Umar passed by Hassan while he was reciting poetry in the mosque and gave him a sharp look.Hassan said, "I used to recite here when one better than you was present."Then he turned to Abu Hurairah and said, "I ask you by Allah, did you hear the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, 'Answer on my behalf. O Allah, support him with the Holy Spirit'?"Abu Hurairah replied, "By Allah, yes."
أن عمر مر بحسان وهو ينشد الشعر في المسجد، فلحظ إليه فقال: قد كنت أنشد، وفيه من هو خير منك، ثم التفت إلى أبي هريرة، فقال: أنشدك الله أسمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول: أجب عني، اللهم أيده بروح القدس؟ قال: اللهم نعم.
Bukhari narrated it in the Book of the Beginning of Creation (3212), and Muslim in the Virtues of the Companions (2485), both through the route of Sufyan bin Uyayna, from Zuhri, from Saeed bin Musayab, and he mentioned it. The wording given is Muslim's, and Bukhari's wording is similar.In a narration from Bukhari (453) through the route of Shuayb, from Zuhri, he said, Abu Salama bin Abdul-Rahman bin Awf informed me that he heard Hassan bin Thabit Ansari calling on Abu Hurairah to bear witness, saying, "I ask you by Allah, did you hear the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say..." Then he mentioned the hadith.