Hazrat Abu Hurayrah (Radiyallahu Anhu) narrates,“I used to invite my mother to Islam while she was a Mushrik (idolater). One day, I invited her but she uttered some words about Rasulullah (ﷺ) which saddened me greatly. With tears in my eyes, I went to Rasulullah (ﷺ) and said: "I have always invited my mother to Islam but she has always rejected. Today, I invited her again and I heard words from her which I do not like. Do make Dua to Allah to guide Abu Hurayrah's mother incline to Islam." Rasulullah (ﷺ) responded to Abu Hurayrah's request and made Dua for his mother.
اللهُمَّ اهْدِ أُمَّ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ»« “O Allah! Guide the mother of Abu Hurayrah.”
"I left from there happy with the Dua of Rasulullah (ﷺ) . I went home and found the door closed. My mother heard my footsteps and said: "Stay where you are, O Abu Hurayrah (Radiyallahu Anhu)." I heard the splashing of water (she was taking a bath). And after putting on her clothes, she said, "Enter!" I entered and she said: "
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
I testify that there is no god but Allah and I testify that Muhammad is His Servant and His Messenger." "I returned to Rasulullah (ﷺ), weeping with joy and said: "I have good news, O Rasulullah (ﷺ). Allah has responded to your prayer and guided the mother of Abu Hurayrah to Islam." He (ﷺ) praised Allah and said good.
I then asked him (ﷺ) to make Dua for my mother and I that Allah makes us beloved to the believers and the believers beloved to us.
«اللَّهُمَّ حَبِّبْ عُبَيْدَكَ هَذَا» يَعْنِي أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ «وَأُمَّهُ إِلَى عِبَادِكَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَحَبِّبْ إِليهم الْمُؤمنِينَ»
“O Allah! Make your small slave (i.e. Abu Hurayrah) and his mother beloved to your believing slaves and make the believers beloved to them.” Thereafter, there was no believer who heard about me or saw me except that he loved me. (Sahih Muslim #2914)
Brief Life Sketch of Hazrat Abu Hurayrah (Radiyallahu Anhu) - Part 3
Poverty and Hunger
He was among the Ashabus Suffah. These were residents of Musjidun Nabawi. They had no regular source of income. They were the guests of Rasulullah (ﷺ), who transferred to them Sadaqah and whatever gifts he (ﷺ) received. He would sometimes go without food for days on end and sometimes would behave like a lunatic due to excessive hunger.
Once, Hazrat Abu Hurayrah (Radiyallahu Anhu) after wiping his nose with piece of fine linen remarked to himself:
"Look at Abu Hurayrah (Radiyallahu Anhu)! He cleans his nose with fine linen, today. I remember the time when he used to lie down between the Mimbar and the house of Hazrat Aisha (Radiyallahu Anha). People took him to be suffering from epilepsy and put their feet on his neck. But there was no other malady with him, other than spasms of hunger." (Bukhari #7324,Tirmizi #2367)
Hazrat Abu Hurayrah (Radiyallahu Anhu) had to remain hungry for days together. At times, he was overpowered with hunger so much that he fell unconscious, and people mistook this as attacks of epilepsy. It seems that in those days they treated epilepsy by placing a foot on the neck of the patient.
Hazrat Abu Hurayrah (Radiyallahu Anhu) is one of those people who suffered from extremes of want and poverty in the early days of Islam. He however, saw better days in later years when Muslim conquests followed in succession.
Hazrat Abu Hurayrah (Radiyallahu Anhu) mentions another incident:
"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.
Once, I intentionally sat in wait for some notable people to pass that way. As Hazrat Abu Bakr (Radiyallahu Anhu) came along, I joined in conversation with him, intending to continue the talk till 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 Hazrat Umar, (Radiyallahu Anhu) when he passed that way. Rasulullah (ﷺ) himself was the next to come. A smile spread on his face when he saw me, for he at once understood why I was sitting there. 'Come with me, Abu Hurayrah', he said, and I accompanied him to his house.
He (ﷺ) took me in, where a bowl of milk was brought before him. He (ﷺ) asked, 'Who brought this milk?" and was told that somebody had sent it as a present. He (ﷺ) told me to go and invite all the Suffah friends. The Suffah people were treated as everyone's guests by all the Muslims. Their number varied with time. But at this particular juncture, they totaled seventy in all. Rasulullah (ﷺ) would send them in groups of two or four each to the well-to-do Sahabah as guests. He himself would pass on to them all that came to him as 'Sadaqah', and would share the gifts too with them."
Hazrat Abu Hurayrah (Radiyallahu Anhu) says:
"When Rasulullah (ﷺ) asked me to invite all these people, I naturally had some misgivings, for the milk was so little that it could hardly suffice a single person. Also, I was aware that the Prophet (ﷺ) would ask myself 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.
Rasulullah (ﷺ) said to me: Hazrat Abu Hurayrah (Radiyallahu Anhu), do 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. Rasulullah (ﷺ) then held the goblet in his own hand, smiled at me, and remarked;
Only two of us are left now!' 'Quite so', I replied. 'Then take it,' he said. I needed no second bidding, and took enough. He exhorted me to have more, and I had my fill; till I declared that I had no room for any more. He (ﷺ) then took hold of the bowl, and drank the remaining milk." (Bukhari)