أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَعِيلُ بْنُ خَلِيلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُسْهِرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُنَادِيهِمْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا أَنَا رَحْمَةٌ مُهْدَاةٌ.
Ali bin Mushir heard from Al A’masy from Abu Salih: He said; I heard RasoolAllah ﷺ say ” I am merely a means for attaining mercy and being guided.”
Grade: Isnad Mursal Saheeh.
Note: This hadith is mursal as Abu Salih is a Tabi’. This hadith has been narrated elsewhere in Dalail al Nubuwah 1858/1, and Tabarani Kabeer and Sagheer in Marfoo form from Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه) which is also Saheeh.
( Chapter on the state of RasoolAllah before prophethood , Volume 1, Hadith No.15 Sunan Daarmi )