It is narrated from Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah bin Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Pour over me water from seven waterskins from different wells, so that I may go out to the people and give them some charge and instruction."
The narrator said: Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came out with a band tied around his blessed head until he ascended the pulpit; then he praised and extolled Allah, and after that he said: "Indeed, one of the servants of Allah was given a choice between this world and what is with Allah, and he chose what is with Allah."
No one except Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) grasped this point, so he began to weep and said: "May our fathers, our mothers and our children be ransomed for you." Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Abu Bakr! Wait. The best of people in my view in companionship and in sharing of wealth is Ibn Abi Quhafah. Look! Close all these doors that open into the mosque except the door of Abu Bakr, for I have seen light upon it."
Imam al-Tabarani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "No one narrated this hadith from Imam al-Zuhri (may Allah have mercy on him) except Muhammad bin Ishaq (may Allah have mercy on him), and Sa'id bin Yahya (may Allah have mercy on him) is alone in narrating it, and this hadith is not narrated from Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) except with this chain."
Hadith Referenceالمعجم الأوسط / باب الميم / 7017
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:إسناده حسن
Hadith Takhrij«قال الهيثمي: إسناده حسن «مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد، ج 9، ص 42»» «أخرجه الطبراني فى «الكبير» برقم: 791»