Sunan an-Nasa'i 269
سنن النسائي#269Sahihأَخْبَرَنَا حُمَيْدُ بْنُ مَسْعَدَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرٌ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ الْمُفَضَّلِ - قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حُمَيْدٌ، عَنْ بَكْرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي رَافِعٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَقِيَهُ فِي طَرِيقٍ مِنْ طُرُقِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَهُوَ جُنُبٌ فَانْسَلَّ عَنْهُ فَاغْتَسَلَ فَفَقَدَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمَّا جَاءَ قَالَ " أَيْنَ كُنْتَ يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ " . قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّكَ لَقِيتَنِي وَأَنَا جُنُبٌ فَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أُجَالِسَكَ حَتَّى أَغْتَسِلَ . فَقَالَ " سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لاَ يَنْجُسُ " .
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (ﷺ) met him in one of the streets of Al-Madinah while he was Junub, so he slipped away from him and performed Ghusl. The Prophet (ﷺ) noticed he was not there, and when he came he said:'Where were you, O Abu Hurairah?' He said: 'O Messenger of Allah, you met us but I was Junub, and I did not want to sit in your presence until I had performed Ghusl.' He said: 'Subhan Allah! The believer is not made impure (Najis)
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave — one dissenting opinion no longer speaks for all of them. If any scholar calls a narration fabricated, that verdict is shown instead, whatever the others say. Each scholar's own wording:
In-book reference: 1:270