Compiled by Imam Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمِ بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ، حَدَّثَنَا بَهْزٌ، حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ، حَدَّثَنَا سُهَيْلٌ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّ لِلَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى مَلاَئِكَةً سَيَّارَةً فُضْلاً يَتَبَّعُونَ مَجَالِسَ الذِّكْرِ فَإِذَا وَجَدُوا مَجْلِسًا فِيهِ ذِكْرٌ قَعَدُوا مَعَهُمْ وَحَفَّ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا بِأَجْنِحَتِهِمْ حَتَّى يَمْلَئُوا مَا بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا فَإِذَا تَفَرَّقُوا عَرَجُوا وَصَعِدُوا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ - قَالَ - فَيَسْأَلُهُمُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ مِنْ أَيْنَ جِئْتُمْ فَيَقُولُونَ جِئْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ عِبَادٍ لَكَ فِي الأَرْضِ يُسَبِّحُونَكَ وَيُكَبِّرُونَكَ وَيُهَلِّلُونَكَ وَيَحْمَدُونَكَ وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ . قَالَ وَمَاذَا يَسْأَلُونِي قَالُوا يَسْأَلُونَكَ جَنَّتَكَ . قَالَ وَهَلْ رَأَوْا جَنَّتِي قَالُوا لاَ أَىْ رَبِّ . قَالَ فَكَيْفَ لَوْ رَأَوْا جَنَّتِي قَالُوا وَيَسْتَجِيرُونَكَ . قَالَ وَمِمَّ يَسْتَجِيرُونَنِي قَالُوا مِنْ نَارِكَ يَا رَبِّ . قَالَ وَهَلْ رَأَوْا نَارِي قَالُوا لاَ . قَالَ فَكَيْفَ لَوْ رَأَوْا نَارِي قَالُوا وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَكَ - قَالَ - فَيَقُولُ قَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَهُمْ فَأَعْطَيْتُهُمْ مَا سَأَلُوا وَأَجَرْتُهُمْ مِمَّا اسْتَجَارُوا - قَالَ - فَيَقُولُونَ رَبِّ فِيهِمْ فُلاَنٌ عَبْدٌ خَطَّاءٌ إِنَّمَا مَرَّ فَجَلَسَ مَعَهُمْ قَالَ فَيَقُولُ وَلَهُ غَفَرْتُ هُمُ الْقَوْمُ لاَ يَشْقَى بِهِمْ جَلِيسُهُمْ " .
Where have you come from? They say: We come from Thine servants upon the earth who had been glorifying Thee (reciting Subhan Allah), uttering Thine Greatness (saying Allah o-Akbar) and uttering Thine Oneness (La ilaha ill Allah) and praising Thee (uttering al-Hamdu Lillah) and begging of Thee. Be would say: What do they beg of Me? They would say: They beg of Thee the Paradise of Thine. He (God) would say: Have they seen My Paradise? They said: No, our Lord. He would say: (What it would be then) if they were to see Mine Paradise? They (the angels) said: They seek Thine protection. He (the Lord) would say: Against what do they seek protection of Mine? They (the angels) would say: Our Lord, from the Hell-Fire. He (the Lord) would say: Have they seen My Fire? They would say: No. He (the Lord) would say: What it would be if they were to see My Fire? They would say: They beg of Thee forgiveness. He would say: I grant pardon to them, and confer upon them what they ask for and grant them protection against which they seek protection. They (the angels) would again say: Our Lord, there is one amongst them such and such simple servant who happened to pass by (that assembly) and sat there along with them (who had been participating in that assembly). He (the Lord) would say: I also grant him pardon, for they are a people the seat-fellows of whom are in no way unfortunate.