Two men came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and accepted Islam together. One of them was more devoted in worship than his companion. The more devoted one went out on a military expedition and was martyred, while the other lived on for a year after him before he too passed away.Talha said, "I saw in a dream that I was at the gate of Paradise, and there I was with the two of them. Someone came out from Paradise and admitted the one who had died later, then came out again and admitted the one who had been martyred. Then they both returned to me and said, 'Go back, for your time has not yet come.'"In the morning, Talha began telling people about this, and they were amazed by it. Word of it reached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he asked, "What about it amazes you?"They replied, "Messenger of Allah, this man was more devoted in worship, and then he was martyred in the cause of Allah, yet the other one entered Paradise before him."The Messenger of Allah said, "Did the latter not remain alive a year after him?"They said, "Yes."He said, "And did he not reach Ramadan and fast it?"They said, "Yes."He said, "And did he not perform such and such number of prostrations during the year?"They said, "Yes."The Messenger of Allah said, "Then what lies between them is greater than what lies between the heavens and the earth."
حدثنا قتيبة بن سعيد حدثنا بكر بن مضر عن ابن الهاد عن محمد بن إبراهيم عن أبي سلمة بن عبد الرحمن
أن رجلين قدما على رسول الله ﷺ وكان إسلامهما جميعا وكان أحدهما أشد اجتهادا من صاحبه فغزا المجتهد منهما فاستشهد ثم مكث الآخر بعده سنة ثم توفي قال طلحة فرأيت فيما يرى النائم كأني عند باب الجنة إذا أنا بهما وقد خرج خارج من الجنة فأذن للذي توفي الآخر منهما ثم خرج فأذن للذي استشهد ثم رجعا إلي فقالا لي ارجع فإنه لم يأن لك بعد فأصبح طلحة يحدث به الناس فعجبوا لذلك فبلغ ذلك رسول الله ﷺ فقال من أي ذلك تعجبون قالوا يا رسول الله هذا كان أشد اجتهادا ثم استشهد في سبيل الله ودخل هذا الجنة قبله فقال أليس قد مكث هذا بعده سنة قالوا بلى وأدرك رمضان فصامه قالوا بلى وصلى كذا وكذا سجدة في السنة قالوا بلى قال رسول الله فلما بينهما أبعد ما بين السماء والأرض