حَدَّثَنَا 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 صلى الله عليه وسلم وَاللَّهُ الْمَوْعِدُ كُنْتُ رَجُلاً مِسْكِينًا أَخْدُمُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى مِلْءِ بَطْنِي وَكَانَ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الصَّفْقُ بِالأَسْوَاقِ وَكَانَتِ الأَنْصَارُ يَشْغَلُهُمُ الْقِيَامُ عَلَى أَمْوَالِهِمْ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ يَبْسُطُ ثَوْبَهُ فَلَنْ يَنْسَى شَيْئًا سَمِعَهُ مِنِّي ". فَبَسَطْتُ ثَوْبِي حَتَّى قَضَى حَدِيثَهُ ثُمَّ ضَمَمْتُهُ إِلَىَّ فَمَا نَسِيتُ شَيْئًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ.
Al-A'raj reported that he heard Abu Huraira as saying:You are under the impression that Abu Huraira transmits so many ahadith from Allah's Messenger (may peace up upon him) ; (bear in mind) Allah is the great Reckoner. I was a poor man and I served Allah's Messenger (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 Allah's Messenger (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
This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Abu Huraira but with the variation that the hadith transmitted on the authority of Malik conclude with the words of Abu Huraira and there is no mention of a transmission of these from Allah's Apostle (ﷺ):" who spreads his cloth," to the end
Ibn Shihab transmitted on the authority of Ibn Musayyib that Abu Huraira said: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 Allah's Messenger (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 Allah's Messenger (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