The Prophet ﷺ used to say to his servant, "Do you have any need?"This continued until one day the servant said, "Messenger of Allah, I do have a need."He asked, "What is your need?"He replied, "My need is that you intercede for me on the Day of Resurrection."The Prophet ﷺ asked, "Who directed you to this?"He answered, "My Lord."The Prophet ﷺ said, "If that is so, then help me by making frequent prostration."
كان النبي ﷺ مما يقول للخادم: ألك حاجة؟ قال: حتى كان ذات يوم، فقال: يا رسول الله حاجتي. قال: وما حاجتك؟ قال: حاجتي أن تشفع لي يوم القيامة. قال: ومن دلك على هذا؟ قال: ربي. قال: إما لا، فأعني بكثرة السجود.
Ahmad (16076) narrated it from Affan, who said, Khalid, meaning Wasiti, told us, he said, Amr bin Yahya Ansari told us, from Ziyad bin Abu Ziyad, freedman of Banu Makhzum, from a servant, and he related it. Its chain is sahih.Haythami mentioned it in Majma (2/249) and said, "Ahmad narrated it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih."The servant is Rabia bin Kaab Aslami, as mentioned before.