Compiled by Imam Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi
وعن زر بن حبيش قال: أتيت صفوان بن عسال رضي الله عنه أسأله عن المسح على الخفين فقال: ما جاء بك يازر؟ فقلت: ابتغاء العلم، فقال: إن الملائكة تضع أجنحتها لطالب العلم رضي بما يطلب، فقلت: من أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، فجئت أسألك: هل سمعته يذكر في ذلك شيئاً؟ قال: نعم، كان يأمرنا إذا كنا سفراً- أو مسافرين- أن لا ننزع خفافناً ثلاثة أيام ولياليهن إلا من جنابة، ولكن من غائط وبول ونوم. فقلت: سفر، فبينا نحن عنده إذ ناداه أعرابى بصوت له جهورى: يا محمد، فأجابه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نحواً من صوته: "هاؤم" فقلت له: ويحك اغضض من صوتك فإنك عند النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، وقد نهيت عن هذا! فقال: والله لا أغضض. قال الأعرابى: المرء يحب القوم ولما يلحق بهم؟ قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: " المرء مع من أحب يوم القيامة" فما زال يحدثنا حتى ذكر باباً من المغرب مسيرة عرضه أو يسير الراكب في عرضه أربعين أو سبعين عاماً. قال سفيان أحد الرواة قبل الشام خلقه الله تعالى يوم خلق السماوات والأرض مفتوحاً للتوبة لا يغلق حتى تطلع الشمس منه" ((رواه الترمذي وغيره وقال: حديث حسن صحيح)).
I went to Safwan bin 'Assal (May Allah be pleased with him) to inquire about wiping with wet hands over light boots while performing Wudu'. He asked me, "What brings you here, Zirr?" I answered: "Search for knowledge". He said, "Angels spread their wings for the seeker of knowledge out of joy for what he seeks". I told him, "I have some doubts in my mind regarding wiping of wet hands over light boots in the course of performing Wudu' after defecation or urinating. Now since you are one of the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ), I have come to ask you whether you heard any saying of the Prophet (ﷺ) concerning it?". He replied in the affirmative and said, "He (ﷺ) instructed us that during a journey we need not take off our light boots for washing the feet up to three days and nights, except in case of major impurity (after sexual intercourse). In other cases such as sleeping, relieving oneself or urinating, the wiping of wet hands over light boots will suffice." I, then, questioned him, "Did you hear him say anything about love and affection?" He replied, "We accompanied the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in a journey when a bedouin called out in a loud voice, 'O Muhammad.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) replied him in the same tone, 'Here I am.' I said to him (the bedouin), 'Woe to you, lower your voice in his presence, because you are not allowed to do so.' He said, 'By Allah! I will not lower my voice,' and then addressing the Prophet (ﷺ) he said, 'What about a person who loves people but has not found himself in their company.' Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) replied, 'On the Day of Resurrection, a person will be in the company of those whom he loves.' The Messenger of Allah then kept on talking to us and in the course of his talk, he mentioned a gateway in the heaven, the width of which could be crossed by a rider in forty or seventy years".Sufyan, one of the narrators of this tradition, said: "This gateway is in the direction of Syria. Allah created it on the day He created the heavens and the earth. It is open for repentance and will not be shut until the sun rises from that direction (i.e., the West) (on Doomsday)".[At-Tirmidhi, who categorised it as Hadith Hasan Sahih]