The Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah has roaming angels who seek out gatherings of remembrance. When they find a gathering in which Allah is being remembered, they sit with them and surround one another with their wings until they fill the space between the gathering and the lowest heaven. When the people disperse, the angels ascend and rise up to the heaven."He said, "Then Allah
asks them, though He knows best, 'Where have you come from?'They reply, 'We have come from some servants of Yours on earth who were glorifying You, magnifying You, praising You, declaring Your oneness, and asking of You.'He asks, 'And what are they asking Me for?'They say, 'They are asking You for Your Paradise.'He asks, 'Have they seen My Paradise?'They reply, 'No, my Lord.'He says, 'How would it be if they had seen My Paradise?'They say, 'And they seek refuge with You.'He asks, 'From what do they seek My refuge?'They say, 'From Your Fire, my Lord.'He asks, 'Have they seen My Fire?'They reply, 'No.'They say, 'And they seek Your forgiveness.'He says, 'I have forgiven them, granted them what they asked, and given them refuge from what they sought refuge from.'They say, 'My Lord, among them is so-and-so, a sinful servant who was merely passing by and sat down with them.'He says, 'I have forgiven him as well. They are a people whose companion is never made wretched by sitting with them.'"
حدثنا عفان حدثنا وهيب حدثنا سهيل عن أبيه
عن النبي ﷺ قال إن لله عز وجل ملائكة سيارة فضلا يبتغون مجالس الذكر وإذا وجدوا مجلسا فيه ذكر قعدوا معهم فحضن بعضهم بعضا بأجنحتهم حتى يملئوا ما بينهم وبين سماء الدنيا فإذا تفرقوا عرجوا أو صعدوا إلى السماء قال فيسألهم الله عز وجل وهو أعلم من أين جئتم فيقولون جئناك من عند عباد لك في الأرض يسبحونك ويكبرونك ويحمدونك ويهللونك ويسألونك قال وماذا يسألوني قالوا يسألونك جنتك قال وهل رأوا جنتي قالوا لا أي رب قال فكيف لو قد رأوا جنتي قالوا ويستجيرونك قال مم يستجيروني قالوا من نارك يا رب قال وهل رأوا ناري قالوا لا قالوا ويستغفرونك قال فيقول قد غفرت لهم وأعطيتهم ما سألوا وأجرتهم مما استجاروا قال فيقولون رب فيهم فلان عبد خطاء إنما مر فجلس معهم قال فيقول قد غفرت لهم هم القوم لا يشقى بهم جليسهم
Its isnad is sahih. It was mentioned previously at 8690, 8689, and also at 3366, 4210, 4320. It was reported by Nasai 3/43, Darimi 2/317, Ibn Abu Shayba 2/517, Abdul-Razzaq 3116, Tabarani in al-Kabir 10/271, and Hakim 1/495, with the wording of Ahmad.