He answered, “As for his having heard things that we did not hear, I have no doubt about it. Let me explain: we were people with households, sheep, and work to do; we would visit the Messenger of Allah at the two ends of the day, whereas he was a poor man, a permanent guest at the Prophet’s door, his hand in the Prophet’s hand. So we are certain that he heard what we did not. And you will never find anyone of sound character attributing to the Messenger of Allah words he never said. (1)

Shuʿbah narrated, from Ashʿath ibn Sulaym, from his father, who said:
“I came to Medina and found Abū Ayyūb relating—from Abū Hurayrah—from the Prophet. I said, ‘And you are yourself a Companion of the Messenger of Allah!’ He replied, ‘Indeed he has heard, and for me to narrate from him on the authority of the Messenger of Allah is dearer to me than to narrate directly from the Prophet.’ (2)

Bukayr ibn al-Ashajj narrated, from Busr ibn Saʿīd, who said:
“Fear Allah and be careful with ḥadith. By Allah, I have seen us sitting with Abū Hurayrah: he would narrate to us from the Messenger of Allah and narrate to us from Kaʿb. Then he would rise and leave, and I would hear some who had been with us attributing the Prophet’s report to Kaʿb and Kaʿb’s report to the Prophet. (3)

Ibn Saʿd said: Muḥammad ibn ʿUmar informed us; ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd ibn Jaʿfar narrated to us, from his father, from Ziyād ibn Mīnā, who said:
“Ibn ʿAbbās, Ibn ʿUmar, and Abū Saʿīd…”