عَلِيُّ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْحَافِظُ
· BH - AH
Thiqah Thabt · ثقة ثبت
Narrations
1,291
Books
23
Teachers
362
Students
146
Identity
Real Name (الاسم الحقيقي) ·عَلِيُّ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْحَافِظُ
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 - 1,291
Distribution By Collection
Al-Sunan Al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi, and in its appendage is Al-Jawhar Al-Naqi - T - N Majlis Al-Maarif Al-Maarif - Hyderabad
393 (30%)Al Khlafiyt Bain Al Imaman Al Shafi w Abi Hanifa w Ashaba
323 (25%)Sunan Al Kubra Al Baihaqee
197 (15%)The Great Sunnahs of Al-Bayhaqi - T - N Dar Al-Fikr
148 (11%)Knowledge of the Sunnahs and Athar of Al-Bayhaqi - T. Sayed Kasravi Hassan - Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah - Beirut
76 (6%)Marfa Al Sunan wl Aasaar
75 (6%)Al Tahqeeq Fi Ahadith Al Khilaf
24 (2%)Al Khlafiyt Al Baihaqee
18 (1%)Al Kifaya Fi Ailm Al Riwayh Al Khatib Al Baghdadi
10 (1%)Shuab ul Iman
4 (0%)Al Tahyuriyat
3 (0%)Al Sunan Al Sagheer Al Baihaqee
3 (0%)People of Faith - T. Mukhtar Ahmed Al-Nadawi, owner of the Salafi House in Bombay - India - n Al-Rushd Library for Publishing and Distribution in Riyadh in cooperation with the Salafi House in Bombay, India
3 (0%)Musnad Al Shahab
3 (0%)Al-Sunan Al-Sughra by Al-Bayhaqi Al-Munna Al-Kubra Explanation and Takhreej - T - N Al-Rushd Library
2 (0%)Al Minta Al Kubra Sharah w Takhreej Al Sunan Al Sugrah Al Baihaqee
2 (0%)Al-Bayhaqi’s Belief and Guidance to the Path of Righteousness on the Madhhab of the Predecessors and the Companions of Hadith - T. Ahmed Essam Al-Kateb - Dar Al-Afaq Al-Jadidah - Beirut
1 (0%)Al Mustadrak Al Hakim Al Sahihain
1 (0%)Jamia Al-Sahihain Bhazaf Al-Maad w Al-Tarq
1 (0%)Al Etaqad w Al Hidayah Ilah Sabeel Al Reshad
1 (0%)Al-Mustadrak on the Two Sahihs - T. Mustafa Abdel-Qader Atta - Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiya - Beirut
1 (0%)Sunan Al Wardah Fi Al Fittan
1 (0%)Al-Mustadrak on the Two Sahihs of Al-Hakim - T. Abu Abd al-Rahman Muqbil bin Hadi al-Wadi'i - Dar Al-Haramain
1 (0%)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