قال ابن شهاب وقال ابن المسيب إن أبا هريرة قال يقولون إن أبا هريرة قد أكثر والله الموعد ويقولون ما بال المهاجرين والأنصار لا يتحدثون مثل أحاديثه وسأخبركم عن ذلك إن إخواني من الأنصار كان يشغلهم عمل أرضيهم وإن إخواني من المهاجرين كان يشغلهم الصفق بالأسواق وكنت ألزم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم على ملء بطني فأشهد إذا غابوا وأحفظ إذا نسوا ولقد قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يوما ‏"‏ أيكم يبسط ثوبه فيأخذ من حديثي هذا ثم يجمعه إلى صدره فإنه لم ينس شيئا سمعه ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فبسطت بردة على حتى فرغ من حديثه ثم جمعتها إلى صدري فما نسيت بعد ذلك اليوم شيئا حدثني به ولولا آيتان أنزلهما الله في كتابه ما حدثت شيئا أبدا ‏{‏ إن الذين يكتمون ما أنزلنا من البينات والهدى‏}‏ إلى آخر الآيتين ‏.‏
 'A'isha reported:                      Don't you feel surprised at Abu Huraira? He came (one day) and sat beside the nook of my apartment and began to narrate (the hadith of Allah's Apostle). I was hearing while I was engaged in extolling Allah (reciting Subhan Allah) constantly. He stood up before I finished my repetition of Subhan Allah. if I were to meet him I would have warned him in stern words that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) did not speak so quickly as you talk. Ibn Shihab transmitted on the authority of Ibn Musayyib that Abu Huraira said: People say that Abu Huraira transmits so many ahadith, whereas Allah is the Reckoner, and they say: How is it with Muhajirs and the Ansar that they do not narrate ahadith like him (like Abu Huraira)? Abu Huraira said: I tell you that my brothers from Ansar remained busy with their lands and my brothers Muhajirs were busy in transactions in the bazars, but I always kept myself attached to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) with bare subsistence. I remained present (in the company of the Holy Prophet), whereas they had been absent. I retained in my mind (what the Holy Prophet said), whereas they forgot it. One day Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: He who amongst you spreads the cloth and listens to my talk and would then press it against his chest would never forget anything heard from me. So I spread my mantle and when he had concluded his talk I then pressed it against my chest and so I never forgot after that day anything that he (the Holy Prophet) said. And if these two verses would not have been revealed in the Book I would have never transmitted anything (to anybody):" Those who conceal the clear evidence and the guidance that We revealed" (ii. 159) tip to the last verse.