حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي شُعَيْبٍ الْحَرَّانِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ الْحَرَّانِيُّ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَبِي عَامِرٍ، قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى طَلْحَةَ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَرَأَيْتَ هَذَا الْيَمَانِيَ يَعْنِي أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِحَدِيثِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْكُمْ نَسْمَعُ مِنْهُ مَا لاَ نَسْمَعُ مِنْكُمْ أَوْ يَقُولُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا لَمْ يَقُلْ . قَالَ
أَمَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ سَمِعَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا لَمْ نَسْمَعْ فَلاَ أَشُكُّ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا لَمْ نَسْمَعْ وَذَاكَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ مِسْكِينًا لاَ شَىْءَ لَهُ ضَيْفًا لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَدُهُ مَعَ يَدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَكُنَّا نَحْنُ أَهْلَ بُيُوتَاتٍ وَغِنًى وَكُنَّا نَأْتِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم طَرَفَىِ النَّهَارِ فَلاَ نَشُكُّ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا لَمْ نَسْمَعْ وَلاَ نَجِدُ أَحَدًا فِيهِ خَيْرٌ يَقُولُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا لَمْ يَقُلْ
Narrated Malik bin Abi 'Amir:
"A man came to Talhah bin 'Ubaidullah and said: 'O Abu Muhammad, do you see this Yemeni - meaning: Abu Hurairah - is he more knowledgeable of the Ahadith of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) than you? We hear from him what we do not hear from you, or does he attribute to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) what he did not say?' He said: 'As for his having heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) what we did not hear from him, then that is because he was poor, having nothing, a guest of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), his hand was in the hand of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). And we used to be people of houses and wealth, and we used to come to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at the two ends of the day. I do not doubt that he heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) what we did not hear, and you will not find anyone in whom there is good attributing to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) what he did not say.'"
Reported by At-Tirmidhi (No. 3837).