Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “O Aisha, if I wished, a mountain of gold would have walked with me. An angel came to me whose belt was like the Ka’bah. He said: Verily, your Lord sends you greetings of peace and he says if you wish you may be a prophet servant or a prophet king. I looked to Gabriel and he indicated that I should humble myself. I said I will be a prophet servant.” After that, the Prophet never ate while reclining and he would say, “I eat as the servant eats, and I sit as the servant sits.”
Source: Musnad Abī Ya’lá 4855
Grade: Hasan (fair) according to Al-Haythami
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَا عَائِشَةُ لَوْ شِئْتُ لَسَارَتْ مَعِي جِبَالُ الذَّهَبِ جَاءَنِي مَلَكٌ إِنَّ حُجْزَتَهُ لَتُسَاوِي الْكَعْبَةَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَقْرَأُ عَلَيْكَ السَّلامَ وَيَقُولُ لَكَ إِنْ شِئْتَ نَبِيًّا عَبْدًا وَإِنْ شِئْتَ نَبِيًّا مَلِكًا قَالَ فَنَظَرْتُ إِلَى جِبْرِيلَ قَالَ فَأَشَارَ إِلَيَّ أَنْ ضَعْ نَفْسَكَ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ نَبِيًّا عَبْدًا قَالَتْ فَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ لا يَأْكُلُ مُتَّكِئًا يَقُولُ آكُلُ كَمَا يَأْكُلُ الْعَبْدُ ، وَأَجْلِسُ كَمَا يَجْلِسُ الْعَبْدُ
4855 مسند أبي يعلى الموصلي
22/9 المحدث الهيثمي خلاصة حكم المحدث إسناده حسن في مجمع الزوائد