The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `I have been granted seventy thousand who will enter Paradise without being brought to account; their faces will be like the moon on the night when it is full and their hearts will be as the heart of one man. I asked my Lord, may He glorified and exalted, for more and He gave me more, with each one another seventy thousand.` Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq said: I thought that that referred to the people living in towns and included some of those living on the edge of the wilderness
Hadith Commentary: The Seventy Thousand of Paradise
This blessed narration from Musnad Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (ra) in Musnad Ahmad (Musnad Ahmad 22) reveals the immense generosity of Allah towards the Ummah of Muhammad (ﷺ). The Prophet was granted seventy thousand who enter Paradise without reckoning - a manifestation of divine mercy that transcends human calculation.
The Nature of the Chosen Ones
Their faces shining like the full moon indicates their spiritual purity and the radiance of faith that illuminates their countenances. Their hearts being as one heart signifies perfect unity in faith, free from discord and deviation, united upon the truth of Tawhid.
The multiplication from seventy thousand to seventy thousand for each individual demonstrates the boundless nature of Allah's mercy. This is not arithmetic progression but divine abundance beyond human comprehension.
Abu Bakr's Insightful Interpretation
The noble companion Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (ra), with his profound understanding, correctly deduced that this includes both urban dwellers and desert inhabitants. This shows the comprehensive nature of divine mercy encompassing all segments of society, regardless of their geographical or social status.
His interpretation reflects the wisdom of the righteous caliph who understood that Allah's mercy transcends all boundaries and includes all who embody the qualities of true faith, sincerity, and devotion.