Abdullah bin Abu Salamah narrates: Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) sought permission three times to enter upon Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). When he was not granted permission, he returned. When Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was informed of this, he inquired, "Why did you return?" Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: 'When any person seeks permission three times and is not granted permission, he should return.'" Upon this, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Either you bring a witness for this, or else..." (Here, the narrator Hammad said: that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered him to be punished.)

The narrator states: Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) left from there and came to the mosque. He went to the gathering of the Ansar and related to them the entire incident that he had narrated to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and what Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had said to him. So they said, "The youngest among us will go with you." Thus, Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and went and testified to this. Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "We did not accuse you of anything, but the matter of a hadith attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is important."

(Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) The command for the one seeking permission to return is in the case when the condition exists, and that is that permission is not obligatory. But when the condition is found, and that is granting permission, then the command to return will be considered nullified.