Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Another Incident regarding the Hunger which Hazrat Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu 'anhu
Hazrat Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) once mentioned to the people:
If only you people could have seen the time when, for prolonged periods, some of us could not even find enough food to keep our backs straight when standing. Because of my extreme hunger, I would lie with my right side pressed to the ground. At times, I would lie on my belly with my stomach pressed against the ground, and at times, I would keep a stone tied to my stomach.
Once, I sat on the pathway where certain people would pass by. The first person to pass was Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). I asked him a question, with the intention that while speaking, we would reach his home, and thereafter, according to his noble habit, he would invite me to share his meal. However, he did not do so (probably, because Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) did not realize his need, or perhaps he did not have anything in his home to serve him).
Thereafter, Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) passed by, and the very same thing transpired.
The next to pass that way was Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) himself. On seeing me, he smiled and knew the reason for which I was seated there. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) addressed me saying, “O Abu Hurairah! Come with me!”
I thus accompanied Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) to his home, and after Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) entered his home, I first sought permission from him to enter, and then I entered the home.
In the home was a bowl of milk which was presented before him. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) enquired, “Where did this milk come from?” Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was informed that it came from a certain place as a gift for him.
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then addressed me and said, “O Abu Hurairah! Go and call the Ashaab-e-Suffah!” The Ashaab-e-Suffah were regarded as the guests of all the Muslims. They had no home of their own and no means of livelihood. Their number continued to change all the time, but at that particular time, they were seventy in total. At different times, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) would send them for meals in groups of two or four to the homes of those Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) who had some food and were able to feed them.
It was the personal practice of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) that if any sadaqah came to him, then he would give it to them and would not keep anything for himself (as Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) would not consume charity), and if any gift came to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), then he would share it with the Ashaab-e-Suffah, and he himself would also partake from it.
Hazrat Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) says:
When Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) asked me to invite all these people, I felt hard because the milk was so little that it was not even enough for one person. I also knew that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) would ask me to serve the milk to the others first, due to which my turn to drink would be last, and I expected that there would be no milk left for me by then. However, since I could not imagine disobeying Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), I went out and called all of them.
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said to me, “Abu Hurairah! Serve the milk to them!” I took the bowl to each person and served them one-by-one until all of them had drunk to their fill.
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then held the bowl in his own hand, smiled at me, and said, “Now it is only you and I who are left!” “Yes,” I replied. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then told me to drink first. I took the bowl and drank. He continued encouraging me to have more, and I drank to my fill, till I said that I had no space for any more. He then took the bowl and drank the remaining milk.
(Fazaa’il-e-A’maal [Urdu] pg. 52-54)
