Mustadrak al-Hakim — Hadith 7239

It is narrated from Abd al-Rahman bin al-Baylamani that he said: In Alexandria I saw an old man who was called "Surraq" (thief). I went to him and asked him about it, and he told me: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gave me this name, and I will never give it up. I asked: Why did he give you this name? He said: A man from the desert came with two camels, and I bought them from him. Then I went into my house and left by the back way; I sold the camels on and met my need with them, and I stayed away until I thought that the Bedouin must have left by now. But he was still staying there. He seized me and took me to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and told him the whole story. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What made you do what you did?" I said: O Messenger of Allah, I met my need with them. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Pay him his due." I said: I have nothing with me right now. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You are Surraq. O Bedouin, go and sell him (as a slave) until you receive your full due." He said: So people began bidding to the Bedouin for me, and he would turn to them and say: What do you want? They would say: We want to ransom him from you. So the Bedouin said: By Allah, I am more deserving of this than all of you and more in need of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic (and His forgiveness). (O man,) go, I have set you free for the sake of Allah.
This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Bukhari, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.