عَنْ أَبِي دَاوُدَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ لَقِيتُ الْبَرَاءَ بْنَ عَازِبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيَّ وَأَخَذَ بِيَدِي وَضَحِكَ فِي وَجْهِي قَالَ تَدْرِي لِمَ فَعَلْتُ هَذَا بِكَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لَا أَدْرِي وَلَكِنْ لَا أَرَاكَ فَعَلْتَهُ إِلَّا لِخَيْرٍ قَالَ إِنَّهُ لَقِيَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَفَعَلَ بِي مِثْلَ الَّذِي فَعَلْتُ بِكَ فَسَأَلَنِي فَقُلْتُ مِثْلَ الَّذِي قُلْتَ لِي فَقَالَ مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ فَيُسَلِّمُ أَحَدُهُمَا عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ وَيَأْخُذُ بِيَدِهِ لَا يَأْخُذُهُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَا يَتَفَرَّقَانِ حَتَّى يُغْفَرَ لَهُمَا
It is narrated from Abu Dawood, he says: I met Sayyiduna Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him), he greeted me with salam, held my hand, smiled, and said: Do you know why I did this with you? I said: I do not know! But I am certain that whatever you have done, there must be goodness in it. Then he said: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) met me and he did the same with me as I have done with you, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) asked me in the same way as you have asked me. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When two Muslims meet and one of them greets his companion with salam and holds his hand, but this action is only for the sake of Allah Almighty, then they do not separate until Allah Almighty forgives them.