"I said to Abu Ayyub: 'Do you know of anyone who said that: "Your case is up to you?" counts as three besides Al-Hasan?' He said: "No, not besides Al-Hasan.' Then he said: 'O Allah forgive me - except for what has been narrated to me by Qatadah, from Kathir the freed slave of Banu Samurah, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurairah, that the Prophet said: "Three.'"Abu Ayyub said: 'So I met Kathir the freed slave of Banu Samurah and asked him about it, but he was not aware of it. So I returned to Qatadah and informed him about that and he said: "He forgot."  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ ثَلاَثٌ قَالَ أَيُّوبُ فَلَقِيتُ كَثِيرًا مَوْلَى ابْنِ سَمُرَةَ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَلَمْ يَعْرِفْهُ فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى قَتَادَةَ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَقَالَ نَسِيَ