Abu Hurayrah

Abu Hurayrah's real name is commonly given as Abd ar-Rahman ibn Sakhr ad-Dawsi. He was from the tribe of Daws in Yemen. He earned the kunyah 'Abu Hurayrah' (Father of the Kitten) because he was fond of a small cat he used to carry with him. He accepted Islam at the hands of Tufayl ibn Amr ad-Dawsi, the chief of his tribe, and then migrated to Madinah, arriving during the Khaybar expedition in 7 AH. From the moment he joined the Prophet's company, Abu Hurayrah dedicated himself entirely to preserving the Prophet's words. He was among the Ahl as-Suffah — the impoverished Companions who lived on the raised platform of the Prophet's mosque, having no family or trade to occupy them. He himself said: 'My brothers among the Muhajirun were occupied with trade in the markets, and my brothers among the Ansar were occupied with tending their properties, but I was a poor man who stuck to the Prophet, attending when they were absent and memorising when they forgot.' The Prophet once acknowledged his devotion to learning. Abu Hurayrah narrated: 'I said, O Messenger of Allah, I hear many hadiths from you but I forget them. He said: Spread your garment. I spread it, and he gestured with his hands as if scooping something into it, then said: Gather it to yourself. I did so, and after that I never forgot anything.' This report is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari. His extraordinary memory became a hallmark of his contribution to Islam. Abu Hurayrah served as governor of Madinah under Marwan ibn al-Hakam and was known for his humility despite his prominence. He would say: 'I grew up an orphan, I migrated as a destitute person, and I used to work for food.' He narrated from the Prophet more hadith than any other Companion — al-Bukhari alone records over 400 of his narrations. He died in Madinah in 59 AH and was buried in al-Baqi.