Mishkat al-Masabih 39

Abu Hurayra, may God be pleased with him, reported: We were sitting around the Messenger of God, with Abu Bakr and Umar, may God be pleased with them both, among us. The Messenger of God stood up and left us. He was gone longer than we expected, and we feared that he might be taken from us, so we became alarmed and stood up. I was the first to become alarmed. I went out looking for the Messenger of God until I came to a walled garden belonging to the Ansar, to the Banu al-Najjar. I went around it to see whether I could find a gate, but found none. Then I saw a small stream flowing into the garden from a well outside—the rabi is a channel. I gathered myself up as a fox does and entered to where the Messenger of God was. He said, “Abu Hurayra?” I said, “Yes, Messenger of God.” He asked, “What is the matter?” I said, “You were among us, then you stood up and were gone a long time. We feared that you might be taken from us, so we became alarmed. I was the first to become alarmed. I came to this garden and gathered myself up as a fox does. These people are behind me.” He said, “Abu Hurayra,” and gave me his sandals. He said, “Go with these two sandals of mine. Whoever you meet outside this garden who testifies that there is no god but God, with his heart certain of it, give him the good news of Paradise.” The first person I met was Umar. He asked, “What are these sandals, Abu Hurayra?” I said, “These are the sandals of the Messenger of God. He sent me with them to give the good news of Paradise to anyone I meet who testifies that there is no god but God, with his heart certain of it.” Umar struck me between the breasts with his hand, and I fell on my backside. He said, “Go back, Abu Hurayra.” I went back to the Messenger of God, burst into tears, and Umar caught up with me. The Messenger of God asked, “What is the matter with you, Abu Hurayra?” I said, “I met Umar and told him what you sent me to do. He struck me between the breasts, I fell on my backside, and he told me to go back.” The Messenger of God said to Umar, “What made you do what you did?” He said, “May my father and mother be your ransom, Messenger of God! Did you send Abu Hurayra with your sandals to give the good news of Paradise to anyone he met whose heart was certain that there is no god but God?” He said, “Yes.” Umar said, “Do not do that, for I fear that people will rely on it; let them keep doing good deeds.” The Messenger of God said, “Then let them.” Muslim narrated it.