Musnad Ahmad 30:2221

'Affan narrated to us, he said: 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Ibrahim narrated to us, he said: al-'Ala' ibn 'Abd al-Rahman narrated to us, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: When there was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): "To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Whether you disclose what is in your souls or conceal it, Allah will bring you to account for it. Then He will forgive whom He wills and punish whom He wills, and Allah is over all things competent" [Al-Baqarah: 284], that became severe upon the companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). They came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), then they knelt upon their knees and said: "O Messenger of Allah, we have been tasked with deeds we can bear: prayer, fasting, jihad, and charity. And this verse has been revealed to you, and we cannot bear it." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Do you wish to say as the people of the two scriptures before you said: 'We hear and we disobey'? Rather, say: 'We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination.'" They said: "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination." When the people affirmed it and their tongues became accustomed to it, Allah (Mighty and Majestic is He) revealed immediately after it: "The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], 'We make no distinction between any of His messengers'" [Al-Baqarah: 285]—'Affan said: Salam Abu al-Mundhir recited it: "We make no distinction" (la yufarriqu)—and Allah (Mighty and Majestic is He) revealed: "And they say, 'We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination'" [Al-Baqarah: 285]. When they did that, Allah (Mighty and Majestic is He) abrogated it with His saying: "Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned" [Al-Baqarah: 286]. So for him is what he earned of good, and upon him is what he acquired of evil. Al-'Ala' explained this: "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred" [Al-Baqarah: 286]. He said: "Yes." "Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us" [Al-Baqarah: 286]. He said: "Yes." "Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear" [Al-Baqarah: 286]. He said: "Yes." "And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people" [Al-Baqarah: 286].