حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الْمُرَابِطِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا رَوْحُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ حَدَّثَنَا أُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ رَافِعٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ لِمَ کُنِّيتَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ أَمَا تَفْرَقُ مِنِّي قُلْتُ بَلَی وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لَأَهَابُکَ قَالَ کُنْتُ أَرْعَی غَنَمَ أَهْلِي وَکَانَتْ لِي هُرَيْرَةٌ صَغِيرَةٌ فَکُنْتُ أَضَعُهَا بِاللَّيْلِ فِي شَجَرَةٍ فَإِذَا کَانَ النَّهَارُ ذَهَبْتُ بِهَا مَعِي فَلَعِبْتُ بِهَا فَکَنَّوْنِي أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَی هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ
جامع ترمذی · Hadith 3840
Narrated 'Abdullah bin Rafi': I said to Abu Hurairah: 'Why were you given the Kunyah Abu Hurairah?' He said: 'Do you not fear me?' He said: Indeed, I am in awe of you.' He said: 'I used to tend the sheep of my people, and I had a small kitten; so I used to place it in a tree at night, and during the day I would take it and play with it. So they named me Abu Hurairah.'
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020