HIS POSITION WITHIN THE SCIENCE OF HADITH

Abu Hurairah remains as the leading figure among the seven companions known as “muksirun”, a name given to them since they passed on more than a thousand hadith. His hadiths reach the number 5374 with their reiterations. Ahmed b. Hanbal's hadith reach 3862. Some record this number as 3848 and 3879. The hadith of Abu Hurairah in the Six Books and al-Musnad of Ahmad b. Hanbal that are not reiterations are said to have reached 1336 or 1579.

The foremost reason why Abu Hurairah is considered to be the sahabi that knows the largest number of hadith and the one who memorizes them at the best is his strong desire to learn everything about the Prophet (pbuh) and to memorize the hadith and thus pursuing him. As he told those asking him the reason why other companions don’t pass on as much hadith as he did, he replied that while emigrants dealt with the trade, and the ansar (Helpers/residents from/of Medina) were involved in their goods and estates, he as a person from the Suffa were always along side the Prophet, attended committees which the others did not attend, heard and memorized the hadith which the others did not hear, and thought that he was obliged to pass on the hadith in relation to the revelations which order the spread of science and ban their containment.  Although they were the companions closest to the Prophet; Abu Bakr lived considerably far from al-Masjid al-Nabawi and Umar came to the masjid every other day. However Abu Hurairah always remained beside the Prophet which provided him a great opportunity in hadith learning.

Speaking of some of the spiritual opportunities he gained by permanently remaining beside the Prophet, Abu Hurairah once recorded that he successfully snapped at a chance after Prophet Muhammad said that the person who spreads his clothes on the floor and collects it until he completes his speech would memorize his words. Another day when he complained that he could not memorize what he heard, the Prophet told him to spread his clothes on the ground, pretended to throw something into the clothes, and then asked him to collect his clothes, and from that day on Abu Hurairah never forgot what he heard.

Abu Hurairah’s good memory also proved to be solid after an experiment was performed by the Governor of Medina, Marwan b. Hakam. When Marwan wanted to write down all his hadith, Abu Hurairah conceded no privileges. However, later on as Marwan called him to appear before him and made his clerk who was hidden behind a curtain write down the large number of hadith, he asked Abu Hurairah. A year later when he asked those hadith to Abu Hurairah, Marwan found out that Abu Hurairah read the hadith in the exact same manner. As Dhahabi also pointed out, not a single incident is known where he was mistaken in a hadith.

Another reason why Abu Hurairah memorized these hadith in a perfect manner is because he frequently repeated them. He stated that the companion who knows more hadith than himself was Abdullah b. Amr b. As, and this quality was because Abdullah wrote down the hadith, which again proves the extent of Abu Hurairah’s memory.

Abu Hurairah did not get married when the Prophet was still alive, and he did not save worldly possessions. Neither did he aim to acquire certain opportunities or get involved in political incidents. When the fact most of the hadith transmitted by him was two or three lines is also taken into consideration, it appears natural for him to have memorized such a large number hadith.

It is also known that Abu Hurairah asked the Prophet and learned about some of the most important issues never asked before. When he asked as to who would attain an intercession, the Prophet told him in approval that he had known Abu Hurairah was going to be the first person to ask this question since he was filled with a desire to learn the hadith.

As Abu Hurairah was engrossed in teaching others the hadith he had heard, he made a profession of passing on hadith on all occasions. On Fridays when companions gathered together, he would pass on hadith until the imam entered the masjid, which reveals that he was considered by the companions as an authority within the field of hadith.

A final point to mention is that Abu Hurairah continued to live almost half a century after the death of the Prophet. After the Prophet passed away, Abu Hurairah explained the solutions of many problems handled by the Prophet during his lifetime; thus more people gained the opportunity to learn and spread Abu Hurairah’s hadith.