Hadith #182
Arabic Text
وَبِإِسْنَادِهِ وَمَثَلُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ بَنَى بُنْيَانًا فَأَحْسَنَهُ وَأَكْمَلَهُ وَأَجْمَلَهُ فَجَعَلَ النَّاسُ يُطِيفُونَ بِهِ يَقُولُونَ مَا رَأَيْنَا بُنْيَانًا أَحْسَنَ مِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا هَذِهِ الثُّلْمَةَ فَأَنَا تِلْكَ الثُّلْمَةُ وَقِيلَ لِسُفْيَانَ مَنْ ذَكَرَ هَذِهِ قَالَ أَبُو الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ
English Translation
[Via the same chain:] 'And the likeness of the Prophet ﷺs is like a man who built a structure — he built it beautifully, completely, and elegantly. The people began walking around it saying: "We have never seen a finer structure than this — except for this gap [thalma — one missing brick]." I am that gap.' [When Sufyan was asked who narrated this, he said: Abu al-Zinad, from al-A'raj, from Abu Hurayra.]
Quran References
Reference: Musnad Ahmad, Book 17, Hadith 182
Sunnah.com ref: Musnad Ahmad 7020
Islam.wiki ID: IWH-43410