Abu Hurairah was born in Baha,
Yemen into the
Banu Daws tribe from the region of Tihamah on the coast of the
Red Sea. His father had died, leaving him with only his mother and no other relatives. His name at birth was
Abd al-Shams (servant of the sun). However, as a child, he had a cat and became known as "Abu Hurairah" (which literally means "Father of the Kitten" or more idiomatically "Of the kitten").
As a young man, he worked for
Bushra bint Ghazwan.
In speeches and lectures, in Friday
khutbahs and seminars, in the books of
hadith and
sirah,
fiqh and
ibadah, the name Abu Hurairah is mentioned in this fashion:
- "On the authority of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said …".
Through this phrase millions of Muslims, from the early history of Islam to the present, have come to be familiar with the name Abu Hurairah.
