Sunan an-Nasa'i 4186
سنن النسائي#4186Sahihأَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَاتِمُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ، عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ الأَكْوَعِ، أَنَّهُ دَخَلَ عَلَى الْحَجَّاجِ فَقَالَ يَا ابْنَ الأَكْوَعِ ارْتَدَدْتَ عَلَى عَقِبَيْكَ وَذَكَرَ كَلِمَةً مَعْنَاهَا وَبَدَوْتَ . قَالَ لاَ وَلَكِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَذِنَ لِي فِي الْبُدُوِّ .
It was narrated from Salamah bin Al-Akwa ' that he entered upon Al-Hajjaj who said:O son of Al-Akwa, you have turned on your heels (i.e., deserted Islam) by staying in the desert with the Bedouins." He said: "No; the Messenger of Allah gave me permission to stay in the desert with the Bedouins
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: 39:38