Abu Hurairah Kissing Al-Hasan’s Stomach: Hadith Explained
Some critics try to twist innocent reports from the lives of the Companions into something suspicious. One such example is the narration of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, kissing the stomach of Al-Hasan ibn Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had kissed that same place.
The Report About Abu Hurairah and Al-Hasan
Narrator: Abu Hurairah
Narrator of Hadith: Al-Haythami
Source: Majma’ Al-Zawa’id
Page or number: 9/180
Summary of the narrator’s ruling: Its men are the men of Sahih, except for Umair bin Ishaq, who is trustworthy.
There is no need to reject this narration at all. It is evidence of the Companions’ love for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, to the extent that they would search for everything the Prophet ﷺ had touched so they could touch it too, as long as it was permissible and did not violate a prohibition.
Why This Is Not Objectionable
Abu Hurairah kissing Al-Hasan’s stomach, which the Messenger ﷺ had previously kissed, is not prohibited. The furthest that scholars have gone with regard to a man’s private parts is that they are between the navel and the knee.
So kissing the stomach or navel is not the same as touching or exposing the private area.
The narration is not evidence of anything immoral. It is evidence of reverence, love, and attachment to the traces of the Prophet ﷺ. Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, kissed the place because the Prophet ﷺ had kissed it before him.
The Prophet Kissing His Grandson
As for the Prophet ﷺ kissing his grandson’s stomach when he was young, this does not require rational rejection. Rather, it requires a psychiatrist to treat the mental distortions of those who have suspicions about such an incident.
The report shows the love of Abu Hurairah for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his reverence for what the Prophet ﷺ had touched. There is nothing prohibited in Abu Hurairah kissing the stomach of Al-Hasan, nor is there anything objectionable about the Prophet ﷺ kissing his young grandson. The only scandal here is the diseased imagination of the polemicist who tries to sexualize innocent affection.
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