Sahih Muslim Introduction 9
https://sunnah.com/muslim/introduction/8
Abu-Hurayra ( أبو هريرة) historically was a companion of the prophet Muhammad. He is most known for having the greatest number of Hadith attributed to him compared to any other companion, despite only being among the prophet for only a couple years before his passing. It is estimated that there are ~5,374 traditions attributed to him.
To put this in perspective, the first Caliph (r. 632-634), Abu Bakr, the prophet’s closest companion, and his father-in-law, only had 142 traditions attributed to him, according to Al-Nawawi in his al-Tadhib. So Abu Hurayra narrated ~38 times more traditions than Abu Bakr.
Umar was also one of the closest companions to the prophet. It is stated in the following Hadith:
“”I and an Ansari neighbor of mine from Bani Umaiya bin Zaid who used to live in `Awali Al-Medina, used to visit the Prophet (ﷺ) in turns. He used to go one day, and I another day. When I went I would bring him the news of what had happened that day regarding the instructions and orders and when he went, he used to do the same for me.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 2468
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:2468
In addition to these frequent visits, he was also the prophet’s father-in-law and the second Calipha (r. 634-644). Despite all this, it is estimated that there are ~537 traditions directly attributed to Umar. So Abu Hurayra narrated over 10 times more traditions than Umar.
Ali was Muhammad’s nephew, lived in the same household as the prophet, was with him for 32 years, and was the first male to accept the message. In a hadith, it is claimed that Muhammad thought of him as his Aaron in relation to Moses.
And narrated Sad that the Prophet (ﷺ) said to ‘Ali, “Will you not be pleased from this that you are to me like Aaron was to Moses?”
حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ سَعْدٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِعَلِيٍّ “ أَمَا تَرْضَى أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى ”.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3706
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3706
Despite this, there are 586 hadiths attributed directly to Ali. Therefore, Abu Hurairah narrated 9x more traditions than Ali.
If we compare Abu Hurayra against the next six top narrators, we see that he narrated more than double as many Hadith as the next most attributed narrator, Abd Allah ibn Umar.
Abu Hurayra: 5374
Abd Allah ibn Umar: 2630
Anas ibn Malik: 2286
‘Aisha: 2210
ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās: 1660
Jabir ibn Abd Allah:1540
Saʽid al-Khudri: 1170
Companions Views on Hadith
Part of the reason there were such few Hadith from some of the closest companions to the prophet was because all Hadith, besides the Quran, were frowned upon. This is particularly true in regard to the writing of Hadith. This is why outside of personal writing that people might have possessed, the first publication of Hadith was not completed until the Muwatta Imam Malik around the year 767 CE, ~150 AH. Ironically it is well understood that Imam Malik was against codifying his compilation and utilizing it as a source of law besides the Quran despite spending the next three decades refining it.
Muhammad’s View on Hadith
People have been fabricating Hadith about the prophet since he was alive. This is the reason that the prophet prohibited any writing from him aside from the Quran.
Abu Sa’id Khudri reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: Do not write anything about me. And whoever wrote about me other than the Quran then he should erase it. And narrate about me, for there is no harm in it and he who attributed any falsehood to me; and Hammam said: I think he also said:” deliberately” – he should in fact find his abode in the Hell-Fire.
Narrated `Aisha: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) came to me and I told him about the slave-girl (Barirah) Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Buy and manumit her, for the Wala is for the one who manumits.” In the evening the Prophet (ﷺ) got up and glorified Allah as He deserved and then said, “Why do some people impose conditions which are not present in Allah’s Book (Laws)? Whoever imposes such a condition as is not in Allah’s Laws, then that condition is invalid even if he imposes one hundred conditions, for Allah’s conditions are more binding and reliable.”
