Ibn ʿUlayyah narrated—from al-Jurayrī, from Muḍārib ibn Ḥazn—who said:

“While I was travelling in the depth of night, suddenly I heard a man proclaiming the takbīr. I urged my camel forward and caught up with him. I asked, ‘Who is that?’

He answered, ‘Abū Hurayrah.’

I said, ‘Why are you proclaiming takbīr?’

He replied, ‘Out of gratitude.’

I asked, ‘Gratitude for what?’

He said, ‘I used to work for Busrah bint Ghazwān—paid only with the labour of my legs and the food that filled my stomach. Whenever they mounted, I drove their mounts; whenever they dismounted, I served them. Then Allah married her to me, and she is now my wife.’⦗1⦘

Maʿmar narrated—from Ayyūb, from Muḥammad:

Umar once appointed Abū Hurayrah as governor of Bahrain. When Abū Hurayrah returned, he brought with him ten thousand (dirhams). Umar said to him, ‘You have appropriated this wealth, O enemy of Allah and enemy of His Book!’

Abū Hurayrah answered, ‘I am not an enemy of Allah or His Book; rather, I am an enemy of whoever is hostile to them.’

Umar asked, ‘Then where did this money come from?’

He replied, ‘Foals born to my horses, income from my slaves, and stipends that reached me one after another.’

They investigated and found it exactly as he had said.

Sometime afterwards Umar summoned him, intending to re-appoint him, but Abū Hurayrah declined.

Umar said, ‘You dislike official service, even though someone better than you—Joseph, upon him be peace—sought office.’

Abū Hurayrah replied, ‘Joseph was a prophet, the son of a prophet, the grandson of a prophet, while I am Abū Hurayrah ibn Umaymah, and I fear three things and two.’

Umar said, ‘Why did you not simply say five?’

He answered, ‘I fear that I might speak without knowledge, judge without forbearance, be struck upon my back, have my wealth seized, and have my honour reviled.’⦗2⦘