We set out with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ until we reached al-Kadid, or he said, Qudayd. Some men among us began asking permission to visit their families, and he granted them leave.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then stood up, praised Allah and extolled Him, and said, "What is the matter with people who find the side of the tree facing the Messenger of Allah ﷺ more hateful to them than the other side?"At that, we saw none among the people except weeping. A man said, "Anyone who asks your permission after this is truly a fool."He praised Allah and then said, "I bear witness before Allah that no servant who testifies that there is no god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah, sincerely from his heart, then keeps to the straight path, dies but that he is admitted into Paradise."He said, "My Lord has promised me that He will admit seventy thousand of my nation into Paradise without reckoning or punishment, and I truly hope they will not enter it until you and the righteous among your fathers, your spouses, and your descendants have taken your dwellings in Paradise."He also said, "When half the night has passed, or he said, two thirds of the night, Allah
descends to the lowest heaven and says, 'I ask none about My servants but Myself. Who is there seeking My forgiveness, that I may forgive him? Who is there calling upon Me, that I may answer him? Who is there asking of Me, that I may grant him?' until the dawn breaks."
أقبلنا مع رسول الله ﷺ حتى إذا كنا بالكديد- أو قال: بقديد- فجعل رجال منا يستأذنون إلى أهليهم، فيأذن لهم، فقام رسول الله ﷺ فحمد الله، وأثنى عليه، ثم قال: ما بال رجال يكون شق الشجرة التي تلي رسول الله ﷺ أبغض إليهم من الشق الآخر. فلم نر عند ذلك من القوم إلا باكيا، فقال رجل: إن الذي يستأذنك بعد هذا لسفية. فحمد الله وقال حينئذ: أشهد عند الله لا يموت عبد يشهد أن لا إله الا الله، وأني رسول الله صدقا من قلبه، ثم يسدد الأسلك في الجنة. قال: وقد وعدني ربي عز وجل أن يدخل من أمتي سبعين ألفا لا حساب عليهم ولا عذاب، وإني لأرجو أن لا يدخلوها حتى تبوءوا أنتم ومن صلح من آبائكم وأزواجكم وذرياتكم مساكن في الجنة. وقال: إذا مضى نصف الليل- أو قال: ثلثا الليل- ينزل الله عز وجل إلى السماء الدنيا، فيقول: لا أسأل عن عبادي أحدا غيري، من ذا يستغفرني فأغفر له، من الذي يدعوني فأستجيب له، من ذا الذي يسألني فأعطيه حتى ينفجر الصبح.
Ahmad (16215) narrated it from Ismail bin Ibrahim, who said, Hisham Dastawai told us, from Yahya bin Abu Kathir, from Hilal bin Abu Maymuna, from Ata bin Yasar, from Rifa Juhani, and he related it.Its isnad is sahih. Ibn Khuzayma graded it sahih and included it in Kitab Tawhid (1/289-291), and Ibn Hibban (212) narrated it through various routes from Walid bin Muslim, who said, Uzai told me, who said, Yahya bin Abu Kathir told me, who said, Hilal bin Abu Maymuna told me, who said, Ata bin Yasar told me, who said, Rifa bin Uraba Juhani told me, and he related the hadith in similar fashion.This is how Ibn Khuzayma and Ibn Hibban narrated it, using the explicit form of narration all the way through the chain. This isnad is the most sahih version in which this hadith has come down to us. Sheikh Islam bin Taymiya, Ibn Qayyim, Ibn Hajar, and others have graded it sahih.