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Fatwa CenterThe name of Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, before and after accepting Islam
Question
What was Abu Hurayrah's name before Islam and what was his name after Islam? Why is his name Abu Hurayrah?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
The scholars 
differed in opinion about the name of Abu Hurayrah 
before Islam and after he became a Muslim. The well-known opinion of the scholars is that his name was 'Abd Shams in the pre-Islamic era of ignorance, and his name after he became a Muslim was Abdur-Rahmaan. He was nicknamed Abu Hurayrah because he was seen carrying a cat with him. It is also said that it was the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, who gave him this nickname. However, a narration reported by At-Tirmithi 
states that it was his family who gave him this name.
Allaah Knows best.
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