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ ـ رضى الله عنها دَخَلَ عَلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَكَرْتُ لَهُ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” اشْتَرِي وَأَعْتِقِي، فَإِنَّ الْوَلاَءَ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ ”. ثُمَّ قَامَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنَ الْعَشِيِّ، فَأَثْنَى عَلَى اللَّهِ بِمَا هُوَ أَهْلُهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ ” مَا بَالُ أُنَاسٍ يَشْتَرِطُونَ شُرُوطًا لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ، مَنِ اشْتَرَطَ شَرْطًا لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَهْوَ بَاطِلٌ، وَإِنِ اشْتَرَطَ مِائَةَ شَرْطٍ، شَرْطُ اللَّهِ أَحَقُّ وَأَوْثَقُ ”.
Sahih al-Bukhari 2155
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:2155
Harmalah bin Yahyā bin Abd Allah bin Harmalah bin Imrān at-Tujībī narrated to me, he said Ibn Wahb narrated to us, he said Abū Shurayh narrated to me that he heard Sharāhīl bin Yazīd saying ‘Muslim bin Yasār informed me that he heard Abā Hurayrah saying, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, said: ‘There will be in the end of time charlatan liars coming to you with narrations that you nor your fathers heard, so beware of them lest they misguide you and cause you tribulations’.’
Narrated Ibn Al-Musaiyab: The companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) said, he said, “Some men from my companions will come to my Lake-Fount and they will be driven away from it, and I will say, ‘O Lord, my companions!’ It will be said, ‘ You have no knowledge of what they innovated (Hadith) after you left: they turned apostate as renegades (reverted from Islam).
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ، صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ يَرِدُ عَلَى الْحَوْضِ رِجَالٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِي فَيُحَلَّئُونَ عَنْهُ فَأَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ أَصْحَابِي. فَيَقُولُ إِنَّكَ لاَ عِلْمَ لَكَ بِمَا أَحْدَثُوا بَعْدَكَ ، إِنَّهُمُ ارْتَدُّوا عَلَى أَدْبَارِهِمُ الْقَهْقَرَى ”. وَقَالَ شُعَيْبٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ كَانَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَيُجْلَوْنَ. وَقَالَ عُقَيْلٌ فَيُحَلَّئُونَ. وَقَالَ الزُّبَيْدِيُّ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي رَافِعٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6586
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6586
Caution from Companions towards Hadith
Narrated `Abdullah bin Az-Zubair: I said to my father, ‘I do not hear from you any narration (Hadith) of Allah s Apostle as I hear (his narration) from so and so?” Az-Zubair replied. l was always with him (the Prophet) and I heard him saying “Whoever tells a lie against me (intentionally) then (surely) let him occupy, his seat in Hellfire.
Sahih al-Bukhari 107
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:107
Narrated Anas: The fact which stops me from narrating a great number of Hadiths to you is that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Whoever tells a lie against me intentionally, then (surely) let him occupy his seat in Hell-fire.”
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مَعْمَرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، قَالَ أَنَسٌ إِنَّهُ لَيَمْنَعُنِي أَنْ أُحَدِّثَكُمْ حَدِيثًا كَثِيرًا أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ مَنْ تَعَمَّدَ عَلَىَّ كَذِبًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ ”.
Sahih al-Bukhari 108
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:108
Ironically, even in this most sound and authentic Hadith, there are disputes about whether the prophet stated the lie must be intentional. This is because some narrations include the word deliberate, while others do not.
Narrated Salama: I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, “Whoever ascribes to me what I have not said then (surely) let him occupy his seat in Hell-fire.”
حَدَّثَنَا مَكِّيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ، عَنْ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ “ مَنْ يَقُلْ عَلَىَّ مَا لَمْ أَقُلْ فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ ”.
