Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi said:

Bishr ibn al-Walid al-Kindi narrated to us; Ishaq ibn Sa‘id (1) narrated to us, from Sa‘id: ‘A’ishah said to Abu Hurayrah, “You have multiplied the reports you relate from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, O Abu Hurayrah.” He replied, “By Allah, it was not kohl and henna that kept me away from him; rather I think they are what have kept you from paying heed to the many hadith I transmit.” She said, “Perhaps so.” (2)

Abu Ya‘la said:

Ibrahim al-Shami narrated to us; Hammad ibn Salamah narrated to us, from Thabit, from Abu Rafi‘, that a man from Quraysh came to Abu Hurayrah wearing a fine cloak and strutting about in it. He said, “O Abu Hurayrah, you report abundantly from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; did you hear him say anything about this cloak of mine?” He replied, “By Allah, you do indeed cause us annoyance. Were it not for the covenant Allah took from the People of the Scripture—‘You shall make it clear to the people and not conceal it’ [Al ‘Imran 3:187]—I would not tell you anything. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:

“A man from those who were before you was strutting in a cloak when Allah caused the earth to swallow him up, and he continues to plunge within it until the Hour is established.” (3)

By Allah, I do not know—perhaps he was from your people, or from your clan.” Abu Ya‘la was uncertain about this wording (4).

Muhammad ibn Sa‘d said:

Muhammad ibn ‘Umar narrated to us; Kathir ibn Zayd narrated to me, from al-Walid ibn Rabah, who said: I heard Abu Hurayrah say to Marwan, “By Allah, you are not the governor; the governor is someone else, so leave this matter”—meaning when they wished to bury al-Hasan beside the Messenger of Allah ﷺ—“but you are interfering in what does not concern you. All you want by this is to please someone who is absent from you,” meaning Mu‘awiyah.

Marwan turned to him angrily and said, “O Abu Hurayrah, people say that you have over-reported from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, whereas you only arrived a short time before the Prophet ﷺ passed away.”

Abu Hurayrah replied, “Yes, I arrived while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was at Khaybar in the seventh year, and at that time I was thirty-odd years old. I remained with him until he died: I accompanied him through the apartments of his wives, served him—by Allah, I was then a man of slight means—prayed behind him, performed Hajj with him, and fought alongside him. By Allah, I was the most knowledgeable of people concerning his hadith. True, others had preceded me in his company and in emigrating to him from Quraysh and the Ansar, but they recognised my constant attendance upon him and would therefore ask me about his hadith—among them ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, ‘Ali, Talhah and al-Zubayr. By Allah, no hadith that occurred in Madinah is hidden from me, nor anything concerning everyone who loved Allah and His Messenger, or who had a standing with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, or any of his companions. Abu Bakr was his companion in the Cave and elsewhere, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ expelled him”—alluding to Marwan’s father, al-Hakam ibn al-‘As—“from living with him.

“Let Abu ‘Abd al-Malik ask me about this and similar matters; he will find with me abundant knowledge and explanation.”

He (the narrator) said: By Allah, Marwan thereafter continued to hold back from confronting Abu Hurayrah, wary of him and afraid of both him and the answers he might give. (5)

[In another narration: Abu Hurayrah said to Marwan, “Indeed, I embraced Islam and emigrated of my own choice and free will, and I loved…”]