Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2666
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنِ الْخَلِيلِ بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ كَانَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ يَجْلِسُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَيَسْمَعُ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْحَدِيثَ فَيُعْجِبُهُ وَلاَ يَحْفَظُهُ فَشَكَا ذَلِكَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أَسْمَعُ مِنْكَ الْحَدِيثَ فَيُعْجِبُنِي وَلاَ أَحْفَظُهُ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " اسْتَعِنْ بِيَمِينِكَ " . وَأَوْمَأَ بِيَدِهِ لِلْخَطِّ . وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ إِسْنَادُهُ لَيْسَ بِذَلِكَ الْقَائِمِ . وَسَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ يَقُولُ الْخَلِيلُ بْنُ مُرَّةَ مُنْكَرُ الْحَدِيثِ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Hurairah reported: ‘A man from the Ansar used to sit with the Prophet, hear his hadiths, and admire them, but he could not memorize them. He complained to the Prophet: “Messenger of Allah, I hear your hadiths and admire them, but I cannot memorize them.” The Messenger of Allah said, “Use your right hand,” and gestured as if writing.’ Abu ‘Isa said: ‘This hadith’s chain is not strong.’ Muhammad ibn Isma‘il said: ‘Al-Khalil ibn Murrah is munkar al-hadith.’ A report on this topic is also related from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The instruction ‘Use your right hand’ is accompanied by a writing gesture, indicating writing as an aid to remembering. The source explicitly says the chain is weak and cites Muhammad ibn Isma‘il’s criticism of al-Khalil ibn Murrah.