Mukhtasar Muslim

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: We were sitting around the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and among the men with us were Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) as well. Suddenly, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up (and went outside). Then he delayed in returning to us, so we became afraid that perhaps an enemy might find him alone and kill him. We became anxious and stood up. I was the first to become anxious, so I set out to look for him and reached the garden of Banu Najjar. (Banu Najjar was one of the tribes of the Ansar.) I went around looking for a door on all sides so that I could enter (because I thought perhaps the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, had gone inside). I did not find a door. (Perhaps there was no door to this garden, or if there was, Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, did not see it due to his anxiety.) I saw that a water channel from the well outside was going into the garden, so I crouched like a fox and entered through that channel and reached the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Is it Abu Hurairah? I said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah! He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: What is the matter? I said: O Messenger of Allah! You were with us, then you went outside and delayed in returning, so we became afraid that perhaps an enemy might see you separated from us and harm you. We became anxious, and I was the first to become anxious and came to this garden (did not find a door), so I entered like a fox enters by curling up its body, and all the people have come behind me. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Abu Hurairah! — and gave me his shoes (as a sign), and said: Take these two shoes of mine and whoever you meet behind this garden who testifies that there is no god but Allah and believes in it with his heart, then give him the glad tidings of Paradise. (Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, says: I took the shoes and set out.) The first person I met was Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). He asked: O Abu Hurairah, what are these shoes? I said: They are the shoes of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He (peace and blessings be upon him) gave them to me and sent me that whoever I meet who testifies to La ilaha illallah with certainty in his heart, I should give him the glad tidings of Paradise. Upon hearing this, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) struck me in the middle of my chest with his hand, so I fell on my back. Then he said: O Abu Hurairah! Go back. I returned to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and was about to cry when Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) also arrived behind me. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Abu Hurairah! What happened to you? I said: I met Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and conveyed the message you sent me with, so he struck me in the middle of my chest so that I fell on my back and said: Go back. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): Why did you do that? He said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! May my parents be sacrificed for you. You sent Abu Hurairah with your shoes that whoever he meets who testifies to La ilaha illallah with certainty in his heart, he should give him the glad tidings of Paradise? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Yes. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: (May my parents be sacrificed for you) Do not do this, for I fear that people will rely on it and stop acting (righteously). Let them act. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: All right, let them act.