Zirr bin Hubaysh reported,

I came to Safwan bin Assal al-Muradi, and he asked, "What has brought you here?"I replied, "Seeking knowledge."He said, "The angels lower their wings for the seeker of knowledge in approval of what he seeks."I said, "Something has been troubling me," and Sufyan once said, "in my chest," "regarding wiping over the leather socks after relieving oneself and urinating. I am one of the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, so I have come to ask you whether you heard anything from him about that."He replied, "Yes. He used to command us, when we were on a journey or traveling, not to remove our leather socks for three days and nights, except in the case of major impurity, but not for relieving ourselves, urinating, or sleeping."I asked him, "Did you hear him mention anything about love and desire?"He said, "Yes. While we were with him on a journey, an Arabi called out to him in a loud, booming voice, 'Muhammad!'We said, "Woe to you, lower your voice, for you have been forbidden from that."But the man replied, "By Allah, I will not lower my voice!"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ responded, "Here I am," and answered him in a manner similar to his question. Sufyan once said, "and answered him in a way similar to what he said."The man asked, "What do you say about a man who loves a people but has not yet joined them?"He replied, "He is with those whom he loves."He continued narrating to us until he said, "From the direction of the west there is a gate, the width of which is a journey of seventy, or forty, years. Allah opened it for repentance on the day He created the heavens and the earth, and He will not close it until the sun rises from it."

حدثنا سفيان بن عيينة قال حدثنا عاصم سمع

زر بن حبيش قال

أتيت صفوان بن عسال المرادي فقال ما جاء بك فقلت ابتغاء العلم قال فإن الملائكة تضع أجنحتها لطالب العلم رضا بما يطلب قلت حك في نفسي مسح على الخفين وقال سفيان مرة أو في صدري بعد الغائط والبول وكنت امرأ من أصحاب رسول الله ﷺ فأتيتك أسألك هل سمعت منه في ذلك شيئا قال نعم كان يأمرنا إذا كنا سفرا أو مسافرين أن لا ننزع خفافنا ثلاثة أيام ولياليهن إلا من جنابة ولكن من غائط وبول ونوم قال قلت له هل سمعته يذكر الهوى قال نعم بينما نحن معه في مسيرة إذ ناداه أعرابي بصوت جهوري فقال يا محمد فقلنا ويحك اغضض من صوتك فإنك قد نهيت عن ذلك فقال والله لا أغضض من صوتي فقال رسول الله ﷺ هاء وأجابه على نحو من مسألته وقال سفيان مرة وأجابه نحوا مما تكلم به فقال أرأيت رجلا أحب قوما ولما يلحق بهم قال هو مع من أحب قال ثم لم يزل يحدثنا حتى قال إن من قبل المغرب لبابا مسيرة عرضه سبعون أو أربعون عاما فتحه الله عز وجل للتوبة يوم خلق السموات والأرض ولا يغلقه حتى تطلع الشمس منه