Hadith of Abu al-Sawar from his maternal uncle (may Allah be pleased with him)

حَدِيثُ أَبِي السَّوَّارِ عَنْ خَالِهِ رَضِيَ، ٢٢٥١٠ - حَدَّثَنَا عَارِمٌ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعْتَمِرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، حَدَّثَنَا السُّمَيْطُ، عَنْ أَبِي السَّوَّارِ، حَدَّثَهُ أَبُو السَّوَّارِ، عَنْ خَالِهِ قَالَ: رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأُنَاسٌ يَتْبَعُونَهُ فَأَتْبَعْتُهُ مَعَهُمْ قَالَ: فَفَجِئَنِي الْقَوْمُ يَسْعَوْنَ قَالَ: وَأَبْقَى الْقَوْمُ فَأَتَى عَلَيَّ (١) رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَضَرَبَنِي ضَرْبَةً إِمَّا بِعَسِيبٍ أَوْ قَضِيبٍ أَوْ سِوَاكٍ أَوْ شَيْءٍ كَانَ مَعَهُ قَالَ: فَوَاللهِ مَا أَوْجَعَنِي. قَالَ: فَبِتُّ بِلَيْلَةٍ. قَالَ: أَوْ قُلْتُ: مَا ضَرَبَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَّا لِشَيْءٍ عَلِمَهُ اللهُ فِيَّ. قَالَ: وَحَدَّثَتْنِي نَفْسِي أَنْ آتِيَ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا أَصْبَحْتُ قَالَ: فَنَزَلَ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: " إِنَّكَ رَاعٍ فَلَا تَكْسِرْ (٢) قُرُونَ رَعِيَّتِكَ ". قَالَ: فَلَمَّا صَلَّيْنَا الْغَدَاةَ، أَوْ قَالَ: أَصْبَحْنَا، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " اللهُمَّ إِنَّ أُنَاسًا يَتْبَعُونِي، وَإِنِّي لَا يُعْجِبُنِي أَنْ يَتْبَعُونِي. اللهُمَّ فَمَنْ ضَرَبْتُ أَوْ سَبَبْتُ، فَاجْعَلْهَا لَهُ كَفَّارَةً وَأَجْرًا " أَوْ قَالَ: " مَغْفِرَةً وَرَحْمَةً ". أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ (٣)، ،

Abu al-Sawar narrates from his maternal uncle that once I saw the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that some people were walking behind him, and I also joined them. Suddenly, the people started running and some people were left behind. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came close to me and lightly struck me with a twig, reed, miswak, or something else that he had with him, but by Allah! I did not feel any pain from it. When night came, I thought that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) must have struck me because of something that Allah had informed him about me. Then it occurred to my heart that in the morning I should present myself before the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Meanwhile, Angel Jibreel (peace be upon him) came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with this revelation: "You are a shepherd, so do not break the horns of your flock." When we finished the Fajr prayer, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) supplicated, saying: "O Allah! Some people walk behind me, and I do not like that anyone should walk behind me. O Allah! Whomever I have struck or spoken harshly to, make it an expiation and a source of reward for him, or he said, make it a means of forgiveness and mercy for him, or as he said."