یَّحْیَ بْنِ اَبِیْ کَثِیْرٍ
· BH - AH
Thiqah Thabt · ثقة ثبت
Narrations
20
Books
11
Teachers
13
Students
7
Identity
Real Name (الاسم الحقيقي) ·یَّحْیَ بْنِ اَبِیْ کَثِیْرٍ
Known As (يُعرف بـ) ·
Kunya (الكنية) ·
Nasab (النسب)
Status / Rank (الرتبة) Sahabi (Companion) · Thiqah Thabt
Born ~ BH (~602 CE) ·
Embraced Islam 7 AH (after the Battle of Khaybar)
Died AH (679 CE) ·
Companion of the Prophet ﷺ —
Biography
"O Allah, fill him with knowledge."
The Prophet ﷺ supplicated for Abu Hurayrah after he complained of forgetting hadith. From that day, Abu Hurayrah said: "I never forgot a hadith after that."
— Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim (multiple chains)This well-attested narration is cited by classical scholars as the divinely-given basis for Abu Hurayrah's extraordinary memory.
Reliability Assessment
صحابي جليل
Distinguished Companion of the Prophet ﷺ — unconditionally trustworthy
Abu Hurayrah is one of the seven most prolific narrators of Hadith. Because of the sheer volume of his narrations — exceeding five thousand — his case received particular attention from classical Hadith critics. The early scholars established his reliability through multiple lines of evidence: his close companionship of the Prophet ﷺ for three years of devoted study, the consistent agreement of his narrations with those of other Sahaba, the prayers of the Prophet ﷺ for his memory (preserved in authentic chains), and the testimony of his contemporaries.
All Hadiths Narrated - 20
Distribution By Collection
Amal Al Yoom w Al Lail Al Nasai
8 (40%)Musnad Imam Al-Shafi’i (Al-Sindi arrangement) (jurisdictional arrangement of the chapters: Muhammad Abed Al-Sindi) - Arranged on the jurisprudential chapters: Muhammad Abid Al-Sindi - Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiya, Beirut - Lebanon
2 (10%)The substantive refinement of Hilyat al-Awliya', by Hafiz Abi Naim al-Asbhani - T - N Dar Taibah for Publishing and Distribution -
2 (10%)Mukhtsar Al Ahkam = Mustakhraj Al Tusi Al Jamia Al Tirmzi
1 (5%)Sahih Ibn Hibban
1 (5%)Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah - Verified, commented on, and extracted his hadiths and presented to him by: Dr. Muhammad Mustafa Al-Azami - N. The Islamic Bureau
1 (5%)Thirsty resources to the additions of Ibn Hibban - T. Hussein Salim Asad Al-Darani - Abdu Ali Al-Koshak - Dar Al-Thaqafa Al-Arabiya, Damascus
1 (5%)Al-Ihsan fi Taqreeb Sahih Ibn Hibban, an investigator - T. Shuaib Al-Arnaout - Al-Risala Foundation, Beirut
1 (5%)Al Khlafiyt Al Baihaqee
1 (5%)Sahih Ibn Khuzamia
1 (5%)Musnad Abu Yaalaa
1 (5%)Classical Scholar Assessments
Engaging with Skepticism مناقشة الشبهات
A small number of voices — both early and modern — have raised questions about the volume of Abu Hurayrah's narrations. Classical and modern scholars have addressed these systematically. We summarise the key responses here.
Position of the Major Legal Schools
Sunni (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali)
Shi'a (Ja'fari)
Ibadi