Sahih al-Bukhari 109
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:109
Abū Sa’īd al-Ashajj narrated to me, Wakī’ narrated to us, al-A’mash narrated to us, on authority of al-Musayyab bin Rāfi’, on authority of Āmir bin Abdah, he said, Abd Allah [bin Mas’ūd] said: ‘Indeed Satan will appear in the form of a man and he will come to the people, narrating to them false Ḥadīth, and they will then depart. Then a man among them will say: ‘I heard a man whose face I recognize but I do not know his name narrating [such and such]…’
Sahih Muslim Introduction 17
https://sunnah.com/muslim/introduction/16
Abu Bakr and Hadith
According to a narration some writers report from al-Hakim an-Nisaburi, Aisha stated the following:
Narrated ‘Aisha: My father had collected five hundred hadiths of the Prophet. On the night he did it, he tossed and turned in bed. I asked, “Do you have an illness or have you heard something?” In the morning, he said, “My daughter! Bring me the hadiths that I gave you.” I brought them. He wanted some fire and burned them. When I asked him why he burned them, he said, “I do not want to die having these hadiths with me because I am afraid that there are hadiths that are not originally as they are reported though I heard them from people whom I trust; I am afraid to narrate them that way”
After the demise of the Holy Prophet, Abu-Bakr gathered people and said, ‘You are reporting about the Messenger of Allah inconsistent narrations. People coming after you will be engaged in more intense discrepancy. Therefore, do not report anything about the Messenger of Allah, and if anyone asks you, you should refer to the Book of Allah as the arbitrator. You should thus deem lawful whatever is lawful therein and deem unlawful whatever is unlawful therein.’
Abū Bakr, after the Prophet’s death, recorded by al-Dhahabī in Tadhkirat al-Ḥuffāẓ (1/9), via a report of Ibn Abī Malīkah, Abū Bakr reportedly said:
“You are narrating ḥadīths from the Messenger of Allah in which you differ. Those after you will differ even more. So do not narrate anything. Say: ‘Between us and you is the Book of Allah. Deem its lawful as ḥalāl and its unlawful as ḥarām.’”
Umar and Hadith
Umar staunchly believed that the Quran was sufficient and was incredibly uptight regarding the spreading of Hadith.
Narrated ‘Ubaidullah bin `Abdullah: Ibn `Abbas said, “When the ailment of the Prophet (ﷺ) became worse, he said, ‘Bring for me (writing) paper and I will write for you a statement after which you will not go astray.’ But `Umar said, ‘The Prophet is seriously ill, and we have got Allah’s Book with us and that is sufficient for us.’ But the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) differed about this and there was a hue and cry. On that the Prophet (ﷺ) said to them, ‘Go away (and leave me alone). It is not right that you should quarrel in front of me.” Ibn `Abbas came out saying, “It was most unfortunate (a great disaster) that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was prevented from writing that statement for them because of their disagreement and noise.
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ لَمَّا اشْتَدَّ بِالنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَجَعُهُ قَالَ ” ائْتُونِي بِكِتَابٍ أَكْتُبُ لَكُمْ كِتَابًا لاَ تَضِلُّوا بَعْدَهُ ”. قَالَ عُمَرُ إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم غَلَبَهُ الْوَجَعُ وَعِنْدَنَا كِتَابُ اللَّهِ حَسْبُنَا فَاخْتَلَفُوا وَكَثُرَ اللَّغَطُ. قَالَ ” قُومُوا عَنِّي، وَلاَ يَنْبَغِي عِنْدِي التَّنَازُعُ ”. فَخَرَجَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ يَقُولُ إِنَّ الرَّزِيَّةَ كُلَّ الرَّزِيَّةِ مَا حَالَ بَيْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَبَيْنَ كِتَابِهِ.
Sahih al-Bukhari 114
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:114
It is reported that Umar, during his reign as Caliph, did not allow the free travel of the prophet’s companions without his permission because he did not want them to propagate Hadith. It wasn’t until the reign of Uthman that this ban was lifted, and the companions were allowed to emigrate to some of the newly Muslim-conquered regions.
In Tadhkirat al-huffaz, al-Dhahabi reported from Shu’bah, from Sa’id ibn Ibrahim from his father, that Umar detained Ibn Mas’ud, Abu al-Darda’ and Abu Mas’ud al-Ansari, saying to them: You have narrated hadith abundantly from the Messenger of Allah. It is reported that he had detained them in Medina, but they were set free by Uthman.
