It is related from him that he said: “I once found a wild kitten and took its young. My father asked, ‘What is that in your lap?’ When I told him, he said, ‘You are Abu Hurayrah.’

It is established in the Sahih (1) that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, addressed him as ‘Abā Hirr,’ and it is likewise authentically reported (2) that he said to him, ‘O Abu Hurayrah.’

Muhammad ibn Saʿd, Ibn al-Kalbi, and al-Tabarani said: His mother’s name was Maymuna bint Sufayh (3) ibn al-Harith ibn Abi Saʿb ibn Hiba (4) ibn Saʿd ibn Thaʿlaba. She embraced Islam and died upon it.

Abu Hurayrah transmitted a great and wholesome amount from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he was among the foremost memorizers of the Companions. He also narrated from Abu Bakr, ʿUmar, Ubayy ibn Kaʿb, Usama ibn Zayd, Basra ibn Abi Basra (5), al-Fadl ibn ʿAbbas, Kaʿb al-Ahbar, and ʿAisha, Mother of the Believers.

Crowds of scholars took hadith from him; we have listed them alphabetically in al-Takmil, just as our shaykh did in his Tahdhib.

Al-Bukhari said: About eight hundred—or even more—men of knowledge, from among the Companions, the Followers, and others, narrated from him.

ʿAmr ibn ʿAli al-Fallas said: He resided in Medina, and he accepted Islam in the year of Khaybar.

Al-Waqidi said: He owned a house at Dhu l-Hulayfa.

Others said: He was dark-complexioned, broad-shouldered, wore two braids, and his upper front teeth were slightly spaced (6).

Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi and several others narrated—from Abu Khalda Khalid ibn Dinar, from Abu l-ʿAliya—that Abu Hurayrah said: “When I became Muslim, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, asked, ‘From whom are you?’ I replied, ‘From Daws.’ He placed his hand on his forehead and said, ‘I never supposed there was any man of goodness in Daws!’ (7)”

Al-Zuhri reported—from Saʿid—on the authority of Abu Hurayrah: “I was present with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, at Khaybar.”

ʿAbd al-Razzaq transmitted—from Sufyan ibn ʿUyaynah, from Ismaʿil, from Qays—that Abu Hurayrah said: “I came to Khaybar after they had finished the fighting.”