Narrated Khaithamah bin Abi Sabrah:

"I came to Al-Madinah, so I asked Allah to make it easy for me to sit with one who is righteous. He made Abu Hurairah accessible to me, so I sat with him and said to him: 'Indeed, I asked Allah to make it easy for me to sit with who is righteous, and it is to you that I was guided.' So he said to me: 'From where are you?' I said: 'From the people of Al-Kufah, I came to search out good and to seek it.' So he said: 'Is there not among you Sa'd bin Malik whose supplication is answered, Ibn Mas'ud, the one who used to carry the water for purification and the sandals of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and Hudhaifah, the keeper of the secrets of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and 'Ammar whom Allah has guarded from Shaitan upon the tongue of His Prophet, and Salman the companion of the Two Books?'"

حَدَّثَنَا الْجَرَّاحُ بْنُ مَخْلَدٍ الْبَصْرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ خَيْثَمَةَ بْنِ أَبِي سَبْرَةَ، قَالَ أَتَيْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَسَأَلْتُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُيَسِّرَ لِي جَلِيسًا صَالِحًا فَيَسَّرَ لِي أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ فَجَلَسْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنِّي سَأَلْتُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُيَسِّرَ لِي جَلِيسًا صَالِحًا فَوُفِّقْتَ لِي . فَقَالَ لِي مِنْ أَيْنَ أَنْتَ قُلْتُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ جِئْتُ أَلْتَمِسُ الْخَيْرَ وَأَطْلُبُهُ . قَالَ أَلَيْسَ فِيكُمْ سَعْدُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ مُجَابُ الدَّعْوَةِ وَابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ صَاحِبُ طَهُورِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَنَعْلَيْهِ وَحُذَيْفَةُ صَاحِبُ سِرِّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَعَمَّارٌ الَّذِي أَجَارَهُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ عَلَى لِسَانِ نَبِيِّهِ وَسَلْمَانُ صَاحِبُ الْكِتَابَيْنِ . قَالَ قَتَادَةُ وَالْكِتَابَانِ الإِنْجِيلُ وَالْفُرْقَانُ . قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ . وَخَيْثَمَةُ هُوَ ابْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي سَبْرَةَ إِنَّمَا نُسِبَ إِلَى جَدِّهِ .