It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked a man: "O so-and-so! Did you do such-and-such?" He said: "No, by the One besides whom there is no god worthy of worship, I did not do it", although the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) knew that he had done it. He (peace and blessings be upon him) repeated the question to him several times, and each time he kept saying: By 'La ilaha illallah' (there is none worthy of worship except Allah)! I did not do it, while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) knew that he had done that deed. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Because of your affirmation and truthfulness in saying 'La ilaha illallah' (there is no god worthy of worship except Allah), the expiation for this sin of yours has been made (that is, it has been forgiven)."
Imam Musaddad said: Al-Harith bin Ubayd narrated it to us from Thabit al-Bunani, from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him); Imam Abd bin Humayd also narrated it from Muslim bin Ibrahim, from al-Harith; likewise Imam Abu Ya'la related it from Abu al-Rabi', from al-Harith; and Imam al-Bazzar also narrated it through this same chain and indicated that al-Harith bin Ubayd is alone in narrating it. I (Ibn Hajar) say: Hammad bin Salamah contradicted him; Imam Ahmad narrated it through his route, saying that Thabit narrated it from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), while Hammad said that Thabit did not hear it from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) himself; rather, there is a narrator between them.
Hadith Referenceالمطالب العالية بزوائد المسانيد الثمانية / كتاب الإيمان والتوحيد / 2869
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:إسناده صحيح
Hadith Takhrij«حکم الحدیث المطالب العالیہ محققاً تنسیق د. سعد بن ناصر بن عبد العزيز الشَّثري- مکتبہ شاملہ :قال ابن حجر: خَالَفَهُ حَمَّادُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ ، أَخْرَجَهُ أَحْمَدُ مِنْ طَرِيقِهِ فَقَالَ : عَنْ ثَابِتٍ ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ حَمَّادٌ : لَمْ يَسْمَعْهُ ثَابِتٌ مِنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا ، بَيْنَهُمَا رَجُلٌ . » «أخرجه مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد برقم: 16811، 16812، وأخرجه البحر الزخار المعروف بمسند البزار 10 - 18 برقم: 6903، وأخرجه إتحاف الخيرة المهرة بزوائد المسانيد العشرة برقم: 4830/1، 6103/1»