He is affiliated with the Devs branch of Ezd tribe, yet his date of birth is not known. During the period of Ignorance, his name was recorded in various forms as Abd Shams, Abd Amr, Sukain, Amr b. Abd Ghanm. Holy Prophet (pbuh) changed his name to Abdurrahman or Abdullah. The most common account as to how he acquired the name "Abu Hurairah" was that he would put kittens in his shirttail gown and play with them when he was pasturing the sheep.

It is understood that his name was not given to him by the Prophet from the fact that he called him "Abu Hurairah" when they first met. It is also narrated that Abu Hurairah did not like being called in this way and often wanted to be called Abu Hir, a name attributed to him by Prophet Muhammad. The records on having grown up as an orphan reveals that he lost his father at an early age. It is also known that he was a member of a well known family both on the part of his father and mother.

Sources claim that Abu Hurairah became a Muslim at the beginning of the 7th year (628) and set on a journey to Medina with sixty or seventy families from his tribe at the date of May 628 in order to see the Prophet. They also support tge view that  he was not a Muslim beforehand and came to Medina to accept Islam.

Since the day he arrived in Medina, he completely devoted himself to religion and never pursued a worldly desire during the period he accompanied the Prophet. At times when people participating in battles requested more shares of the booties, Prophet Muhammad asked him whether he would want the same thing. Instead, Abu Hurairah requested him to teach some of the lessons taught him by Allah. To make up for the years he lost before he converted to Islam, he would not leave Suffa in al-Masjid al-Nabawi even when he was about to faint due to his hunger.

Abu Hurairah partially took part in the conquest of Khaybar and in the subsequent battles among the tribes. He was one of those people in Umrat al-Qaza who were assigned to take Prophet’s sacrificial animals to Mecca. He also served in special teams formed against the enemies by Prophet Muhammad.

Although there is a period of four years between the date when Abu Hurairah arrived in Medina and the death of the Prophet, he personally recorded that the duration of his stay alongside the Prophet was three years.

Caliph Umar sent Kudame b. Maz'ûn to Bahreyn as the offering and tax authority, whereas he assigned Abu Hurairah with the duty of leading the group salahs. Eventually he assigned him as the Governer of Bahreyn twice where he had previously served.  After Abu Hurairah left his position as a governor and returned to Medina, the Caliph asked him what he had brought from Bahrain, as he asked all other governors. Abu Hurairah replied that he brought with him 20.000 dirham, which he said he acquired from commerce or breeding horses, his accumulated wages and from what he earned due to his slave. However, Umar ordered him to take the money he spent and the capital during his service and to return the rest to baytul-mal (state treasury). As it is stated, after investigations proving the honesty of Abu Hurairah, he was persistently asked by the Caliph Umar to become a governor once again. Yet  Abu Hurairah did not re-accept the service as he told that he did not want to fall under suspicion and be offended.

Abu Hurairah supported the caliphate of Uthman, took his sword and went to protect him when the caliph’s house was surrounded by the rebels. Uthman, however, saying that he did not want to shed Muslim blood, told him to put down his sword. After this incident, which is considered as the beginning of the sedition within the history of Islam, Abu Hurairah said that the disputes between the Muslims should be avoided and the only way to deliver them from these seditions was to drop weapons. In the battles between the Caliph Ali and Muaviye; Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas, Abdullah b. Umar and other well known companions never took side and nor did Abu Hurairah.

Abu Hurairah left Medina in the final years of his life as more foreigners arrived and the number of companions decreased and he retreated to his house nearby in Zulhuleyfe or Akik. Sometime before his death, he became sick and in the year 58 (678), he died at the age of seventy eight. It is also mentioned that he died in the year of 57 (677) or in 59 (679). His funeral was brought to Medina. After the governor of Medina performed Abu Hurairah’s funeral salah attended by companions like Abdullah b. Omar ve Ebu Said el-Hudri, he was buried in Jannatu’l Baki.

Abu Hurairah had four sons and one daughter. The first three of his sons Muharrer, Muharriz, Abdurrahman and Bilal were partially involved in the hadith (sayings of the Prophet) profession.