حَدَّثَنَا
سُلَيْمَانُ بنُ حَرْب ، حَدَّثَنَا
حَمَّادُ بنُ سَلَمَةَ ، عَنْ
عَلِيِّ بنِ زَيْدٍ ، عَنِ
الْحَسَنِ ، عَنِ
الْأَحْنَفِ ، قَالَ : بيْنَمَا أَطُوفُ بالْبيْتِ إِذْ لَقِيَنِي
رَجُلٌ مِنْ بنِي سُلَيْمٍ ، فَقَالَ : ألا أبشرك ؟ قُلْتُ : بلَى ، قَالَ : أَتَذْكُرُ إِذْ بعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى قَوْمِكَ بنِي سَعْدٍ أَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ ؟ قَالَ : فَقُلْتُ أَنْتَ : وَاللَّهِ مَا قَالَ إِلَّا خَيْرًا ، وَلَا أَسْمَعُ إِلَّا حُسْنًا ، فَإِنِّي رَجَعْتُ فَأَخْبرْتُ النَّبيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بمَقَالَتِكَ ، قَالَ :
" اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْأَحْنَفِ " ، قَالَ : فَمَا أَنَا بشَيْءٍ أَرْجَى مِنِّى لها .
Ahnaf says that once I was performing Tawaf of the Ka'bah when a man from Banu Sulaym met me and said, "Shall I not give you glad tidings?" I said, "Why not?" He said, "Do you remember the time when the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent me to your people, Banu Sa'd, to invite them to Islam, and you said, 'By Allah! They have said a good thing and conveyed a good message.' When I returned to the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), I informed him about what you had said, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, 'O Allah! Forgive Ahnaf.'" Upon hearing this, he said, "There is nothing more hopeful for me than this."