Sahih Muslim 193e

Abu al-Rabi‘ al-‘Ataki narrated to us: Hammad ibn Zayd narrated to us: Ma‘bad ibn Hilal al-‘Anazi narrated to us. Sa‘id ibn Mansur also narrated it to us—the wording is his: Hammad ibn Zayd narrated to us: Ma‘bad ibn Hilal al-‘Anazi said: “We went to Anas ibn Malik and asked Thabit to intercede for us. We found Anas praying the midmorning prayer. Thabit asked permission for us, and we entered. He seated Thabit with him on his bed. Thabit said to him, ‘Abu Hamza, your brothers from Basra ask you to narrate the hadith of intercession to them.’ He said: Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) narrated to us: ‘When the Day of Resurrection comes, people will surge toward one another. They will go to Adam and say, “Intercede for your descendants.” He will say, “I cannot do that; go to Abraham, peace be upon him, for he is Allah’s close friend.” They will go to Abraham, who will say, “I cannot do that; go to Moses, peace be upon him, for Allah spoke to him.” They will go to Moses, who will say, “I cannot do that; go to Jesus, peace be upon him, for he is the Spirit of Allah and His Word.” They will go to Jesus, the Spirit of Allah and His Word, and he will say, “I cannot do that; go to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).” They will come to me, and I will say, “I can do that.” I will go and ask permission to approach my Lord, and permission will be granted to me. I will stand before Him and praise Him with praises I cannot utter now, which Allah will inspire me to say. Then I will fall down in prostration. I will be told, “O Muhammad, raise your head. Speak, and you will be heard; ask, and you will be given; intercede, and your intercession will be accepted.” I will say, “My Lord, my community! My community!” It will be said to me, “Go. Bring out of it whoever has faith in his heart weighing a grain of wheat or barley.” I will go and do that. Then I will return to my Lord and praise Him with those praises, then fall down in prostration. I will be told, “O Muhammad, raise your head. Speak, and you will be heard; ask, and you will be given; intercede, and your intercession will be accepted.” I will say, “My community! My community!” It will be said to me, “Go. Bring out of it whoever has faith in his heart weighing a mustard seed.” I will go and do that. Then I will return to my Lord and praise Him with those praises, then fall down in prostration. I will be told, “O Muhammad, raise your head. Speak, and you will be heard; ask, and you will be given; intercede, and your intercession will be accepted.” I will say, “My Lord, my community! My community!” It will be said to me, “Go. Bring out of the Fire whoever has even the least, least, least weight of a mustard seed of faith in his heart.” I will go and do that.’”

That was the hadith of Anas that he narrated to us. We left him, and when we reached the upper part of the cemetery, we said, ‘Why don’t we go to al-Hasan and greet him? He is staying out of sight in the house of Abu Khalifa.’ We went in, greeted him, and said, ‘Abu Sa‘id, we have come from your brother Abu Hamza. We have never heard a hadith of intercession like the one he narrated to us.’ He said, ‘What is it?’ We told him the hadith. He said, ‘What else?’ We said, ‘He did not add anything.’ He said, ‘He narrated it to us twenty years ago, when he was in full strength. He left something out; I do not know whether the old man forgot or disliked telling it to you lest you rely on it.’ We said, ‘Tell it to us.’ He laughed and said, ‘Humankind is hasty. I mentioned this only because I intended to tell it to you.’ Then he said: ‘I will return to my Lord for the fourth time, praise Him with those praises, and fall down in prostration. I will be told, “O Muhammad, raise your head. Speak, and you will be heard; ask, and you will be given; intercede, and your intercession will be accepted.” I will say, “My Lord, grant me permission concerning whoever said, ‘There is no god but Allah.’” He will say, “That is not for you”—or, “That is not within your authority”—“but by My might, majesty, greatness, and grandeur, I will surely bring out everyone who said, ‘There is no god but Allah.’”’” Ma‘bad said: I testify that al-Hasan narrated this to us, having heard it from Anas ibn Malik—I think he said twenty years earlier—when Anas was in full strength.