Tag: Q n A, Bukhari

By Allah except Whom none has the right to- be worshipped, (sometimes) I used to lay (sleep) on the
ground on my liver (abdomen) because of hunger, and (sometimes) I used to bind a stone over my
belly because of hunger. One day I sat by the way from where they (the Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions)
used to come out. When Abu Bakr passed by, I asked him about a Verse from Allah’s Book and I
asked him only that he might satisfy my hunger, but he passed by and did not do so. Then `Umar
passed by me and I asked him about a Verse from Allah’s Book, and I asked him only that he might
satisfy my hunger, but he passed by without doing so. Finally Abu-l-Qasim (the Prophet (ﷺ) ) passed by
me and he smiled when he saw me, for he knew what was in my heart and on my face. He said, “O
Aba Hirr (Abu Huraira)!” I replied, “Labbaik, O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)!” He said to me, “Follow me.” He left
and I followed him.
Then he entered the house and I asked permission to enter and was admitted. He found milk in a bowl
and said, “From where is this milk?” They said, “It has been presented to you by such-and-such man
(or by such and such woman).” He said, “O Aba Hirr!” I said, “Labbaik, O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)!” He said,
“Go and call the people of Suffa to me.” These people of Suffa were the guests of Islam who had no
families, nor money, nor anybody to depend upon, and whenever an object of charity was brought to
the Prophet, he would send it to them and would not take anything from it, and whenever any present
was given to him, he used to send some for them and take some of it for himself. The order of the
Prophet upset me, and I said to myself, “How will this little milk be enough for the people of As-
Suffa? though I was more entitled to drink from that milk in order to strengthen myself”, but behold!
The Prophet (ﷺ) came to order me to give that milk to them. I wondered what will remain of that milk for
me, but anyway, I could not but obey Allah and His Apostle so I went to the people of As-Suffa and
called them, and they came and asked the Prophet’s permission to enter. They were admitted and took
their seats in the house.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “O Aba-Hirr!” I said, “Labbaik, O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)!” He said, “Take it and give it to
them.” So I took the bowl (of milk) and started giving it to one man who would drink his fill and
return it to me, whereupon I would give it to another man who, in his turn, would drink his fill and
return it to me, and I would then offer it to another man who would drink his fill and return it to me.
Finally, after the whole group had drunk their fill, I reached the Prophet (ﷺ) who took the bowl and put it
on his hand, looked at me and smiled and said. “O Aba Hirr!” I replied, “Labbaik, O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)!”
He said, “There remain you and I.” I said, “You have said the truth, O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)!” He said, “Sit
down and drink.” I sat down and drank. He said, “Drink,” and I drank. He kept on telling me
repeatedly to drink, till I said, “No. by Allah Who sent you with the Truth, I have no space for it (in
my stomach).” He said, “Hand it over to me.” When I gave him the bowl, he praised Allah and
pronounced Allah’s Name on it and drank the remaining milk.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “I looked into Paradise and found that the majority of its dwellers were the poor
people, and I looked into the (Hell) Fire and found that the majority of its dwellers were women.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) did not eat at a table till he died, and he did not eat a thin nicely baked wheat bread till he
died.

A man passed by Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and the Prophet (ﷺ) asked a man sitting beside him, “What is your
opinion about this (passer-by)?” He replied, “This (passer-by) is from the noble class of people. By
Allah, if he should ask for a lady’s hand in marriage, he ought to be given her in marriage, and if he
intercedes for somebody, his intercession will be accepted. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) kept quiet, and then
another man passed by and Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) asked the same man (his companion) again, “What is your
opinion about this (second) one?” He said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! This person is one of the poor
Muslims. If he should ask a lady’s hand in marriage, no-one will accept him, and if he intercedes for
somebody, no one will accept his intercession, and if he talks, no-one will listen to his talk.” Then
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “This (poor man) is better than such a large number of the first type (i.e. rich
men) as to fill the earth.”

