Musnad Ahmad 340:4

Abu al-Nadr Hashim ibn al-Qasim narrated to us, he said: al-Mubarak—meaning Ibn Fudala—narrated to us, he said: Abu ‘Imran al-Jawni narrated to us, from Rabi’ah al-Aslami, who said: I used to serve the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he said to me: "O Rabi’ah, will you not marry?" I said: "By Allah, no, O Messenger of Allah. I do not wish to marry; I do not have what would sustain a wife, and I do not like for anything to distract me from you." He turned away from me, and I served him for as long as I served him. Then he said to me a second time: "O Rabi’ah, will you not marry?" I said: "I do not wish to marry; I do not have what would sustain a wife, and I do not like for anything to distract me from you." He turned away from me. Then I returned to myself and said: "By Allah, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) knows better than I do what is good for me in this world and the Hereafter. By Allah, if he says 'Marry,' I will say: 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah, command me as you wish.'" He said: "O Rabi’ah, will you not marry?" I said: "Yes, command me as you wish." He said: "Go to the family of so-and-so, a clan of the Ansar"—and there was some distance between them and the Prophet (ﷺ)—"and say to them: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has sent me to you, commanding you to marry me to so-and-so,'" referring to a woman among them. I went and said to them: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has sent me to you, commanding you to marry me to so-and-so." They said: "Welcome to the Messenger of Allah, and to the messenger of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). By Allah, the messenger of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) shall not return except with his need fulfilled." They married me and treated me kindly, and they did not ask me for proof. I returned to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) feeling sad. He said to me: "What is the matter with you, O Rabi’ah?" I said: "O Messenger of Allah, I went to a noble people, and they married me, honored me, and treated me kindly, and they did not ask me for proof, but I have no dowry." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "O Buraydah al-Aslami, collect for him the weight of a date stone in gold." He said: So they collected for me the weight of a date stone in gold. I took what they had collected for me and brought it to the Prophet (ﷺ). He said: "Go with this to them and say: 'This is her dowry.'" I went to them and said: "This is her dowry." They were pleased and accepted it, and said: "It is much and good." He said: Then I returned to the Prophet (ﷺ) feeling sad. He said: "O Rabi’ah, why are you sad?" I said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have never seen a people more noble than them; they were pleased with what I brought them, and they were kind and said: 'It is much and good,' but I have nothing for the wedding feast." He said: "O Buraydah, collect for him a sheep." He said: So they collected for me a large, fat ram. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: "Go to ‘Aishah and say to her: 'Let her send the basket that contains the food.'" He said: I went to her and told her what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had commanded me. She said: "This basket contains nine sa’ of barley; by Allah, we have no other food this morning. Take it." I took it and brought it to the Prophet (ﷺ) and informed him of what ‘Aishah had said. He said: "Go with this to them and say: 'Let this become bread for you.'" I went to them, and I took the ram, and with me were some people from Aslam. I said: "Let this become bread for you, and this become cooked meat." They said: "As for the bread, we will suffice you in it, and as for the ram, you suffice yourselves." So I and some people from Aslam took the ram, slaughtered it, skinned it, and cooked it. We had bread and meat, so I held the wedding feast and invited the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Then he said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) gave me land after that, and he gave Abu Bakr land. The world came, and we differed over a palm tree. I said: "It is in my plot," and Abu Bakr said: "It is in my plot." There was an argument between me and Abu Bakr, and Abu Bakr said a word to me that he disliked and regretted. He said to me: "O Rabi’ah, say back to me the like of it so that it may be a retaliation." I said: "I will not do it." Abu Bakr said: "You will say it, or I will complain about you to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)." I said: "I will not do it." He said: He left the land, and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet (ﷺ), and I followed him. Some people from Aslam came and said to me: "May Allah have mercy on Abu Bakr! For what would he complain about you to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he is the one who said to you what he said?" I said: "Do you know who this is? This is Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. This is the second of the two, and this is the elder of the Muslims. Beware, lest he turns around and sees you helping me against him, so he becomes angry, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) becomes angry because of his anger, and Allah the Almighty becomes angry because of their anger, and Rabi’ah is destroyed." They said: "What do you command us?" I said: "Go back." He said: So Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and I followed him alone until he reached the Prophet (ﷺ) and told him the story as it happened. He raised his head to me and said: "O Rabi’ah, what is between you and al-Siddiq?" I said: "O Messenger of Allah, it was such and such. He said a word to me that he disliked, and he said to me: 'Say as I said so that it may be a retaliation,' but I refused." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Indeed, do not say it back to him, but say: 'May Allah forgive you, O Abu Bakr.'" I said: "May Allah forgive you, O Abu Bakr." Al-Hasan said: Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) turned away weeping.