Sahih Muslim — Hadith #7594

Zuhair ibn Harb told me, Umar ibn Yunus al-Hanafi told us, Ikrimah ibn Ammar told us, Abu Kathir told me, Abu Hurayrah told me, we were sitting around the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Abu Bakr and Umar were with us, along with a group of people. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) got up from among us and was gone for a while, and we feared that he would be killed before we could finish. We were terrified, so we got up. I was the first to be terrified, so I went out seeking the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) until I came to a wall belonging to the Ansar, specifically to Banu Najjar. I walked around it, looking for a door, but I couldn't find one. Then I saw a stream entering the wall from an outside well—and the stream was called a "rabi'"—so I scrambled like a fox and entered upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He said, Abu Hurayrah said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “What is the matter with you?” I said, “You were among us, then you got up and were late in coming back to us, so we feared that you might be cut off before we could reach you, so we were terrified, and I was the first to be terrified, so I came to this wall and crouched down like a fox, and these people were behind me.” He said, “O Abu Hurayrah.” He gave me his sandals and 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, who said, "What are these sandals, Abu Hurayrah?" I said, "These are the sandals of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. He sent me with them to give to whomever I meet who testifies that there is no god but Allah." I gave him glad tidings of Paradise, for he believed in God with certainty in his heart. Then Umar struck me between my breasts, and I fell on my backside. He said, "Go back, Abu Hurayrah!" So I returned to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, and I burst into tears. Umar mounted me, and he was right behind me. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said to me, "What is the matter with you, Abu Hurayrah?" I said, "I met Umar and told him..." By the One with whom You sent me, he struck me between my breasts, and I fell on my backside. He said, "Go back." The Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to him, "O Umar, what made you do what you did?" He said, "O Messenger of God, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you, did you send Abu Hurayrah with your sandals, telling him to give glad tidings of Paradise to whomever he met who testified that there is no god but God, with certainty in his heart?" He said, "Yes." He said, "Then do not do it, for I fear that people will rely on it, so let them work." The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said, "Then let them."