عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: مَاذَا رَدَّ إِلَيْكَ رَبُّكَ فِي الشَّفَاعَةِ؟ فَقَالَ: ”وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ! لَقَدْ ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّكَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ يَسْأَلُنِي عَنْ ذَلِكَ مِنْ أُمَّتِي لِمَا رَأَيْتُ مِنْ حِرْصِكَ عَلَى الْعِلْمِ، وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ! مَا يَهُمُّنِي مِنْ انْقِصَافِهِمْ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ الْجَنَّةِ أَهَمُّ عِنْدِي مِنْ تَمَامِ شَفَاعَتِي، وَشَفَاعَتِي لِمَنْ شَهِدَ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ مُخْلِصًا، يُصَدِّقُ قَلْبُهُ لِسَانَهُ، وَلِسَانُهُ قَلْبَهُ“
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) what answer did your Lord give you regarding your request for intercession? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)! I thought that you would be the first among my Ummah to ask me about this, because I have found you eager for knowledge. By Him in Whose hands is the life of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)! To me, the fulfillment of my intercession is more important than the crowds of people at the gates of Paradise, and this intercession of mine will be for every person who bears witness with sincerity to the Oneness of Allah Almighty in such a way that his heart confirms what his tongue says, and his tongue confirms what is in his heart.