Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
muslim:2492aQutaybah b. Saʿīd And ʾAbū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah Wazuhayr b. Ḥarb > Sufyān > Zuhayr > Sufyān b. ʿUyaynah > al-Zuhrī > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah > Innakum Tazʿumūn > Abū Hurayrah Yukthir al-Ḥadīth

You are under the impression that Abu Huraira transmits so many ahadith from Messenger of Allah (may peace up upon him) ; (bear in mind) Allah is the great Reckoner. I was a poor man and I served Messenger of Allah ﷺ being satisfied with bare subsistence, whereas the immigrants remained busy with transactions in the bazar; while the Ansar had been engaged in looking after their properties. (He further reported) that Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: He who spreads the cloth would not forget anything that he would hear from me. I spread my cloth until he narrated something. I then pressed it against my (chest), so I never forgot anything that I heard from him.  

مسلم:٢٤٩٢aحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ جَمِيعًا عَنْ سُفْيَانَ قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يَقُولُ إِنَّكُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يُكْثِرُ الْحَدِيثَ

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَاللَّهُ الْمَوْعِدُ كُنْتُ رَجُلاً مِسْكِينًا أَخْدُمُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى مِلْءِ بَطْنِي وَكَانَ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الصَّفْقُ بِالأَسْوَاقِ وَكَانَتِ الأَنْصَارُ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الْقِيَامُ عَلَى أَمْوَالِهِمْ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْ يَبْسُطُ ثَوْبَهُ فَلَنْ يَنْسَى شَيْئًا سَمِعَهُ مِنِّي فَبَسَطْتُ ثَوْبِي حَتَّى قَضَى حَدِيثَهُ ثُمَّ ضَمَمْتُهُ إِلَىَّ فَمَا نَسِيتُ شَيْئًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Aḥmad, Nasāʾī's Kubrá
bukhari:7354ʿAlī > Sufyān > al-Zuhrī > Samiʿah from al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah > Innakum Tazʿumūn

Abu Huraira said, "You people claim that Abu Huraira narrates many narrations of Messenger of Allah ﷺ. (Anyhow) with Allah will be our appointment. I was a poor man, and used to stick to Messenger of Allah ﷺ contented with what will fill my stomach, and the Muhajirin (emigrants) used to be busy trading in the markets, and the Ansar used to be busy looking after their properties. One-day I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'Who will spread his Rida' (a garment covering the upper part of the body) till I finished my speech and then fold it, (i.e. wrap it over your body), in which case he will never forget anything he had heard from me." So I spread my garment which I was wearing; and by Him Who sent Muhammad with the Truth, ever since, I have never forgotten whatever I heard from him (the Prophet)" (See, Hadith No. 119, Vol. 1)  

البخاري:٧٣٥٤حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيٌّ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ حَدَّثَنِي الزُّهْرِيُّ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَهُ مِنَ الأَعْرَجِ يَقُولُ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ

أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يُكْثِرُ الْحَدِيثَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَاللَّهُ الْمَوْعِدُ إِنِّي كُنْتُ امْرَأً مِسْكِينًا أَلْزَمُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى مِلْءِ بَطْنِي وَكَانَ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الصَّفْقُ بِالأَسْوَاقِ وَكَانَتِ الأَنْصَارُ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الْقِيَامُ عَلَى أَمْوَالِهِمْ فَشَهِدْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ وَقَالَ مَنْ يَبْسُطْ رِدَاءَهُ حَتَّى أَقْضِيَ مَقَالَتِي ثُمَّ يَقْبِضْهُ فَلَنْ يَنْسَى شَيْئًا سَمِعَهُ مِنِّي فَبَسَطْتُ بُرْدَةً كَانَتْ عَلَىَّ فَوَالَّذِي بَعَثَهُ بِالْحَقِّ مَا نَسِيتُ شَيْئًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ  

ahmad:7275Sufyān > al-Zuhrī > ʿAbd al-Raḥman al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah > Innakum Tazʿumūn

