بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Abu Hurayrah رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and was the most prominent narrator of ahadith. His real name was ʿAbd al-Rahman.

Here is the story of how he received his nickname.

Abu Hurayrah narrates the reason behind his nickname:

“I was called Abu Hurayrah because I would tend to the goats of my family, and one day I found a stray kitten which I placed in my sleeve. When I returned to my people, they heard the kitten purr in my sleeve and they asked, “What is that, O ‘Abd Shams?” I replied, “A kitten I found.”

“So, you are Abu Hurayrah (Father of cats),” they responded, and the name stuck thereafter.”

[Mustadrak, 3/506, with an authentic chain, corroborated by al-Dhahabi]

جَزَاكَ اللهُ خَيْرًا