When you feel too unclean to come near
Abū Hurayrah slipped away to wash rather than be seen in that state. He was corrected.
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لاَ يَنْجُسُ
Glory be to Allah. Indeed, the believer does not become impure.
He had assumed his state made him unfit for company. The correction came with an expression of surprise attached to it.
The full narration
Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) came across me in one of the streets of Medina and at that time I was Junub. So I slipped away from him and went to take a bath. On my return the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O Abu Huraira! Where have you been?" I replied, "I was Junub, so I disliked to sit in your company." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Subhan Allah! A believer never becomes impure
Source
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī · 283
Ṣaḥīḥ
- Agreed upon as authentic (al-Bukhārī / Muslim)