Chapter: The Virtues Of Abu Hurairah [Ad-Dawsi] (RA)

I invited my mother, who was a polytlieist, to Islam. I invited her one day and she said to me something about Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) which I hated. I came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) weeping and said: Allah's Messenger, I invited my mother to Islam but she did not accept (my invitation). I invited her today but she said to me something which I did not like. (Kindly) supplicate Allah that He may set the mother of Abu Huraira right. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: O Allah, set the mother of Abu Huraira on the right path. I came out quite pleased with the supplication of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and when I came near the door it was closed from within. My mother heard the noise of my footsteps and she said: Abu Huraira, just wait. And I heard the noise of falling of water. She took a bath and put on the shirt and quickly covered her head with a headdress and opened the door and then said: Abu Huraira, I bear witness to the fact that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His bondsman and His Messenger. He (Abu Huraira) said: I went back to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and (this time) I was shedding the tears of joy. I said: Allah's Messenger, be happy, for Allah has responded to your supplication and He has set on the right path the mother of Abu Huraira. He (the Holy Prophet) praised Allah, and extolled Him and uttered good words. I said: Allah's Messenger, supplicate to Allah so that He may instill love of mine and that of my mother too in the believing servants and let our hearts be filled with their love, whereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: O Allah, let there be love of these servants of yours, i.e. Abu Huraira and his mother, in the hearts of the believing servants and let their hearts be filled with the love of the believing servants. (Abu Huraira said: This prayer) was so well granted by Allah that no believer was ever born who heard of me and who saw me but did not love me.

You are under the impression that Abu Huraira transmits so many ahadith from Allah's Messenger (may peace up upon him) ; (bear in mind) Allah is the great Reckoner. I was a poor man and I served Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) being satisfied with bare subsistence, whereas the immigrants remained busy with transactions in the bazar; while the Ansar had been engaged in looking after their properties. (He further reported) that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: He who spreads the cloth would not forget anything that he would hear from me. I spread my cloth until he narrated something. I then pressed it against my (chest), so I never forgot anything that I heard from him.

" who spreads his cloth," to the end.

Don't you feel surprised at Abu Huraira? He came (one day) and sat beside the nook of my apartment and began to narrate (the hadith of Allah's Apostle). I was hearing while I was engaged in extolling Allah (reciting Subhan Allah) constantly. He stood up before I finished my repetition of Subhan Allah. if I were to meet him I would have warned him in stern words that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not speak so quickly as you talk.

People say that Abu Huraira transmits so many ahadith , whereas Allah is the Reckoner , and they say : How is it with Muhajirs and the Ansar that they do not narrate ahadith like him (like Abu Huraira) ? Abu Huraira said : I tell you that my brothers from Ansar remained busy with their lands and my brothers Muhajirs were busy in transactions in the bazars , but I always kept myself attached to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) with bare subsistence. I remained present (in the company of the Holy Prophet) , whereas they had been absent. I retained in my mind (what the Prophet said) , whereas they forgot it. One day Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said : He who amongst you spreads the cloth and listens to my talk and would then press it against his chest would never forget anything heard from me. So I spread my mantle and when he had concluded his talk I then pressed it against my chest and so I never forgot after that day anything that he (the Holy Prophet) said. And if these two verses would not have been revealed in the Book I would have never transmitted anything (to anybody) : " Those who conceal the clear evidence and the guidance that We revealed" (ii. 159) tip to the last verse.

You say that Abu Huraira narrates so many ahadith from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ; the rest of the hadith is the same.