Ibn Sa’d and Ibn Asakir reports from Mahmud ibn Labid that he said: I heard Uthman ibn Affan addressing people from over the pulpit: It is unlawful for everyone to narrate any hadith he never heard of during the time of Abu Bakr and that of Umar. Verily that which made me abstain from narrating from the Messenger of Allah was not to be among the most conscious of his Companions, but I heard him declaring: “Whoever ascribing to me something I never said, he shall verily occupy his (destined) abode in Fire.”
Ali and Hadith
Narrated Abu Juhaifa: I asked Ali, “Do you have the knowledge of any Divine Inspiration (wahi) besides what is in Allah’s Book?” Ali replied, “No, by Him Who splits the grain of corn and creates the soul. I don’t think we have such knowledge, but we have the ability of understanding which Allah may endow a person with, so that he may understand the Qur’an, and we have what is written in this paper as well.” I asked, “What is written in this paper?” He replied, “The understanding, releasing of the captive, and that a Muslim should not be killed by a disbeliever.
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا مُطَرِّفٌ، أَنَّ عَامِرًا، حَدَّثَهُمْ عَنْ أَبِي جُحَيْفَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعَلِيٍّ ـ رضى الله عنه هَلْ عِنْدَكُمْ شَىْءٌ مِنَ الْوَحْىِ إِلاَّ مَا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ قَالَ وَالَّذِي فَلَقَ الْحَبَّةَ وَبَرَأَ النَّسَمَةَ مَا أَعْلَمُهُ إِلاَّ فَهْمًا يُعْطِيهِ اللَّهُ رَجُلاً فِي الْقُرْآنِ، وَمَا فِي هَذِهِ الصَّحِيفَةِ. قُلْتُ وَمَا فِي الصَّحِيفَةِ قَالَ الْعَقْلُ وَفَكَاكُ الأَسِيرِ، وَأَنْ لاَ يُقْتَلَ مُسْلِمٌ بِكَافِرٍ.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3047
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3047
Who was Abu Hurairah?
So, who was Abu Hurairah, and how did he have access to so many narrations from the prophet, particularly for being with him for such a short amount of time? Was he so wise that the prophet kept him around as a close confidant? Was he so noble that he had the respect of all the other companions and was given special access to the prophet? The simple answer is no; he was not any of that, according to the historical account.
His reputation among his companions was not a good one. They used to scorn him and make fun of him because of his nonsensical fabricated narrations and his exaggeration in multiplying them. By the biographical and Hadith narrations, including ones directly attributed to him, he comes off as a village idiot.
On top of that, relatively little is known about Abu Hurairah and his past prior to joining the believers. There is no certainty as to where he was born or how old he was when he came to Medina; even his actual name is not certain. Abu Hurairah was his nickname (kunyah), meaning “Father of a Kitten.” From his narrations, it is indicated that when he first joined the believers, he was poor, hungry, and in search of food.
Views of Abu Hurairah from Companions
Aisha & Abu Hurairah
‘A’isha reported: Don’t you feel surprised at Abu Huraira? He came (one day) and sat beside the nook of my apartment and began to narrate (the hadith of Allah’s Apostle). I was hearing while I was engaged in extolling Allah (reciting Subhan Allah) constantly. He stood up before I finished my repetition of Subhan Allah. If I were to meet him, I would have warned him in stern words that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) did not narrate the Hadith as you narrate.
وَحَدَّثَنِي حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى التُّجِيبِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ، شِهَابٍ أَنَّ عُرْوَةَ بْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ، حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ أَلاَ يُعْجِبُكَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ جَاءَ فَجَلَسَ إِلَى جَنْبِ حُجْرَتِي يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُسْمِعُنِي ذَلِكَ وَكُنْتُ أُسَبِّحُ فَقَامَ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَقْضِيَ سُبْحَتِي وَلَوْ أَدْرَكْتُهُ لَرَدَدْتُ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَمْ يَكُنْ يَسْرُدُ الْحَدِيثَ كَسَرْدِكُمْ .
