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Jami` at-Tirmidhi

كتاب المناقب عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم

Chapters on Virtues

Chapter 49Hadith 3840

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الْمُرَابِطِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا رَوْحُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ رَافِعٍ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ لِمَ كُنِّيتَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ أَمَا تَفْرَقُ مِنِّي قُلْتُ بَلَى وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَهَابُكَ ‏.‏ قَالَ كُنْتُ أَرْعَى غَنَمَ أَهْلِي فَكَانَتْ لِي هُرَيْرَةٌ صَغِيرَةٌ فَكُنْتُ أَضَعُهَا بِاللَّيْلِ فِي شَجَرَةٍ فَإِذَا كَانَ النَّهَارُ ذَهَبْتُ بِهَا مَعِي فَلَعِبْتُ بِهَا فَكَنَّوْنِي أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ‏. هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ ‏.‏

"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 with me and play with it. So they named me Abu Hurairah.'"

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When Allah wants two hearts to meet, what is the hadith?
A widely quoted teaching states that when Allah wants two people to meet, He makes their paths converge — often summarized as when He wants two hearts to meet, they will meet. Muslims frequently reflect on this narration as a reminder of divine decree (qadar), trust in Allah's plan, and patience regarding relationships and life events. Always verify wording and grading with qualified scholars and authentic sources.