Sahih Muslim Book - 44, Hadith - 6397

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ ، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ ، جَمِيعًا عَنْ سُفْيَانَ ، قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ: حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ ، قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ، يَقُولُ : إِنَّكُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ، يُكْثِرُ الْحَدِيثَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، وَاللَّهُ الْمَوْعِدُ ، كُنْتُ رَجُلاً مِسْكِينًا ، أَخْدُمُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى مِلْءِ بَطْنِي ، وَكَانَ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الصَّفْقُ بِالأَسْوَاقِ وَكَانَتِ الأَنْصَارُ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الْقِيَامُ عَلَى أَمْوَالِهِمْ ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: مَنْ يَبْسُطْ ثَوْبَهُ فَلَنْ يَنْسَى شَيْئًا سَمِعَهُ مِنِّي فَبَسَطْتُ ثَوْبِي حَتَّى قَضَى حَدِيثَهُ ، ثُمَّ ضَمَمْتُهُ إِلَيَّ ، فَمَا نَسِيتُ شَيْئًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ.

Abu Hurairah said: "You say that Abu Hurairah narrates too many Ahadith from the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w), and our reckoning will be with Allah. I was a poor man and I served the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) in return for having enough to eat. The Muhajirin were busy with their trading in the market, and the Ansar were busy with tending to their property. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: 'Who will spread out his garment so that he will never forget anything that he hears from me?' So I spread out my garment until he had finished speaking, then I gathered it to me, and I have not forgotten anything that I heard from him.''