حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ الْبَزَّازُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ إِنَّمَا الإِمَامُ جُنَّةٌ يُقَاتَلُ بِهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Narrated AbuRafi'

The Quraysh sent me to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and when I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), Islam was cast into my heart, so I said: Messenger of Allah, I swear by Allah, I shall never return to them. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) replied: I do not break a covenant or imprison messengers, but return, and if you feel the same as you do just now, come back. So I went away, and then came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and accepted Islam.

The narrator Bukair said: He informed me that Abu Rafi' was a Copt.

Abu Dawud said: This was valid in those days, but today it is not valid.