We paid a visit to Khabbab who was sick, and he said, “We migrated with the Prophet (ﷺ) for Allah’s
Sake and our wages became due on Allah. Some of us died without having received anything of the
wages, and one of them was Mus`ab bin `Umar, who was martyred on the day of the battle of Uhud,
leaving only one sheet (to shroud him in). If we covered his head with it, his feet became uncovered,
and if we covered his feet with it, his head became uncovered. So the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered us to cover his
head with it and put some Idhkhir (a kind of grass) over his feet. On the other hand, some of us have
had the fruits (of our good deed) and are plucking them (in this world).

Allah Apostle said, “If I had gold equal to the mountain of Uhud, it would not please me that anything
of it should remain with me after three nights (i.e., I would spend all of it in Allah’s Cause) except
what I would keep for repaying debts.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Wealth is not in having many possessions, but rather (true) wealth is feeling sufficiency in the soul.”

Once I went out at night and found Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) walking all alone accompanied by nobody, and I
thought that perhaps he disliked that someone should accompany him. So I walked in the shade, away
from the moonlight, but the Prophet (ﷺ) looked behind and saw me and said, “Who is that?” I replied,
“Abu Dhar, let Allah get me sacrificed for you!” He said, “O Abu Dhar, come here!” So I
accompanied him for a while and then he said, “The rich are in fact the poor (little rewarded) on the
Day of Resurrection except him whom Allah gives wealth which he gives (in charity) to his right, left,
front and back, and does good deeds with it. I walked with him a little longer. Then he said to me, “Sit
down here.” So he made me sit in an open space surrounded by rocks, and said to me, “Sit here till I
come back to you.” He went towards Al-Harra till I could not see him, and he stayed away for a long
period, and then I heard him saying, while he was coming, “Even if he had committed theft, and even
if he had committed illegal sexual intercourse?” When he came, I could not remain patient and asked
him, “O Allah’s Prophet! Let Allah get me sacrificed for you! Whom were you speaking to by the side
of Al-Harra? I did not hear anybody responding to your talk.” He said, “It was Gabriel who appeared
to me beside Al-Harra and said, ‘Give the good news to your followers that whoever dies without
having worshipped anything besides Allah, will enter Paradise.’ I said, ‘O Gabriel! Even if he had
committed theft or committed illegal sexual intercourse?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘Even if he has
committed theft or committed illegal sexual intercourse?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘Even if he has
committed theft or committed illegal sexual intercourse?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ ”

While I was walking with the Prophet (ﷺ) in the Harra of Medina, Uhud came in sight. The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
“O Abu Dhar!” I said, “Labbaik, O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)!” He said, “I would not like to have gold equal to
this mountain of Uhud, unless nothing of it, not even a single Dinar of it remains with me for more
than three days, except something which I will keep for repaying debts. I would have spent all of it
(distributed it) amongst Allah’s Slaves like this, and like this, and like this.” The Prophet (ﷺ) pointed out
with his hand towards his right, his left and his back (while illustrating it). He proceeded with his walk
and said, “The rich are in fact the poor (little rewarded) on the Day of Resurrection except those who
spend their wealth like this, and like this, and like this, to their right, left and back, but such people are
few in number.” Then he said to me, “Stay at your place and do not leave it till I come back.” Then he
proceeded in the darkness of the night till he went out of sight, and then I heard a loud voice, and was
afraid that something might have happened to the Prophet (ﷺ) .1 intended to go to him, but I remembered
what he had said to me, i.e. ‘Don’t leave your place till I come back to you,’ so I remained at my place
till he came back to me. I said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! I heard a voice and I was afraid.” So I mentioned
the whole story to him. He said, “Did you hear it?” I replied, “Yes.” He said, “It was Gabriel who
came to me and said, ‘Whoever died without joining others in worship with Allah, will enter Paradise.’
I asked (Gabriel), ‘Even if he had committed theft or committed illegal sexual intercourse? Gabriel
said, ‘Yes, even if he had committed theft or committed illegal sexual intercourse.”

I asked the Prophet (for some money) and he gave me, and then again I asked him and he gave me,
and then again I asked him and he gave me and he then said, “This wealth is (like) green and sweet
(fruit), and whoever takes it without greed, Allah will bless it for him, but whoever takes it with greed,
Allah will not bless it for him, and he will be like the one who eats but is never satisfied. And the
upper (giving) hand is better than the lower (taking) hand.”