Description
His name before Islam was changed by the Prophet himself. Because of a small cat he loved and carried with him, the Prophet gave him the nickname that would travel through fourteen centuries of Islamic history: Abu Hurayrah - Father of the Little Cat. And in that nickname is a profound message about the Islam that the Prophet lived and taught: that mercy, gentleness, and care extend not just to human beings, but to every creature that Allah has placed in this world.Abu Hurayrah and the Sunnah of Kindness to Animals by Manarah Publishing tells the story of this remarkable companion - one of the most prolific narrators of hadith in all of Islamic history - through the lens of his famous love for cats and through the Prophetic teachings on animal care and mercy that shaped his life.Abu Hurayrah: the CompanionThe story introduces children to Abu Hurayrah as a real person: a young man from Yemen who came to Madinah with little worldly wealth but an enormous love for the Prophet (peace be upon him) and a hunger to learn. He became one of the closest companions to the Prophet, living in his masjid, memorizing every word and teaching - and accumulating a collection of hadith that forms a cornerstone of Islamic scholarship to this day.The Prophet's Kindness to AnimalsCentral to the story are the Prophetic teachings on the treatment of animals that Abu Hurayrah heard, witnessed, and transmitted: the hadith about the woman who was punished because she imprisoned a cat until it died, and the equally striking hadith about the man whose sins were forgiven because he gave water to a thirsty dog. The Prophet's teaching that "there is a reward for serving any living creature" is made vivid and real through story.What children learn:The life and character of Abu Hurayrah as a model of dedication to the Prophet and his Sunnah, the Islamic teaching on the rights of animals and the obligation to treat them with mercy, the understanding that kindness to animals is not separate from Islamic piety but part of it, and the importance of the hadith tradition - the Prophetic reports that preserve the Prophet's teachings for every generation.This book is part of a series of stories about the Companions of the Prophet, bringing the figures of early Islam to life for a new generation of Muslim children. Beautifully written and illustrated for ages 6-12. Suitable for Islamic schools, home libraries, and weekend program reading.
