The people say that Abu Huraira narrates too many narrations. In fact Allah knows whether I say the truth or not. They also ask, "Why do the emigrants and the Ansar not narrate as he does?" In fact, my emigrant brethren were busy trading in the markets, and my Ansar brethren were busy with their properties. I was a poor man keeping the company of Messenger of Allah ﷺ and was satisfied with what filled my stomach. So, I used to be present while they (i.e. the emigrants and the Ansar) were absent, and I used to remember while they forgot (the Hadith). One day the Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever spreads his sheet till I finish this statement of mine and then gathers it on his chest, will never forget anything of my statement." So, I spread my covering sheet which was the only garment I had, till the Prophet ﷺ finished his statement and then I gathered it over my chest. By Him Who had sent him (i.e. Allah's Apostle) with the truth, since then I did not forget even a single word of that statement of his, until this day of mine. By Allah, but for two verses in Allah's Book, I would never have related any narration (from the Prophet). (These two verses are): "Verily! Those who conceal the clear signs and the guidance which we have sent down .....(up to) the Merciful.' (2.159-160)  

يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يُكْثِرُ الْحَدِيثَ وَاللَّهُ الْمَوْعِدُ وَيَقُولُونَ مَا لِلْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالأَنْصَارِ لاَ يُحَدِّثُونَ مِثْلَ أَحَادِيثِهِ وَإِنَّ إِخْوَتِي مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ كَانَ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الصَّفْقُ بِالأَسْوَاقِ وَإِنَّ إِخْوَتِي مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ كَانَ يَشْغَلُهُمْ عَمَلُ أَمْوَالِهِمْ وَكُنْتُ امْرَأً مِسْكِينًا أَلْزَمُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى مِلْءِ بَطْنِي فَأَحْضُرُ حِينَ يَغِيبُونَ وَأَعِي حِينَ يَنْسَوْنَ وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَوْمًا لَنْ يَبْسُطَ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ ثَوْبَهُ حَتَّى أَقْضِيَ مَقَالَتِي هَذِهِ ثُمَّ يَجْمَعَهُ إِلَى صَدْرِهِ فَيَنْسَى مِنْ مَقَالَتِي شَيْئًا أَبَدًا فَبَسَطْتُ نَمِرَةً لَيْسَ عَلَىَّ ثَوْبٌ غَيْرَهَا حَتَّى قَضَى النَّبِيُّ ﷺ مَقَالَتَهُ ثُمَّ جَمَعْتُهَا إِلَى صَدْرِي فَوَالَّذِي بَعَثَهُ بِالْحَقِّ مَا نَسِيتُ مِنْ مَقَالَتِهِ تِلْكَ إِلَى يَوْمِي هَذَا وَاللَّهِ لَوْلاَ آيَتَانِ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ مَا حَدَّثْتُكُمْ شَيْئًا أَبَدًا {إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَا أَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ} إِلَى قَوْلِهِ {الرَّحِيمُ}  

You people say that Abu Huraira tells many narrations from Messenger of Allah ﷺ and you also wonder why the emigrants and Ansar do not narrate from Messenger of Allah ﷺ as Abu Huraira does. My emigrant brothers were busy in the market while I used to stick to Messenger of Allah ﷺ content with what fills my stomach; so I used to be present when they were absent and I used to remember when they used to forget, and my Ansari brothers used to be busy with their properties and I was one of the poor men of Suffa. I used to remember the narrations when they used to forget. No doubt, Messenger of Allah ﷺ once said, "Whoever spreads his garment till I have finished my present speech and then gathers it to himself, will remember whatever I will say." So, I spread my colored garment which I was wearing till Messenger of Allah ﷺ had finished his saying, and then I gathered it to my chest. So, I did not forget any of that narrations.  

إِنَّكُمْ تَقُولُونَ إِنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يُكْثِرُ الْحَدِيثَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَتَقُولُونَ مَا بَالُ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالأَنْصَارِ لاَ يُحَدِّثُونَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَإِنَّ إِخْوَتِي مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ كَانَ يَشْغَلُهُمْ صَفْقٌ بِالأَسْوَاقِ وَكُنْتُ أَلْزَمُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى مِلْءِ بَطْنِي فَأَشْهَدُ إِذَا غَابُوا وَأَحْفَظُ إِذَا نَسُوا وَكَانَ يَشْغَلُ إِخْوَتِي مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ عَمَلُ أَمْوَالِهِمْ وَكُنْتُ امْرَأً مِسْكِينًا مِنْ مَسَاكِينِ الصُّفَّةِ أَعِي حِينَ يَنْسَوْنَ وَقَدْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي حَدِيثٍ يُحَدِّثُهُ إِنَّهُ لَنْ يَبْسُطَ أَحَدٌ ثَوْبَهُ حَتَّى أَقْضِيَ مَقَالَتِي هَذِهِ ثُمَّ يَجْمَعَ إِلَيْهِ ثَوْبَهُ إِلاَّ وَعَى مَا أَقُولُ فَبَسَطْتُ نَمِرَةً عَلَىَّ حَتَّى إِذَا قَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَقَالَتَهُ جَمَعْتُهَا إِلَى صَدْرِي فَمَا نَسِيتُ مِنْ مَقَالَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ تِلْكَ مِنْ شَىْءٍ  

People say that Abu Huraira transmits so many ahadith, whereas Allah is the Reckoner, and they say: How is it with Muhajirs and the Ansar that they do not narrate ahadith like him (like Abu Huraira)? Abu Huraira said: I tell you that my brothers from Ansar remained busy with their lands and my brothers Muhajirs were busy in transactions in the bazars, but I always kept myself attached to Messenger of Allah ﷺ with bare subsistence. I remained present (in the company of the Holy Prophet), whereas they had been absent. I retained in my mind (what the Prophet said), whereas they forgot it. One day Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: He who amongst you spreads the cloth and listens to my talk and would then press it against his chest would never forget anything heard from me. So I spread my mantle and when he had concluded his talk I then pressed it against my chest and so I never forgot after that day anything that he (the Holy Prophet) said. And if these two verses would not have been revealed in the Book I would have never transmitted anything (to anybody):" Those who conceal the clear evidence and the guidance that We revealed" (ii. 159) tip to the last verse.  

يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ قَدْ أَكْثَرَ وَاللَّهُ الْمَوْعِدُ وَيَقُولُونَ مَا بَالُ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالأَنْصَارِ لاَ يَتَحَدَّثُونَ مِثْلَ أَحَادِيثِهِ وَسَأُخْبِرُكُمْ عَنْ ذَلِكَ إِنَّ إِخْوَانِي مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ كَانَ يَشْغَلُهُمْ عَمَلُ أَرَضِيهِمْ وَإِنَّ إِخْوَانِي مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ كَانَ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الصَّفْقُ بِالأَسْوَاقِ وَكُنْتُ أَلْزَمُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى مِلْءِ بَطْنِي فَأَشْهَدُ إِذَا غَابُوا وَأَحْفَظُ إِذَا نَسُوا وَلَقَدْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا أَيُّكُمْ يَبْسُطُ ثَوْبَهُ فَيَأْخُذُ مِنْ حَدِيثِي هَذَا ثُمَّ يَجْمَعُهُ إِلَى صَدْرِهِ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَنْسَ شَيْئًا سَمِعَهُ فَبَسَطْتُ بُرْدَةً عَلَىَّ حَتَّى فَرَغَ مِنْ حَدِيثِهِ ثُمَّ جَمَعْتُهَا إِلَى صَدْرِي فَمَا نَسِيتُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ شَيْئًا حَدَّثَنِي بِهِ وَلَوْلاَ آيَتَانِ أَنْزَلَهُمَا اللَّهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ مَا حَدَّثْتُ شَيْئًا أَبَدًا { إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَا أَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْهُدَى} إِلَى آخِرِ الآيَتَيْنِ  

People say that Abu Huraira transmits so many ahadith, whereas Allah is the Reckoner, and they say: How is it with Muhajirs and the Ansar that they do not narrate ahadith like him (like Abu Huraira)? Abu Huraira said: I tell you that my brothers from Ansar remained busy with their lands and my brothers Muhajirs were busy in transactions in the bazars, but I always kept myself attached to Messenger of Allah ﷺ with bare subsistence. I remained present (in the company of the Holy Prophet), whereas they had been absent. I retained in my mind (what the Prophet said), whereas they forgot it. One day Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: He who amongst you spreads the cloth and listens to my talk and would then press it against his chest would never forget anything heard from me. So I spread my mantle and when he had concluded his talk I then pressed it against my chest and so I never forgot after that day anything that he (the Holy Prophet) said. And if these two verses would not have been revealed in the Book I would have never transmitted anything (to anybody):" Those who conceal the clear evidence and the guidance that We revealed" (ii. 159) tip to the last verse. (Using translation from Muslim 2492c)   

أَلَا يُعْجِبُكَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ؟ جَاءَ فَجَلَسَ إِلَى بَابِ حُجْرَتِي يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ يُسْمِعُنِي ذَلِكَ وَكُنْتُ أُسَبِّحُ فَقَامَ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَقْضِيَ سُبْحَتِي وَلَوْ أَدْرَكْتُهُ لَرَدَدْتُ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَسْرُدُ الْحَدِيثَ كَسَرْدِكُمْ قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ وَقَالَ ابْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ إِنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يُكْثِرُ أَوْ قَالَ أَكْثَرَ وَاللَّهُ الْمَوْعِدُ وَيَقُولُونَ مَا بَالُ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ لَا يَتَحَدَّثُونَ بِمِثْلِ أَحَادِيثِهِ وَسَأُخْبِرُكُمْ عَنْ ذَلِكَ إِنَّ إِخْوَانِي مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ كَانَ يَشْغَلُهُمْ عَمَلٌ أَرَضِيهِمْ وَأَمَّا إِخْوَانِي مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ فَكَانَ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الصَّفْقُ بِالْأَسْوَاقِ وَكُنْتُ أَخْدِمُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى مِلْءِ بَطْنِي فَأَشْهَدُ مَا غَابُوا وَأَحْفَظُ إِذَا نَسُوا وَلَقَدْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا «أَيُّكُمْ يَبْسُطُ ثَوْبَهُ فَيَأْخُذُ حَدِيثِي هَذَا ثُمَّ يَجْمَعُهُ إِلَى صَدْرِهِ فَإِنَّهُ لَنْ يَنْسَى شَيْئًا يَسْمَعُهُ» فَبَسَطْتُ بُرْدَةً عَلَيَّ حَتَّى جَمَعْتُهَا إِلَى صَدْرِي فَمَا نَسِيتُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ شَيْئًا حَدَّثَنِي بِهِ وَلَوْلَا آيَتَانِ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ مَا حُدِّثْتُ شَيْئًا أَبَدًا {إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَا أَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْهُدَى} إِلَى آخِرِ الْآيَةِ «