عَنْ أَبِی هُرَيْرَةَ، رَضِیَ اللہُ عَنْهُ قَالَ كُنَّا جُلُوْسًا عِنْدَ النَّبِیِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأُنْزِلَتْ عَلَيْهِ سُورَةُ الْجُمُعَةِ وَآخَرِيْنَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوْابِهِم
قَالَ قُلْتُ مَنْ هُمْ يَا رَسُوْلَ اللهِ فَلَمْ يُرَاجِعْهُ حَتَّى سَأَلَ ثَلَاثًا، وَفِيْنَا سَلْمَانُ الْفَارِسِیُّ، وَضَعَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَدَهُ عَلَى سَلْمَانَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَوْ كَانَ الْإِيمَانُ عِنْدَ الثُّرَيَّا لَنَا لَهُ رِجَالٌ۔ أَوْ رَجُلٌ۔ مِنْ ھَؤُلَاءِ
Hazrat Abu Hurairahra, narrates,“When Surah al-Jumuah of the Holy Quran was revealed to the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, we happened to be there in his company. When he recited the verse, ‘Wa akharina minhum lamma yalhaqu bihim’, that is, ‘And others from among them who have not yet joined them’, one of those present asked, ‘Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?’ The Holy Prophetsa did not pay attention. The man repeated the question thrice. At that time, Salmanra the Persian was also sitting among us. The Holy Prophetsa turned to him, placed his hand on him and said, ‘Even if faith ascended to the Pleiades [completely disappearing from the earth], there would be some from his people [in another version, “one man” is mentioned instead of “some people”] who would restore faith [back] to earth.’”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Tafsir, Hadith 4897)