334 — ‘Abd Allāh narrated to us: My father narrated to me: ‘Affān narrated to us: Hammād ibn Salamah narrated to us, from ‘Alī ibn Zayd, from ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn Abī Bakrah, from al-Aswad ibn Sarī‘, who said:

I came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have composed praises and verses extolling my Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, and you as well.” He said, “Recite what you have composed in praise of your Lord, the Mighty and Majestic.”

I began reciting to him. Then a tall, dark-complexioned man came and asked permission to enter. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Hush, hush!” The man spoke for a while and then left, and I resumed reciting to him. Then the man returned and asked permission to enter, and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Hush, hush!” This happened two or three times.

I said, “O Messenger of Allah, who is this man for whom you asked me to be silent?” He replied, “This is ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb. This is a man who does not like falsehood.”