Question

What is the authenticity of the narration which states that Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) had brought some dates to Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and asked him to make du’a for barakah. After this there was so much of barakah in those dates that he fed large numbers of people right until the time of Sayyiduna ‘Uthman (radiyallahu ‘anhu).

Answer

This Hadith has been recorded in various Hadith collections with variations in the wording. The following version has been declared sound (hasan) by Imam Tirmidhi and authentic (sahih) by Imam ibn Hibban:

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) says:

“I came to Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) with some dates and said: ‘O Rasulullah, make du’a that Allah places barakah in these dates.’ So he took them, made du’a for barakah and then said to me: ‘Take them and put them in your bag (or this bag) and whenever you intend to take from it, then put your hand in and take, and do not scatter them about.’

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah says, ‘I would take such and such ‘wasq’ (a unit of measure) of those dates in the path of Allah. We would eat from it, and give others to eat. That bag would not part from my waist until the day ‘Uthman was martyred, for they had run out.”

(Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 3839 and Sahih ibn Hibban; Al Ihsan, Hadith: 6532)

Imam Bayhaqi (rahimahullah) has recorded other versions of this narrations as well which state that Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) estimates that they had eaten approximately two hundred “wasqs” [A large unit of measure], before they could run out.

(Refer: Dalailun Nubuwwah, vol. 6, pg. 109-111 and Al Khasaisul Kubra of ‘Allamah Suyuti, vol. 2, pg. 86/87)

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.

Answered by: Mawlana Suhail Motala

Approved by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Mawlana Haroon Abasoomar