Response to: Abu huraira and his promises

The following is a response to SlaveOfAhlubait’s “Abu Huraira and his Promises”. The article can be found on the Wilayat website.

The article includes narrations from Musnad Ahmad in which Abu Huraira teaches that the Prophet – peace be upon him – prohibited fasting for those that wake up after Fajr in a state of impurity.

The author of the article is suggesting that Abu Huraira fabricated this narration, but then he changed his view after he was confronted by the view that A’isha and Um Salama say otherwise.

SlaveOfAhlubait quotes:

Abu bakar bin abdur rehman says that I heard abu huraira saying that holy prophet asws said that whosoever makes it to morning in state of impurity, his fast wont be valid. After some time, I met Ayesha and bibi umm salma alongwith my father. They said that holy prophet asws would make it to morning in state of janabat/impurity and still fast that day. When we met abu huraira, my father told him about this narration. So his facial expressions changed. And he said that this was told to me by fadal bin abbas though wives of holy prophet asws know more.

[musnad ahmad, urdu version, vol 12, page 77-78]

Sheikh shoaib says chain is sahih on condition of sheikhain [44/243/26630]

The narration itself is not incriminating to the objective reader. Firstly, it does not include any evidence of foul play from Abu Huraira. He never said that he heard the hadith from the Prophet – peace be upon him – . His mistake was that he relied on what he heard from Al-Fadhl bin Al-Abbas without asking him if he heard it from the Prophet – peace be upon him – .

The reliance on reports one hears from others is a mistake that many of us make. We often hear preachers on the pulpits or on television speaking of narrations that are incorrectly attributed to the Prophet – peace be upon him – . When we relate those narrations to our peers, we often neglect naming our sources. Instead, we simply say, “The Prophet – peace be upon him – said…”

Of course, those of us that fall into this error are not accused of fabricating the narration. Similarly, Abu Huraira cannot be incriminated since he never said that he heard the Prophet – peace be upon him – utter those words.