Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 2047
sahih

Narrated Abu Huraira:

You people say that Abu Huraira tells many narrations from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and you also wonder why the emigrants and Ansar do not narrate from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as Abu Huraira does. My emigrant brothers were busy in the market while I used to stick to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) content with what fills my stomach; so I used to be present when they were absent and I used to remember when they used to forget, and my Ansari brothers used to be busy with their properties and I was one of the poor men of Suffa. I used to remember the narrations when they used to forget. No doubt, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) once said, "Whoever spreads his garment till I have finished my present speech and then gathers it to himself, will remember whatever I will say." So, I spread my colored garment which I was wearing till Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had finished his saying, and then I gathered it to my chest. So, I did not forget any of that narrations.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ، وَأَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ تَقُولُونَ إِنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يُكْثِرُ الْحَدِيثَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏ وَتَقُولُونَ مَا بَالُ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالأَنْصَارِ لاَ يُحَدِّثُونَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَإِنَّ إِخْوَتِي مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ كَانَ يَشْغَلُهُمْ صَفْقٌ بِالأَسْوَاقِ، وَكُنْتُ أَلْزَمُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى مِلْءِ بَطْنِي، فَأَشْهَدُ إِذَا غَابُوا وَأَحْفَظُ إِذَا نَسُوا، وَكَانَ يَشْغَلُ إِخْوَتِي مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ عَمَلُ أَمْوَالِهِمْ، وَكُنْتُ امْرَأً مِسْكِينًا مِنْ مَسَاكِينِ الصُّفَّةِ أَعِي حِينَ يَنْسَوْنَ، وَقَدْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي حَدِيثٍ يُحَدِّثُهُ ‏

‏ إِنَّهُ لَنْ يَبْسُطَ أَحَدٌ ثَوْبَهُ حَتَّى أَقْضِيَ مَقَالَتِي هَذِهِ، ثُمَّ يَجْمَعَ إِلَيْهِ ثَوْبَهُ إِلاَّ وَعَى مَا أَقُولُ ‏

‏‏.‏ فَبَسَطْتُ نَمِرَةً عَلَىَّ، حَتَّى إِذَا قَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَقَالَتَهُ جَمَعْتُهَا إِلَى صَدْرِي، فَمَا نَسِيتُ مِنْ مَقَالَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم تِلْكَ مِنْ شَىْءٍ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 34, Hadith 1
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 3, Book 34, Hadith 263 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The transmission of the Sunnah and narrating the hadeeths of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ are solemn and serious responsibilities, and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were remarkably meticulous regarding narration of the hadeeths and the verification of their authenticity. Some Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) related numerous hadeeths and reports while others narrated only few, according to the time during which they kept the company of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to keep the company of the Prophet ﷺ more often and narrated more hadeeths than other Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). When Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) realized the bewilderment of some of them and their questions about his ability to narrate so many hadeeths on the authority of the Prophet ﷺ, he (may Allah be pleased with him) clarified the reasons for them. He (may Allah be pleased with him) highlighted that he was able to narrate more hadeeths compared to the emigrants and Ansaar, meaning all the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), because his fellow brothers from the emigrants were busy with trade in the marketplaces, while he (may Allah be pleased with him) kept the company of the Prophet ﷺ longer and settled for having enough food to satisfy his hunger and keep him alive! This is why he (may Allah be pleased with him) was present with the Prophet ﷺ most of the time. He (may Allah be pleased with him) used to be present when they were absent and used to remember when they used to forget, because he kept the company of the Prophet ﷺ longer. On the other hand, the Ansaar were also preoccupied with tending to their property, farms and the like, while he was a poor man, who belonged to the People of Suffah (i.e., homeless men who were sheltered in a place annexed to the Prophet’s Mosque) who did not engage in trade nor had any property to keep him busy. The word Suffah means a shaded place annexed to the Prophet’s Mosque which was home to the strangers and poor homeless Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Therefore, he (may Allah be pleased with him) was always near the Prophet ﷺ and conveniently listened to the discussions of many knowledge-related issues and the hadeeths of the Prophet ﷺ. This is why he (may Allah be pleased with him) used to remember and memorize the hadeeths that they missed out on. Afterward, he (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever spreads his garment till I have finished my present speech and then gathers it to himself, will remember whatever I will say,” meaning that he would be able to memorize whatever he ﷺ said. Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) hastened to spread his garment, which was a striped or colored garment, and kept it spread till Allah's Messenger ﷺ had finished his saying, and then gathered it to his chest. Thus, he (may Allah be pleased with him) did not forget any of his hadeeths or statements in that gathering! Perhaps one blessing of the Prophet’s ﷺsupplication for him manifested in the fact that he (may Allah be pleased with him) memorized everything he had learned and heard from the Prophet ﷺ during his long stay with him. The hadeeth highlights an apparent miracle exercised by the Prophet ﷺ. It also underlines the virtues and merits of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). It is deduced from the hadeeth that a Muslim is urged to seek knowledge. It is also inferred therefrom that it is allowable for a person to proclaim his good qualities and virtues to dismiss suspicions about himself, and not to praise himself. It is also deduced therefrom that senior Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) engaged in trade and worked to earn their living..
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