Sahih Muslim Book - 43, Hadith - 5960

وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ ، حَدَّثَنَا مَعْمَرٌ ، عَنْ هَمَّامِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ ، قَالَ: هَذَا مَا حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَذَكَرَ أَحَادِيثَ مِنْهَا ، وَقَالَ: أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: مَثَلِي وَمَثَلُ الأَنْبِيَاءِ مِنْ قَبْلِي كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ ابْتَنَى بُيُوتًا فَأَحْسَنَهَا وَأَجْمَلَهَا وَأَكْمَلَهَا ، إِلاَّ مَوْضِعَ لَبِنَةٍ مِنْ زَاوِيَةٍ مِنْ زَوَايَاهَا ، فَجَعَلَ النَّاسُ يَطُوفُونَ وَيُعْجِبُهُمُ الْبُنْيَانُ فَيَقُولُونَ: أَلاَّ وَضَعْتَ هَاهُنَا لَبِنَةً فَيَتِمَّ بُنْيَانُكَ فَقَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: فَكُنْتُ أَنَا اللَّبِنَةَ.

It was narrated that Hammam bin Munabbih said: “This is what Abu Hurairah narrated to us from the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w).” He narrated a number of Ahadith, including the following” ‘The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: ‘The likeness of myself and the Prophets who came before me is that of a man who built some houses and built them well, making them beautiful and perfect, apart from the space of one brick in one of their corners. The people started walking around them, admiring the structure, saying: “Why don’t you put a brick here? Then your building will be complete.”’ Muhammad (s.a.w) said: ‘I am that brick.”’