Take these two sandals of mine and go. Whoever you meet beyond this orchard who bears witness that there is no god but Allah, with full certainty in his heart, give him the glad tidings of Paradise

عَن أبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: كُنَّا قُعُودًا حَوْلَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، مَعَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ، وَعُمَرُ فِي نَفَرٍ، فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَظْهُرِنَا، فَأَبْطَأَ عَلَيْنَا، وَخَشِينَا أَنْ يُقْتَطَعَ دُونَنَا، وَفَزِعْنَا، فَقُمْنَا، فَكُنْتُ أَوَّلَ مَنْ فَزِعَ، فَخَرَجْتُ أَبْتَغِي رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى أَتَيْتُ حَائِطًا لِلْأَنْصَارِ لِبَنِي النَّجَّارِ، فَدُرْتُ بِهِ هَلْ أَجِدُ لَهُ بَابًا؟ فَلَمْ أَجِدْ، فَإِذَا رَبِيعٌ يَدْخُلُ فِي جَوْفِ حَائِطٍ مِنْ بِئْرٍ خَارِجَةٍ - وَالرَّبِيعُ الْجَدْوَلُ - فَاحْتَفَزْتُ، فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ: «أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ» فَقُلْتُ: نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، قَالَ: «مَا شَأْنُكَ؟» قُلْتُ: كُنْتَ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِنَا، فَقُمْتَ فَأَبْطَأْتَ عَلَيْنَا، فَخَشِينَا أَنْ تُقْتَطَعَ دُونَنَا، فَفَزِعْنَا، فَكُنْتُ أَوَّلَ مَنْ فَزِعَ، فَأَتَيْتُ هَذَا الْحَائِطَ، فَاحْتَفَزْتُ كَمَا يَحْتَفِزُ الثَّعْلَبُ، وَهَؤُلَاءِ النَّاسُ وَرَائِي، فَقَالَ: «يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ» وَأَعْطَانِي نَعْلَيْهِ، قَالَ: «اذْهَبْ بِنَعْلَيَّ هَاتَيْنِ، فَمَنْ لَقِيتَ مِنْ وَرَاءِ هَذَا الْحَائِطَ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُسْتَيْقِنًا بِهَا قَلْبُهُ، فَبَشِّرْهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ»، فَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ لَقِيتُ عُمَرُ، فَقَالَ: مَا هَاتَانِ النَّعْلَانِ يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ؟ فَقُلْتُ: هَاتَانِ نَعْلَا رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، بَعَثَنِي بِهِمَا مَنْ لَقِيتُ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُسْتَيْقِنًا بِهَا قَلْبُهُ، بَشَّرْتُهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ، فَضَرَبَ عُمَرُ بِيَدِهِ بَيْنَ ثَدْيَيَّ فَخَرَرْتُ لِاسْتِي، فَقَالَ: ارْجِعْ يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَأَجْهَشْتُ بُكَاءً، وَرَكِبَنِي عُمَرُ، فَإِذَا هُوَ عَلَى أَثَرِي، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَا لَكَ يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ؟» قُلْتُ: لَقِيتُ عُمَرَ، فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِالَّذِي بَعَثْتَنِي بِهِ، فَضَرَبَ بَيْنَ ثَدْيَيَّ ضَرْبَةً خَرَرْتُ لِاسْتِي، قَالَ: ارْجِعْ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «يَا عُمَرُ، مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتَ؟» قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، بِأَبِي أَنْتَ، وَأُمِّي، أَبَعَثْتَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ بِنَعْلَيْكَ، مَنْ لَقِيَ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُسْتَيْقِنًا بِهَا قَلْبُهُ بَشَّرَهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ؟ قَالَ: «نَعَمْ»، قَالَ: فَلَا تَفْعَلْ، فَإِنِّي أَخْشَى أَنْ يَتَّكِلَ النَّاسُ عَلَيْهَا، فَخَلِّهِمْ يَعْمَلُونَ، قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «فَخَلِّهِمْ».

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: We were sitting around the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and among us were Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, along with a group of people. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and left. When he delayed returning, we feared that he would be taken away from us. We felt terrified and got up, and I was the first to feel terrified. I went out searching for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) until I came upon an orchard belonging to the Ansār, from Banu An-Najjār. I looked around for an entrance but could not find one. Then I noticed a streamlet entering the orchard through a well outside the orchard. I crouched down and entered upon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He said: "Abu Hurayrah." I said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. He said: "What is the matter with you?" I said: You were among us, then you left and delayed in returning. We feared that you would be taken away from us, and we felt terrified. I was the first to feel terrified, so I came to this orchard. I crouched down as a fox would crouch down, and those people are behind me. So he said: "O Abu Hurayrah," and gave me his two sandals, saying: "Take these two sandals of mine and go. Whoever you meet beyond this orchard who bears witness that there is no god but Allah, with full certainty in his heart, give him the glad tidings of Paradise." The first one I met was ‘Umar. He said: What are these sandals, O Abu Hurayrah? I said: These are the sandals of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He sent me with them to give glad tidings of Paradise to anyone I meet who bears witness that there is no god but Allah, with full certainty in his heart. ‘Umar struck me on my chest with his hand, causing me to fall on my backside. He said: Go back, O Abu Hurayrah. I returned to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and I was about to weep, and ‘Umar was following close behind me. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What is the matter, O Abu Hurayrah?" I said: I met ‘Umar and told him about what you sent me with. He struck me on my chest with such a strike that it caused me to fall on my back, and he told me to go back.The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O ‘Umar, what caused you to do that?" ‘Umar said: O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you! Did you send Abu Hurayrah with your sandals to give glad tidings of Paradise to anyone who bears witness that there is no god but Allah, with full certainty in his heart? He said: "Yes." ‘Umar said: Then do not do that, for I fear that people may rely on this. Let them continue to work. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then let them."

Source · Narrated by Muslim

From the Hadith Encyclopedia (hadeethenc.com).