Sahih Muslim Hadith 147

English

[147] 52 – (31) It was narrated that Abü Hurairah said: "A group of us were sitting around the Messenger of Allah ç, and Abü Bakr and 'Umar were with us. The Messenger of Allah got up and left, and stayed away from us for a long time. We were afraid that he might have been harmed by some enemy (when he was on his own) so we panicked and got up, and I was the first one to do so. I went out looking for the Messenger of Allah a, until I came to a walled garden belonging to the Anâr of Banü Najjâr. I went around it, looking for a gate, but I could not find any. There was a small stream that entered through a hole in the wall, coming from a well outside the garden, so I drew myself together [like a fox] and entered upon the Messenger of Allah ç. He said: 'Abfl Hurairah?' I said: 'Yes, 0 Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'What is the matter with you?' I said: 'You were among us, then you left and stayed away from us for a long time. We were afraid that you might have been harmed by some enemy (when you were on your own), so we panicked, and I was the first one to do so. I came to this garden and drew myself together like a fox, and these people are behind me.' He said: '0 Abil Hurairah, take these two sandals of mine and whoever you meet beyond this wall who bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, with certainty in his heart, give him the glad tidings of Paradise.' The first one whom I met was 'Umar, who said: 'What are these two sandals, 0 Abü Hurairah?' I said: 'These are the sandals of the Messenger of Allah 0, who sent me with them to give glad tidings of Paradise to whomever I met who bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah with certainty in his heart.' 'Umar struck me on my chest. so hard that I fell down on my backside and said: 'Go back, 0 Abü Hurairah!' So I went back, on the verge of tears, and 'Umar followed me closely. The Messenger of Allah ij said [to me]: 'What is the matter with you, 0 Abü Hurairah?' I said: 'I met 'Umar and I told him what you had sent me with, and he struck me on my chest so hard that I fell down on my back, and he said: "Go back." The Messenger of Allah said: '0 'Umar, what made you do that?' He said: '0 Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you, did you send Abü Hurairah with your sandals, to give glad tidings of Paradise to whomever he met who bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah with certainty in his heart?' He said: 'Yes.' 'Umar said: 'Do not do that, for I fear that the people will (complacently) rely on that. Let them carry on striving (to do good deeds).' The Messenger of Allah 0, said: 'Yes, let them."