The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Allah has servants who are neither prophets nor martyrs, yet the prophets and martyrs will envy them on the Day of Resurrection because of their nearness to Allah and their seat with Him."An Arabi knelt on his knees and said, "Messenger of Allah, describe them to us."He said, "They are people from various tribes and backgrounds, with no kinship ties between them. They love one another for the sake of Allah and form sincere friendships in Him. Allah will set up for them on the Day of Resurrection pulpits of light. People will be afraid, but they will not fear. They are the friends of Allah
, upon whom there shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve."
أن رسول الله ﷺ قال: إن الله عبادا ليسوا بأنبياء ولا شهداء، يغبطهم الشهداء والنبيون يوم القيامة لقربهم من الله تعالى: مجلسهم منه. فجثا أعرابي على ركبتيه فقال: يا رسول الله، صفهم لنا. قال: قوم من أفناء الناس من نزاع القبائل، تصادقوا في الله، وتحابوا فيه، يضع الله عز وجل لهم يوم القيامة منابر من نور، يخاف الناس ولا يخافون، هم أولياء الله عز وجل الذين لا خوف عليهم ولا هم يحزنون.
Reported by Hakim (4/170–171) from Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Abdullah the ascetic of Isfahan, who said, Ahmad bin Yunus Dabbi told us in Isfahan, who said, Abu Badr Shuja bin Walid told us, who said, I heard Ziyad bin Khaythama narrating from his father, from Ibn Umar, and he related it.Its chain is sahih. Ahmad bin Yunus bin Musayab, Abu Abbas, originally from Kufa and raised in Baghdad, settled in Isfahan and narrated hadith there. He was deemed reliable by Daraqutni and others. See Tarikh Baghdad 5/223–224.Hakim said, "A hadith sahih in its chain of transmission."