The first day I came to know Abdul-Rahman bin Abu Layla, I saw an old man with a white head and beard riding a donkey, following a funeral procession. I heard him say, "So-and-so bin so-and-so told me that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, 'Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him, and whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him.'"The people began to weep, so he asked, "What is making you weep?"They replied, "We dislike death."He said, "That is not what is meant. Rather, it is when death arrives. 'As for him who is among those brought near to Allah, for him is rest and fragrance and a garden of bliss' [Waqiah 56:88–89]. When he is given this glad tidings, he loves to meet Allah, and Allah loves to meet him even more. 'But as for him who is among the deniers, the misguided, his welcome will be scalding water' [Waqiah 56:92–93]."Ata said, "And in the recitation of Ibn Masud, 'Then the burning of Hellfire.' So when he is given this news, he hates to meet Allah, and Allah hates to meet him even more."
حدثنا عفان حدثنا همام حدثنا
كان أول يوم عرفت فيه عبد الرحمن بن أبي ليلى رأيت شيخا أبيض الرأس واللحية على حمار وهو يتبع جنازة فسمعته يقول حدثني فلان بن فلان سمع رسول الله ﷺ يقول من أحب لقاء الله أحب الله لقاءه ومن كره لقاء الله كره الله لقاءه قال فأكب القوم يبكون فقال ما يبكيكم فقالوا إنا نكره الموت قال ليس ذلك ولكنه إذا حضر {فأما إن كان من المقربين فروح وريحان وجنة نعيم} فإذا بشر بذلك أحب لقاء الله والله للقائه أحب {وأما إن كان من المكذبين الضالين فنزل من حميم} قال عطاء وفي قراءة ابن مسعود ثم تصلية جحيم فإذا بشر بذلك يكره لقاء الله والله للقائه أكره