Bukhari, book 64 hadith 268

[faical]

AssalamuAlikum

Dear Moulana, once again i come witha new question. My aquidah is according to Ulama e AhluSsunnah but i want to understand the following hadith specially tha last sentence
What Hadrat Abu Hurairah (Radi Allahu anhu) wanted to say with "No, it is from my own self" when previously he säid "The Prophet said,". It is little bit controversial.

Jazzakumullah Khair, Wassalam

Volume 7, Book 64, , Number 268:
Narrated Abu Huraira:

"The Prophet said, 'The best alms is that which is given when one is rich, and a giving hand is better than a taking one, and you should start first to support your dependents.' A wife says, 'You should either provide me with food or divorce me.' A slave says, 'Give me food and enjoy my service." A son says, "Give me food; to whom do you leave me?" The people said, "O Abu Huraira! Did you hear that from Allah's Apostle ?" He said, "No, it is from my own self."

[Imam]

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Wa'alaykum 'Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu


All Praise be to Allah who is the Greatest, and may Endless Blessings be showered upon His Most Beloved and Final Messenger of Islam, Hadrat Muhammad Mustafa (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam)



Jazak'Allah for your question. The hadith that you have referred to in your question, appears in Bukhari Shareef, Kitab-un-Nafaqat, and is the fifth hadith in that kitab. It is as follows:


Hadrat 'Abu Hurayrah (Radi Allahu anhu), narrated that the Most Beloved Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam) said: The best form of sadaqah, is that which the generosity of the giver remains. The upper hand is better than the lower hand, and begin giving sadaqah with that upon which you spend.'


Until this point in the hadith, the narrator is Hadrat Abu Hurayrah (Radi Allahu anhu), and the words are of the beloved Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam). After this point, according to the Muhadditheen, the words are of Hadrat Abu Hurayrah (Radi Allahu anhu). Those words are as follows:


'The woman says 'either give me susteneance, or divorce', and the servant says 'give me food, and the workload', and the son says 'give me food, with whom are you leaving me.' The people asked 'Did you hear this from the Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam)'? Abu Hurayrah (Radi Allahu anhu) replied, 'No, this is from the pocket of Abu Hurayrah'.


From the above hadith, we clearly see a distinction between the words of the Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam) which have appeared in numerous other parts of the same Hadith book, and from other Hadith Books. Whereas the latter part of the hadith is the words of Hadrat Abu Hurayrah (Radi Allahu anhu).


In addition to this, when Hadrat Abu Hurayrah (Radi Allahu anhu) was asked 'Did you hear this from the beloved Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam), he is referring to his own words in the latter part of the hadith, that they are from the pocket of Abu Hurayrah, and not the former words, which are the Hadith of the beloved Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam).


The words of Abu Hurayrah are 'taqulul mar'atu...'The woman says', whereas before that, it is what is quoted by the Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam).


May Allah the Almighty give us all the tawfiq to learn and act upon the Qur'an al kareem and the hadith, and may He make it a way of salvation for us in this world, and the Hereafter. (Amin)



Wallahu A'lamu Biththawaab


M. Waseem Ashrafi