Thawban reported,
The Prophet ﷺ delayed the forenoon prayer until the sun had risen high, then said, "I was held back from you only because my Lord said to me, 'Muhammad, do you know what the highest assembly disputes about?'I said, 'I do not know, my Lord.'He repeated this two or three times. Then I felt the touch of a hand between my shoulders, until I felt its coolness between my breasts, and then everything was made clear to me and I knew.He said, 'I said, Yes, my Lord. They dispute about the expiations and the degrees. The expiations are walking on foot to the congregational prayers, performing ablution thoroughly in unpleasant conditions, and waiting for the next prayer after a prayer. The degrees are feeding others, spreading the greeting of peace, and standing in prayer at night while people sleep.'Then He said, 'Muhammad, intercede and your intercession will be accepted, ask and you will be given.'I said, 'O Allah, I ask You for the doing of good deeds, the abandoning of evil deeds, the love of the poor, that You forgive me and have mercy on me, and when You intend trial for a people, take my soul without my being tried. O Allah, I ask You for Your love, the love of those who love You, and love of the deeds that will bring me close to Your love.'"
Azami 443
Hasanعن ثوبان مولى رسول الله ﷺ
أن النبي ﷺ أخر صلاة الضحى حتى أسفر، فقال: إنما ناحرت عنكم أن ربي قال لي: يا محمد، هل تدري فيم يختصم الملأ الأعلى؟ قلت: لا أدري يا رب، فردها مرتين أو ثلاثا، ثم حسست بالكف بين كتفي، حتى وجدت بردها بين ثديي، ثم تجلى لي كل شيء وعرفت. قال: قلت: نعم يا رب، يختصمون في الكفارات والدرجات، والكفارات: المشي على الأقدام إلى الجماعات، وإسباغ الوضوء في الكريهات، وانتظار الصلاة بعد الصلاة. والدرجات: إطعام الطعام، وبذل السلام، والقيام بالليل والناس نيام. ثم قال: يا محمد، اشفع تشفع، وسل تعط. قال: قلت: اللهم إني أسألك فعل الخيرات، وترك المنكرات، وحب المساكين، وأن تغفر لي، وترحمني، وإذا أردت فتنة في قوم فتوفني وأنا غير مفتون، اللهم إني أسألك حبك، وحب من يحبك، وحبا يبلغني حبك.
Bazzar narrated it in Kashf Astar (2128) from Ishaq bin Ibrahim (a relative of Ahmad bin Mani), who said, Hasan bin Sawwar told us, Layth bin Saad told us, from Muawiya bin Salih, from Abu Yahya, from Abu Asma, from Thawban, and he related it.Haythami said in Majma (7/177), "Bazzar narrated it through Abu Yahya, from Abu Asma Rahbi, and I do not know Abu Yahya, but the rest of its men are trustworthy."I say, this is what Haythami said, that he does not know Abu Yahya, but Ibn Khuzayma did know him and said, "Muawiya bin Salih narrated from Abu Yahya, who in my view is Sulayman bin Amir, from Abu Yazid, from Abu Salam Habashi, that he heard Thawban," and he related the same. Kitab Tawhid (442).From this same route, Ibn Abu Asim narrated it in Sunnah (470) in abridged form, and Baghawi in Sharh al-Sunnah (925), saying, "Abu Yahya is Salim bin Amir Khabairi, a follower who heard from Abu Umama." He also said, "Abu Yazid is a man from Shaam whose name is not known, and Abu Salam's name is Mamtur Habashi, from a tribe of Bajila." End of quote.I say, if Abu Yahya is Salim, or Sulayman, bin Amir Kalai as Baghawi affirmed, then he is trustworthy. Ibn Saad, Nasai, and others deemed him trustworthy, and Hafiz said in Taqrib, "Trustworthy."As for Abu Yazid, his name is Ghaylan bin Anas Kalbi, their freedman. A number of trustworthy narrators reported from him, but no one is recorded as having affirmed his trustworthiness. Ibn Abu Hatim mentioned him in Jarh wa Tadil (9/459) without saying anything about him, and Hafiz placed him in the rank of "acceptable," meaning where he is corroborated. He has indeed been corroborated overall, and with this the chain becomes hasan.