We were sitting around the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a group, and Abu Bakr and Umar were with us. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ got up from among us and was gone for so long that we feared he might be harmed in our absence. We grew anxious and rose to look for him, and I was the first to set out.I went 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 noticed a small stream flowing into the garden from a well outside (the rabi is a small channel), so I squeezed through it the way a fox squeezes through, and I came upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.He said, "Abu Hurairah?"I replied, "Yes, Messenger of Allah."He asked, "What is the matter with you?"I said, "You were among us, then you got up and were gone so long that we feared you might be harmed in our absence. We became anxious, and I was the first to set out. I came to this garden and squeezed through the way a fox squeezes through, and the others are behind me."He said, "Abu Hurairah," and he handed 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 good news of Paradise."The first person I met was Umar. He asked, "What are these 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 good news of Paradise."Umar struck me on the chest with his hand, and I fell on my backside. He said, "Go back, Abu Hurairah."So I returned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, on the verge of tears, with Umar following close behind me.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "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 on my backside. He told me to go back."The Messenger of Allah said, "Umar, what made you do that?"Umar replied, "Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be ransomed for you, did you send Abu Hurairah with your sandals to give the good news 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 that, for I fear that people will rely on it. Let them keep working."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Then let them be."
حدثني زهير بن حرب حدثنا عمر بن يونس الحنفي حدثنا عكرمة بن عمار قال حدثني أبو كثير قال حدثني
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 فاحتفزت 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 بهما 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 له رسول الله يا عمر ما حملك على ما فعلت قال يا رسول الله 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 فخلهم يعملون قال رسول الله ﷺ فخلهم