Are the narrations of Abu Hurairah Radhiyallāhu Anhu acceptable?

1. Some of Shia friends doubt one personality and Ahadees from Hadhrat Abu Hurairah Radhiyallahu Anhu. One Hadith they normally quote is http://sunnah.com.urn/54140 this one. Please add some commentary about this Hadith.

JazakAllahu Khaira

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

The narrations of Abū Hurairah Radhiyallāhu Anhu are reliable and authentic. Abū Hurairah Radhiyallāhu Anhu was among the greatest Muhaddithīn (scholors of Hadīth) of this Ummah. Allāh Ta’ālā blessed Abū Hurairah Radhiyallāhu Anhu with an extraordinary memory that enabled him to remember every single Hadīth that he heard from Rasūlullāh Sallallāhu Alaihi Wa Sallam. Consider the following Hadīth reported in Sahīh al-Bukhārī:

فَشَهِدْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ، وَقَالَ: «مَنْ يَبْسُطْ رِدَاءَهُ حَتَّى أَقْضِيَ مَقَالَتِي، ثُمَّ يَقْبِضْهُ، فَلَنْ يَنْسَى شَيْئًا سَمِعَهُ مِنِّي» فَبَسَطْتُ بُرْدَةً كَانَتْ عَلَيَّ، فَوَالَّذِي بَعَثَهُ بِالحَقِّ مَا نَسِيتُ شَيْئًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ (صحيح البخارى، بَابُ الحُجَّةِ عَلَى مَنْ قَالَ: إِنَّ أَحْكَامَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَتْ ظَاهِرَةً، وَمَا كَانَ يَغِيبُ بَعْضُهُمْ مِنْ مَشَاهِدِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأُمُورِ الإِسْلاَمِ) 

(Abu Hurairah Radhiyallāhu Anhu says) “I was with Rasūlullāh Sallallāhu Alaihi Wa Sallam one day. He said, “The one who will spread out his sheet until my speech is terminated, and then will wear the sheet will never forget any Hadīth that he will hear from me.” Thereafter I spread out the sheet I was wearing. By Allāh, I did not forget any Hadīth I heard from Rasūlullāh Sallallāhu Alaihi Wa Sallam.” (Sahīh al-Bukhārī)

The Hadīth referred to in the query is as follows:

وَعَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ: سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، بَعْدُ يَقُولُ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لاَ يُورِدَنَّ مُمْرِضٌ عَلَى مُصِحٍّ» وَأَنْكَرَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ حَدِيثَ الأَوَّلِ، قُلْنَا: أَلَمْ تُحَدِّثْ أَنَّهُ: «لاَ عَدْوَى» فَرَطَنَ بِالحَبَشِيَّةِ، قَالَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ: فَمَا رَأَيْتُهُ نَسِيَ حَدِيثًا غَيْرَهُ (صحيح البخارى، بَابُ لاَ هَامَةَ)

Abū Salamah heard Abū Hurairah Radhiyallāhu Anhu narrating another Hadīth saying, “A person with sick camels must not allow them to go near another person’s healthy camels.” Abū Hurairah Radhiyallāh Anhu denied having narrated the first Hadīth. Abū Salamah Rahimahullāh says, “We asked Abū Hurairah Radhiyallāh Anhu, “Did you not narrate to us earlier that there is no concept in Shariah of contagion in diseases.” Abū Hurairah Radhiyallāhu Anhu angrily started to speak in an unfamiliar language.” Abu Salamah Rahimahullāh says, “According to my knowledge, this is the only Hadīth forgotten by Abū Hurairah Radhiyallāh Anhu.” (Sahīh al-Bukhārī)

This Hadīth does not prove that the narrations of Abū Hurairah Radhiyallāhu are unreliable. Rather it proves the authenticity of Abū Hurairah Radhiyallāhu Anhu’s narrations. Abū Salamah is praising the memory of Abū Hurairah Radhiyallāhu Anhu. He is saying that the narration referred to in this Hadīth is the only one that was forgotten by Abū Hurairah Radhiyallāh Anhu out of the thousands of Ahādīth narrated by him.

In Fath al-Bāri, Hāfidh Ibn Hajar Rahimahullāh states that even this statement was a mere assumption of Abū Salamah Rahimahullāh. [1]  In reality, Abū Hurairah Radhiyallāhu Anhu did not forget even one Hadīth. Instead, Abū Hurairah Radhiyallāhu Anhu did not want to narrate the other Hadīth as the audience around him at that time would not be able to comprehend the apparent inconsistencies in both Ahādīth and may not be able to contextualize the Ahādīth according to circumstances.[2]

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Abdul Azīm bin Abdur Rahman,
Student Darul Iftaa
U.S.A.

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

Clarification

The Darul Iftaa has received queries regarding Mufti Ebrahim Desai Saheb’s teaching and affiliation with Madrassah In’aamiyya, Camperdown. The confusion is probably due to the previous Fatawaa and Google searches of Mufti Ebrahim Desai Saheb issued under the name of Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In’aamiyyah, Camperdown.

Mufti Ebrahim Desai Saheb has resigned from Madrassah In’aamiyya two years ago and has no affiliation with Madrassah In’aamiyya, Camperdown.

Mufti Saheb has established the Darul Iftaa in Durban that facilitates for post-Ulama courses and training Mufti’s. He teaches Hadeeth at Darul Uloom Nu’maniyyah.

Email: darululoomnumaniyyah@gmail.com or

arkhanar@telkomsa.net