Abu Hurairah said, "You say that Abu Hurairah narrates too much from the Prophet ﷺ. Allah is the appointed reckoning. You also say, 'Why do the Muhajirun not narrate these hadith from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and why do the Ansar not narrate them?' My brothers from the Muhajirun were kept busy by their transactions in the marketplaces, and my brothers from the Ansar were occupied with their lands and tending to them. As for me, I was a poor man who stayed close to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ more than anyone else. I was present when they were absent, and I remembered when they forgot."One day the Prophet ﷺ said to us, 'Who will spread out his garment until I finish my speech, then gather it up to himself? He will never forget anything he has heard from me.' So I spread out my garment," or he said, "my striped cloak," "and then gathered it to me. By Allah, I never forgot a single thing I heard from him."By Allah, were it not for a verse in the Book of Allah, I would never have narrated anything to you." Then he recited, "Indeed, those who conceal what We have sent down of clear proofs and guidance" [Baqarah 2:159], reciting the entire verse.
حدثنا عبد الرزاق حدثنا معمر عن الزهري
قال أبو هريرة إنكم تقولون أكثر أبو هريرة عن النبي ﷺ والله الموعد إنكم تقولون ما بال المهاجرين لا يحدثون عن رسول الله ﷺ بهذه الأحاديث وما بال الأنصار لا يحدثون بهذه الأحاديث وإن أصحابي من المهاجرين كانت تشغلهم صفقاتهم في الأسواق وإن أصحابي من الأنصار كانت تشغلهم أرضوهم والقيام عليها وإني كنت امرأ معتكفا وكنت أكثر مجالسة رسول الله ﷺ أحضر إذا غابوا وأحفظ إذا نسوا وإن النبي ﷺ حدثنا يوما فقال من يبسط ثوبه حتى أفرغ من حديثي ثم يقبضه إليه فإنه ليس ينسى شيئا سمعه مني أبدا فبسطت ثوبي أو قال نمرتي ثم قبضته إلي فوالله ما نسيت شيئا سمعته منه وايم الله لولا آية في كتاب الله ما حدثتكم بشيء أبدا ثم تلا {إن الذين يكتمون ما أنزلنا من البينات والهدى} الآية كلها
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Its isnad is sahih. It is established in Tafsir Abdul-Razzaq, pp. 14-15, with this isnad, and likewise Ibn Kathir cited it in Jami al-Masanid 7:239-240 from this place in the Musnad. Muslim (2:261) related it from Abd bin Humayd, from Abdul-Razzaq, with this isnad, but he did not mention its wording, referring instead to the narration before it via the route of Ibn Uyayna from Zuhri.Ibn Saad related it similarly (24/2/56) from Muhammad bin Humayd al-Abdi, from Maamar, from Zuhri, from Abu Hurairah, but he did not mention "from al-Araj" in it, and I consider it more likely that this is an error of a copyist or printer. Muhammad bin Humayd is al-Basri al-Umari, and he was attributed to Maamar because of his close association with him. I also consider it more likely that the word al-Abdi in al-Tabaqat is a distortion of al-Umari.Its meaning has already passed at 7273, from the narration of Ibn Uyayna, and at 7274 from the narration of Malik, both of them from Zuhri, from al-Araj, from Abu Hurairah. And at 7275 from the narration of Shuayb, from Zuhri, from Saeed bin Musayab and Abu Salama bin Abdul-Rahman, from Abu Hurairah. We pointed out there much of its sourcing.We will now point out some wordings in which the three manuscripts of the Musnad differ, as well as Abdul-Razzaq's narration in his Tafsir, since he is the sheikh from whom Ahmad related it, and the copy of Jami al-Masanid by Ibn Kathir, since it is transmitted there from this place in the Musnad.His words, "You say, what is the matter with the emigrants," in Abdul-Razzaq's version it is, "and you indeed say."His words, "what is the matter with the emigrants, they do not count," in manuscript K and in Ibn Kathir it is "they do not speak of." What appears here is what is established in manuscripts J and M, in Tafsir Abdul-Razzaq, and in a copy in the margin of manuscript K.His words, "and what is the matter with the helpers, they do not speak of," this is what is established in manuscripts J, M, and M. In manuscript K and in Ibn Kathir it is "they do not speak of." The whole sentence is not mentioned at all in Tafsir Abdul-Razzaq.His words, "and standing [over it]," the word "over it" is not mentioned in manuscripts J, M, and M. It is established in Abdul-Razzaq, in Ibn Kathir, and in the margin of manuscript K, so we have added it.His words, "her dwelling," this is what is established in the three manuscripts and in Ibn Kathir. In Tafsir Abdul-Razzaq it is "a poor person," which agrees with most of the narrations we have seen. In Bukhari's narration (4:246-247), via the route of Shuayb from Zuhri, from Saeed bin Musayab and Abu Salama bin Abdul-Rahman, it reads, "and I was a poor man among the poor of the Suffah." For this reason, this may well be a sound way of accounting for the reading "the poor" found here.His words, "my namirah," the namirah, with the nun and the ra both open and a kasra on the mim between them, is the striped wrap worn as a covering by the Bedouins, so called because it seems to be taken from the color of the leopard, on account of the black and white in it. This is what is established in Abdul-Razzaq, in Ibn Kathir, in manuscript K, in the margin of manuscript M, and in the rest of the narrations we have seen. In manuscripts H and M it is "my tamrah."His words, "then I withdrew it to," this is what is established in the three manuscripts. In Tafsir Abdul-Razzaq it is "then he related to us, and I withdrew it to." In Ibn Kathir it is "then he related to us, and I withdrew it to."