Abu Hurairah RA says: "I wish you had seen some of us living on a starvation diet for several days successively, so much so that we could not even stand erect. On account of spasms of hunger, I would lie on my belly and press my stomach against the ground or keep a stone tied to my abdomen.
| Saying of Abu Hiraira..RA |
Once, I intentionally sat in wait for some notable people to pass that way. As Saidina Abu Bakr came along, I joined in conversation with him, intending to continue the talk until we reach his home, where I expected him to invite me to share his meals, as was his habit. But his answer was brief, and my plan did not work.
The same thing happened with khalifah Umar RA , when he passed that way. Next to pass that way was Nabi SAW himself. A smile spread over his face when he saw me, for he at once knew why I was sitting there. 'Come with me, Abu Hurairah', he said, and I accompanied him to his house. He took me in, where a bowl of milk was brought before him. He asked, 'Who brought this milk?’ and was told that somebody had sent it as a present. He asked me to go and invite all the Suffah friends. The Suffah people were treated as everyone's guests by all the Muslims. They were such persons who had no home of their own, nor any other means of livelihood. Their number varied with time, but at this particular point in time, they consisted of seventy in all. Nabi SAW would send them in groups of two or four each to the well- to-do Sahaba has guests. He himself would pass on to them all that came to him as 'Sadaqah', and would share the gifts too with them."
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| Maqam of Abu Hiraira RA |
Abu Hurairah RA says: "When Nabi saw asked me to invite all these persons, I naturally had some misgivings, for the milk was so little that it could hardly suffice a single person. I was also aware that Nabi saw would ask me to serve the milk to the others first and a server is always the last, and more often than not, gets the least of the lot. Anyway, out I went, and fetched them all. Nabi SAW said to me: 'Abu Hurairah, serve the milk to them.' I took the bowl to each person in turn and he drank the contents to his heart's desire and returned the same to me, till all of them were served. Nabi SAW then held the goblet in his own hand, smiled at me, and remarked; ‘only the two of us are left now!' 'Quite so', I replied. 'Then take it,' he said. I needed no second bidding, and took enough. He encouraged me to have more, and I had my fill, till I declared that I had no room for any more. He then took hold of the bowl, and drained the remaining milk."
