Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 10091

Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that on the day of Uhud they said: "O Messenger of Allah! We have not seen anyone fight like so-and-so. He is a man such that the people fled, but he did not flee. He did not leave any polytheist who had broken away from the rest; he went after every one of them and struck him with his sword." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Who is he?" His lineage was described to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but he did not recognise him; then his appearance was described to him, but he did not recognise him. Meanwhile, that man appeared before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and Sayyiduna Sahl (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah! This is the man we were telling you about." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "This one?" The people said: "Yes!" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He is one of the people of Hell." This weighed heavily on the Muslims, and they said: "Then who among us will be of the people of Paradise, if so-and-so is of Hell?" One of those present said: "O people! Give me a chance. By the One in whose Hand is my soul, this man will not die in the state he is in, and of all of you, I will stay with him from now on." Then that man set out towards the enemy, and the other man began following him: when he advanced, this one advanced too, and when he turned back, this one turned back too. The second man wanted to see what his end would be, until the first man received wounds that weakened him. He hastened his death: he placed the hilt of his sword on the ground, put his chest upon its point and leaned his weight on it, and the sword passed out through his back. Then the second man came running, saying: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I also bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah," until he came and stood before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "What has happened?" He said: "O Messenger of Allah! The man who was mentioned to you, about whom you said that he is of the people of Hell, and this weighed heavily on the Muslims, and they said: 'Who among us will be of Paradise, if so-and-so is of Hell?' So I said: 'O people! Give me a chance. By the One in whose Hand is my soul, he will not die in the state he was in before, and of all of you, I will stay with him.' So I kept advancing with him when he advanced, and turning back with him when he turned back, wanting to see what the end of his affair would be, until he received a wound that weakened him. He hastened his death: he placed the hilt of his sword on the ground, put its point on his chest, then leaned his weight on his sword until it passed out through his back. So, O Messenger of Allah, there that man is, writhing." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A man does the deeds of the people of Paradise, as it appears to people, while he is of the people of Hell; and a man does the deeds of the people of Hell, as it appears to people, while he is of the people of Paradise." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: This narration is in the "Sahih" in abridged form.
Abu Ya'la recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.