Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا أَسْوَدُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ أَنْبَأَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي خَالِدٍ الْوَالِبِيِّ عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ مُقَرِّنٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَسَبَّ رَجُلٌ رَجُلًا عِنْدَهُ قَالَ فَجَعَلَ الرَّجُلُ الْمَسْبُوبُ يَقُولُ عَلَيْكَ السَّلَامُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَمَا إِنَّ مَلَكًا بَيْنَكُمَا يَذُبُّ عَنْكَ كُلَّمَا يَشْتُمُكَ هَذَا قَالَ لَهُ بَلْ أَنْتَ وَأَنْتَ أَحَقُّ بِهِ وَإِذَا قَالَ لَهُ عَلَيْكَ السَّلَامُ قَالَ لَا بَلْ لَكَ أَنْتَ أَحَقُّ بِهِ.
English Translation
Aswad ibn Amir informed us: Abu Bakr informed us, from al-A'mash, from Abu Khalid al-Walibi, from al-Nu'man ibn Muqarrin, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said -- and a man reviled another man in his presence -- the man being reviled began saying: "Peace be upon you." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is an angel between you two, repelling the insult from you every time this one reviles you." He said to him: "No, you -- you are more deserving of it," and when he said "peace be upon you" to him, he said: "No, rather you are the one more deserving of it."