for frequent narration:
Abu Hurairah (RA) addressed this concern himself:
“While my brothers were busy in trade or farming, I stayed close to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and memorized his sayings.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-ʿIlm, Ḥadīth 118)
❖ Endorsement from other Companions:
If his narrations were truly doubted, other Companions would not have narrated from him. In reality, 28 Companions and countless Tābiʿīn transmitted Hadiths from him.
Among them:
- Zayd ibn Thābit (RA)
- Abu Ayyūb al-Anṣārī (RA)
- Ibn ʿAbbās (RA)
- Ibn ʿUmar (RA)
- ʿĀ’ishah (RA)
- Anas ibn Mālik (RA)
- Jābir ibn ʿAbdullah (RA)
❖ Acceptance by Scholars of Hadith and Fiqh:
Renowned muhaddithīn and jurists derived legal rulings from the narrations of Abu Hurairah (RA), proving unanimous trust in his reliability.
✔ Conclusion
- The criticisms against Abu Hurairah (RA) stem from bias and academic dishonesty, lacking any substantial evidence.
- Accusations regarding fabrication and excessive narration are refuted by both authentic Hadiths and the practice of the early scholars.
- Abu Hurairah (RA)’s trustworthiness was affirmed by the Companions, Tābiʿīn, and the Imams of Hadith.
- Those who criticize him today often aim to undermine the authority of the entire Hadith corpus, a dangerous and unfounded agenda.
