Skip to content
Rasulullah.org

Seerah / Madinah

Reviewed

Abu Huraira's hunger and the cup of milk

Date
Madinan period · date unknown
Location
The Prophet's Mosque (Suffa)
People
Abu Huraira (RA), People of the Suffa

Abu Huraira (RA) narrates in Sahih al-Bukhari how he lay on the ground from hunger, how the Prophet ﷺ noticed him, and how one cup of milk was passed around all the people of the Suffa before he and the Prophet ﷺ drank last.

As it was narrated

The story, in the words of those who were there

Read slowly. These are the Companions' own words, from the verified hadith collections.

Hadith
Hadith collection

حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، بِنَحْوٍ مِنْ نِصْفِ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ ذَرٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُجَاهِدٌ، أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، كَانَ يَقُولُ آللَّهِ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ إِنْ كُنْتُ لأَعْتَمِدُ بِكَبِدِي عَلَى الأَرْضِ مِنَ الْجُوعِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتُ لأَشُدُّ الْحَجَرَ عَلَى بَطْنِي مِنَ الْجُوعِ، وَلَقَدْ قَعَدْتُ يَوْمًا عَلَى طَرِيقِهِمُ الَّذِي يَخْرُجُونَ مِنْهُ، فَمَرَّ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، فَسَأَ…

Narrated Abu Huraira:By Allah except Whom none has the right to- be worshipped, (sometimes) I used to lay (sleep) on the ground on my liver (abdomen) because of hunger, and (sometimes) I used to bind a stone over my belly because of hunger. One day I sat by the way from where they (the Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions) used to come out. When Abu Bakr passed by, I asked him about a Verse from Allah's Book and I asked him only that he might satisfy my hunger, but he passed by and did not do so. Then `Umar passed by me and I asked him about a Verse from Allah's Book, and I asked him only that he might satisfy my hunger, but he passed by without doing so. Finally Abu-l-Qasim (the Prophet (ﷺ) ) pas…

Sahih al-Bukhari · Hadith 6452 · To make the Heart Tender (Ar-Riqaq)
Translation: Sahih al-Bukhari — English. Hadith data: fawazahmed0/hadith-api (numbering and gradings as published there).

Grading information unavailable in source data · from a collection regarded as sahih

Open source

Lessons

  • He noticed hunger in a face without being asked.
  • Serve others first; there is barakah in sharing.

Lessons are editorial reflections drawn from the event and its sources.

Pause for a moment

Which moment of your own life does this remind you of? Sit with it for a minute, then send salawat on the one who lived it ﷺ.

Send salawat ﷺ

Bibliography

  • Sahih al-Bukhari 6452 (Abu Huraira) · primary source
  • Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum (further reading)

Related events