حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ وَأَبُو بَکْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ جَمِيعًا عَنْ سُفْيَانَ قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنْ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ الْأَعْرَجِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يَقُولُا إِنَّکُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يُکْثِرُ الْحَدِيثَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَاللَّهُ الْمَوْعِدُ کُنْتُ رَجُلًا مِسْکِينًا أَخْدُمُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَی مِلْئِ بَطْنِي وَکَانَ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ يَشْغَلُهُمْ الصَّفْقُ بِالْأَسْوَاقِ وَکَانَتْ الْأَنْصَارُ يَشْغَلُهُمْ الْقِيَامُ عَلَی أَمْوَالِهِمْ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ يَبْسُطْ ثَوْبَهُ فَلَنْ يَنْسَی شَيْئًا سَمِعَهُ مِنِّي فَبَسَطْتُ ثَوْبِي حَتَّی قَضَی حَدِيثَهُ ثُمَّ ضَمَمْتُهُ إِلَيَّ فَمَا نَسِيتُ شَيْئًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ
صحیح مسلم · Hadith 6397
Al-A'raj reported that he heard Abu Huraira as saying: You are under the impression that Abu Huraira transmits so many ahadith from Allah's Messenger (may peace up upon him) ; (bear in mind) Allah is the great Reckoner. I was a poor man and I served Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) being satisfied with bare subsistence, whereas the immigrants remained busy with transactions in the bazar; while the Ansar had been engaged in looking after their properties. (He further reported) that Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) said: He who spreads the cloth would not forget anything that he would hear from me. I spread my cloth until he narrated something. I then pressed it against my (chest), so I never forgot anything that I heard from him.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020