Life-of-Muhammad

200Life of Muhammad sameaning and passed on. Abu Huraira ra when relatingthis incident used to say with indignation that he toounderstood the Qur’an as well as Abu Bakr ra did. Hisobject in asking the latter to explain the meaning of theverse had been that Abu Bakr ra might guess that he washungry and might arrange to get food for him. Shortlyafter, ‘Umar ra passed by and Abu Huraira ra asked himalso to explain the meaning of the verse. ‘Umar ra alsoexplained its meaning and passed on. Abu Huraira ra ,like all Companions of the Holy Prophet sa , was loath tomake a direct request and when he perceived that hisindirect attempts to draw attention to his condition hadfailed, he began to feel very faint. Thereupon he heardhis name being called in a very soft and tender voice.Looking to the side from which the voice came he sawthat the Holy Prophet sa was looking out from the windowof his house and was smiling. He inquired of AbuHuraira ra : "Are you hungry?" to which Abu Huraira rareplied: "Verily, O Messenger of Allah sa ! I am hungry."The Holy Prophet sa said: "There is no food in ourhouse either, but somebody has just sent us a cup ofmilk. Go to the mosque and see whether there are anyother persons there who may be hungry like you." AbuHuraira ra goes on to relate: "I thought to myself, I amhungry enough to consume the whole of the milk in thecup, yet the Prophet sa has asked me to invite any otherpersons that may be in a similar situation, which meansthat I shall get very little of the milk. But I had to carryout the Prophet's sa orders, so I went into the mosqueand found six persons sitting there whom I brought withme to the Prophet's sa door. He gave the cup of milk intothe hands of one of them and asked him to drink. Whenhe had finished and put away the cup from his mouththe Prophet sa insisted upon his drinking a second timeand a third time till he had had his fill. In the same wayhe insisted upon every one of the six drinking his fill ofthe milk. Each time he asked anyone to drink I wasafraid that little would be left for me. After all the sixhad drunk of the milk the Prophet sa gave the cup to me