English Translation

Yahya ibn Sa'id narrated to us, who said: Sulaiman ibn al-Mughirah narrated to us, who said: Humaid ibn Hilal narrated to us, from Abu Rafi', from Abu Hurairah, who said: Juraij used to worship in his hermitage. His mother came to him and said: "O Juraij, I am your mother, speak to me." Abu Hurairah would describe it as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) described it, placing his hand on his right eyebrow. She found him praying, and he said: "O Lord, my mother or my prayer?" and he chose his prayer. She returned, then came again and found him praying, and said: "O Juraij, I am your mother, speak to me." He said: "O Lord, my mother or my prayer?" and he chose his prayer. Then she came a third time and found him praying, and said: "O Juraij, I am your mother, speak to me." He said: "O Lord, my mother or my prayer?" and he chose his prayer. She said: "O Allah, this is Juraij, he is my son. I spoke to him but he refused to speak to me. O Allah, do not let him die until You show him the faces of prostitutes." Had she prayed for him to be led astray, he would have been led astray. There was a shepherd who sheltered near his monastery. A woman went out and the shepherd had relations with her, and she gave birth to a boy. She was asked: "Whose is this?" She said: "He is from the inhabitant of the monastery." They came with their axes and shovels to the monastery and called out to him, but he did not speak to them. They began demolishing his monastery, so he came down to them. They said: "Ask this woman." He smiled, then wiped the child's head and said: "Who is your father?" The child said: "The sheep herder." They said: "O Juraij, we will rebuild what we destroyed of your monastery with gold and silver." He said: "No, but return it to mud as it was." And they did. Abu Sa'id, the freed slave of Banu Hashim, narrated to us, who said: Abu Awanah narrated to us, from Umar ibn Abi Salamah, from his father, from Abu Hurairah, that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "There was a man among the Children of Israel who was a merchant whose profits sometimes decreased and sometimes increased. He said: 'There is no good in this trade; I will seek a trade better than this.' So he built a hermitage and devoted himself to worship, and he was called Juraij." He mentioned a similar narration.