Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 13816

Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) states that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Shall I not tell you about Sayyiduna Khidr (peace be upon him)?" The people said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Once he was walking in the market of the Children of Israel when a mukatab slave saw him and said: 'Give me something in charity, may Allah Almighty bless you.' Sayyiduna Khidr (peace be upon him) said: 'I believe in Allah Almighty; whatever Allah Almighty wills to happen, happens. I have nothing to give you.' The poor man said: 'I ask you by Allah to give me something, for I see signs of generosity in your face, and I hope for blessing from you.' Sayyiduna Khidr (peace be upon him) said: 'I believe in Allah Almighty. I have nothing that I could give you, except that you take me and sell me.' The poor man said: 'Would that be right?' Sayyiduna Khidr (peace be upon him) said: 'Yes, I am telling you the truth. You have asked me by something tremendous, and I will not disappoint you when you ask by the Countenance of my Lord. Sell me.' The man put him up in the market and sold him for four hundred dirhams. He stayed with the buyer for a long time without the buyer making use of him in any task. Sayyiduna Khidr (peace be upon him) said to the buyer: 'You bought me in order to obtain the good that is with me, so instruct me to do some work.' The man said: 'I do not like to burden you; you are an old, weak, aged man.' Sayyiduna Khidr (peace be upon him) said: 'It will not trouble me.' He said: 'Very well, then get up and move these stones.' The stones were such that fewer than six people could not move them in a day. The man left to attend to some business, and when he returned, Sayyiduna Khidr (peace be upon him) had moved the stones within an hour. He said: 'You have done very well and excellently, and you have such strength that I did not think you had.' Then the man had occasion to go on a journey, and he said: 'I consider you a trustworthy man; take good care of my family in my absence.' Sayyiduna Khidr (peace be upon him) said: 'Give me some work to do as well.' He said: 'I do not like to burden you.' Sayyiduna Khidr (peace be upon him) said: 'It will not be a burden for me.' He said: 'Very well, until I come back home, make bricks for my house.' Then the man set off on his journey. When the man returned, Sayyiduna Khidr (peace be upon him) had even completed the building. He said: 'I ask you by Allah: what is your affair, and what is your situation?' Sayyiduna Khidr (peace be upon him) said: 'You have asked me by Allah, and it was asking by Allah that put me into this slavery.' Then Sayyiduna Khidr (peace be upon him) said: 'I will tell you who I am. I am Khidr, of whom you have heard. A poor man asked me for charity and I had nothing to give him; he asked me by the Countenance of Allah, so I handed myself over to him and he sold me. And I tell you that whoever is asked in the name of Allah and turns the asker away while he is able to give, on the Day of Resurrection he will stand in such a state that he will have skin but no flesh on it, and his bones will be rattling.' The man said: 'I believe in Allah Almighty. O Prophet of Allah, I put you to hardship without knowing.' Sayyiduna Khidr (peace be upon him) said: 'There is no harm; you did well and you were careful.' The man said: 'May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O Prophet of Allah! Command whatever you wish regarding my family and my wealth, or choose, and I will set you free.' Sayyiduna Khidr (peace be upon him) said: 'I would like you to set me free so that I may keep worshipping my Lord.' So the man set him free. Sayyiduna Khidr (peace be upon him) said: 'All praise belongs to Allah, who bound me in slavery and then freed me from it.'"
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy, except that the narrator Baqiyyah is a mudallis. Another narration about Sayyiduna Khidr (peace be upon him) will also come at the end of the chapter on the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).