We were sitting around the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, with Abu Bakr and Umar among a small group of us. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ got up and left us, and when he was slow in returning, we feared that some harm might befall him while we were absent. We became alarmed and rose to our feet. I was the first to be alarmed, so I went out searching for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ until I came to a garden belonging to the Ansar of Banu Najjar. I walked around it looking for a gate but found none. Then I saw a small stream flowing into the garden from a well outside (a rabi is a stream). I squeezed myself through it the way a fox squeezes through, and there I came upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.He asked, "Is that Abu Hurairah?"I said, "Yes, Messenger of Allah."He asked, "What is the matter with you?"I said, "You were among us, then you got up and were slow in returning. We feared that some harm might befall you while we were absent, so we became alarmed. I was the first to be alarmed. I came to this garden and squeezed myself through the way a fox does, and these people are behind me."He said, "Abu Hurairah," and he gave me his sandals. He said, "Take these sandals of mine, and whoever you meet beyond this wall who testifies that there is no god but Allah, with certainty in his heart, give him the glad tidings of Paradise."The first person I met was Umar. He asked, "What are these two sandals, Abu Hurairah?"I said, "These are the sandals of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He sent me with them so that whoever I meet who testifies that there is no god but Allah, with certainty in his heart, I should give him the glad tidings of Paradise."Umar struck me on the chest with his hand, and I fell backwards onto my behind. He said, "Go back, Abu Hurairah."So I returned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, on the verge of bursting into tears, with Umar following close behind me.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, "What is the matter with you, Abu Hurairah?"I said, "I met Umar and told him what you sent me with, and he struck me on the chest so hard that I fell onto my behind. He told me to go back."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Umar, what made you do what you did?"He replied, "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you. Did you send Abu Hurairah with your sandals to give the glad tidings of Paradise to whoever he meets who testifies that there is no god but Allah, with certainty in his heart?"He said, "Yes."Umar said, "Do not do it, for I fear that people will rely on it. Let them keep working."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Then let them be."
كنا قعودا حول رسول الله ﷺ معنا أبو بكر وعمر في نفر، فقام رسول الله ﷺ من بين أظهرنا، فأبطأ علينا وخشينا أن يقتطع دوننا وفزعنا فقمنا. فكنت أول من فزع فخرجت أبتغي رسول الله ﷺ حتى أتيت حائطا للأنصار لبني النجار، فدرت به هل أجد له بابا، فلم أجد فإذا ربيع يدخل في جوف حائط من بئر خارجة (والربيع الجدول) فاحتفرت كما يحتفز الثعلب فدخلت على رسول الله ﷺ، فقال: أبو هريرة؟ فقلت: نعم يا رسول الله. قال: ما شأنك؟ قلت: كنت بين أظهرنا فقمت فأبطأت علينا فخشينا أن تقتطع دوننا ففزعنا فكنت أول من فزع، فأتيت هذا الحائط فاحتفزت كما يحتفز الثعلب وهؤلاء الناس ورائي. فقال: يا أبا هريرة، وأعطاني نعليه قال اذهب بنعلي هاتين، فمن لقيت من وراء هذا الحائط يشهد أن لا إله إلا الله مستيقنا بها قلبه فبشره بالجنة. فكان أول من لقيت عمر، فقال: ما هاتان النعلان يا أبا هريرة؟ فقلت: هاتان نعلا رسول الله ﷺ بعثني بها من لقيت يشهد أن لا إله إلا الله مستيقنا بها قلبه بشرته بالجنة. فضرب عمر بيده بين ثديي فخررت لاستي فقال: ارجع يا أبا هريرة، فرجعت إلى رسول الله ﷺ فأجهشت بكاء وركبني عمر فإذا هو على أثري. فقال لي رسول الله ﷺ: ما لك يا أبا هريرة؟ قلت: لقيت عمر فأخبرته بالذي بعثتني به فضرب بين ثديي ضربة خررت لاستي. قال: ارجع فقال رسول الله ﷺ: يا عمر ما حملك على ما فعلت؟ قال: بأبي أنت وأمي، أبعثت أبا هريرة بنعليك، من لقي يشهد أن لا إله إلا الله مستيقنا بها قلبه بشره بالجنة؟ قال: نعم. قال: فلا تفعل فإني أخشى أن يتكل الناس عليها، فخليهم يعملون. قال رسول الله ﷺ: فخلهم.