[Machine] Abu Hurayrah used to narrate a lot of hadiths from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ . By Allah, I was a poor man, and I used to accompany the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while my stomach was full. The Muhajireen (migrants) were busy with business in the markets, and the Ansar (helpers) were occupied with tending to their wealth. So, I attended a gathering with the Prophet ﷺ , and he said, "Whoever spreads his garment until I finish my speech, and then folds it and hands it back to me, he will not forget anything he heard from me." So, I spread my garment upon myself until he finished his speech, then I folded it and handed it back to him. By the One in whose hand is my soul, I have not forgotten anything that I heard from him after that.  

أحمد:٧٢٧٥حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يَقُولُ إِنَّكُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ

أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يُكْثِرُ الْحَدِيثَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَاللهُ الْمَوْعِدُ إِنِّي كُنْتُ امْرَأً مِسْكِينًا أَصْحَبُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ عَلَى مِلْءِ بَطْنِي وَكَانَ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الصَّفْقُ بِالْأَسْوَاقِ وَكَانَتِ الْأَنْصَارُ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الْقِيَامُ عَلَى أَمْوَالِهِمْ فَحَضَرْتُ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مَجْلِسًا فَقَالَ مَنْ يَبْسُطْ رِدَاءَهُ حَتَّى أَقْضِيَ مَقَالَتِي ثُمَّ يَقْبِضْهُ إِلَيْهِ فَلَنْ يَنْسَى شَيْئًا سَمِعَهُ مِنِّي؟ فَبَسَطْتُ بُرْدَةً عَلَيَّ حَتَّى قَضَى حَدِيثَهُ ثُمَّ قَبَضْتُهَا إِلَيَّ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ مَا نَسِيتُ شَيْئًا بَعْدَ أَنْ سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ  

nasai-kubra:5837Muḥammad b. Manṣūr > Sufyān > al-Zuhrī > ʿAbd al-Raḥman al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah > Innakum Tazʿumūn Annī Ukthir al-Ḥadīth

Abu Huraira said, "You people claim that Abu Huraira narrates many narrations of Messenger of Allah ﷺ. (Anyhow) with Allah will be our appointment. I was a poor man, and used to stick to Messenger of Allah ﷺ contented with what will fill my stomach, and the Muhajirin (emigrants) used to be busy trading in the markets, and the Ansar used to be busy looking after their properties. One-day I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'Who will spread his Rida' (a garment covering the upper part of the body) till I finished my speech and then fold it, (i.e. wrap it over your body), in which case he will never forget anything he had heard from me." So I spread my garment which I was wearing; and by Him Who sent Muhammad with the Truth, ever since, I have never forgotten whatever I heard from him (the Prophet)" (See, Hadith No. 119, Vol. 1) (Using translation from Bukhārī 7354)   

الكبرى للنسائي:٥٨٣٧أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الزُّهْرِيُّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ الْأَعْرَجَ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يَقُولُ إِنَّكُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ أَنِّي أُكْثِرُ الْحَدِيثَ

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَاللهُ الْمَوْعِدُ أَنِّي كُنْتُ امْرَأً مِسْكِينًا أَصْحَبُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ عَلَى مِلْءِ بَطْنِي وَكَانَ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الصَّفْقُ فِي الْأَسْوَاقِ وَكَانَتِ الْأَنْصَارُ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الْقِيَامُ عَلَى أَمْوَالِهِمْ فَشَهِدْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ مَجْلِسًا فَقَالَ «مَنْ يَبْسُطُ رِدَاءَهُ حَتَّى اقْضِيَ مَقَالَتِي فَلَا يَنْسَى شَيْئًا سَمِعَهُ مِنِّي» فَبَسَطْتُ بُرْدَةً كَانَتْ عَلَيَّ حَتَّى قَضَى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَقَالَتَهُ ثُمَّ ضَمَمْتُهَا إِلَيَّ فَوَالَّذِي بَعَثَهُ بِالْحَقِّ مَا نَسِيتُ شَيْئًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