Sahih Muslim 2493
https://sunnah.com/muslim:2493
In the next narration, we have Abu Huraira fabricating what the messenger stated nullifies Salat, and ‘Aisha rebuking him for this.
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: A woman, an ass and a dog disrupt the prayer, but something like the back of a saddle guards against that.
Masruq reported: It was mentioned before’A’isha that prayer is invalidated (in case of passing) of a dog, an ass and a woman (before the worshipper, when he is not screened). Upon this ‘A’isha said: You likened us to the asses and the dogs. By Allah I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying prayer while I lay on the bedstead interposing between him and the Qibla. When I felt the need, I did not like to wit to front (of the Holy Prophet) and perturb the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and quietly moved out from under its (i. e. of the bedstead) legs.
Sahih Muslim 512d
https://sunnah.com/muslim:512d
See also: https://sunnah.com/muslim:511
Abu Razin reported: Abu Huraira came to us and he struck his forehead with his hand and said: Behold I you talk amongst yourself that I attribute wrongly to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) (certain things) in order to guide you to the right path. In such a case, I would myself go astray. Listen. I bear testimony to the fact that I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saying: When the thong of any one of you is broken, he should not walk in the second one until he has got it repaired.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ – وَاللَّفْظُ لأَبِي كُرَيْبٍ – قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي رَزِينٍ، قَالَ خَرَجَ إِلَيْنَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ فَضَرَبَ بِيَدِهِ عَلَى جَبْهَتِهِ فَقَالَ أَلاَ إِنَّكُمْ تَحَدَّثُونَ أَنِّي أَكْذِبُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِتَهْتَدُوا وَأَضِلَّ أَلاَ وَإِنِّي أَشْهَدُ لَسَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ “ إِذَا انْقَطَعَ شِسْعُ أَحَدِكُمْ فَلاَ يَمْشِ فِي الأُخْرَى حَتَّى يُصْلِحَهَا ” .
Sahih Muslim 2098a
https://sunnah.com/muslim:2098a
The next incident between Abu Hurairah and ‘A’isha is regaring this Hadith found in Bukhari.
Narrated Sahl bin Sa`d: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “If at all there is bad omen, it is in the horse, the woman, and the house.”
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ إِنْ كَانَ فِي شَىْءٍ فَفِي الْفَرَسِ وَالْمَرْأَةِ وَالْمَسْكَنِ ”.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5095
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5095
In the book Ta’wil Mukhtalif al-Hadith by Ibn Qutaybah (828-890 CE/213-276 AH), on page 150 of the Annotated Translation, Ibn Qutaybah cites the following Hadith regarding the controversy between Abu Hurairah and ‘A’ishah and the above Hadith.
Abu Muhammad [Ibn Qutaybah] said: “Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Qart’i, has narrated from ‘Abd al-A’la who then narrated from Sa’id and he then narrated from Qatadah and the latter from Abu al-Hasan al-A’raj who said that two men met ‘A’ishah and they said to her that Abu Hurayrah has narrated from the Prophet: [Indeed woman, animals and house signify evil omen.] She jumped and explained: [Liar — by the One who reveals al-Qur’an to Abu Qasim [the Prophet]! The one who narrated this hadith from the Prophet is lying!] Indeed, the Prophet said: [That Jahiliyyah people used to say that animals, woman and horse signal bad omen.] Then (‘A’ishah) recited: [No misfortune can happen on the earth or in your souls but is recorded in a decree before We bring it into existence….[Quran 57:22] to explain the situation.”
This Hadith can also be found in “Al-Mustakrak, 2:479; Kunz al-‘Ummal, 10:11 (No. 28557), 10:116 (No. 28585); Al-Sunan al-Kubra, 1:124; Majama’ al-Zawa’id, 5:124 (No. 8405).
Ibn Qutaybah also had the following commentary from Abu Hurairah himself, referenced on the same page as the excerpt above: