Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 18008

Abu Muslim al-Khawlani says: I entered the mosque of Hims, and there was a circle in it in which thirty-two Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were present. Among them was a young man with kohl-dark eyes and gleaming teeth, sitting in the ihtiba' posture. Whenever a disagreement arose among them about any matter, they would ask him and that young man would inform them, and all of them would defer to his opinion. I asked: Who is this man? The people said: This is Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal. I went to perform the prayer, intending to meet one of them, but I could not meet any of them; they had all gone away. The next day I came to the mosque, and Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) was praying by a pillar. I prayed near him. When he had finished the prayer, I sat down, with the pillar between me and him. Then I sat in the ihtiba' posture, and a little while passed during which I did not speak to him, nor did he speak to me. Then I said: By Allah, I love you, and it is not for any worldly purpose that I hope to obtain from you, nor is there any kinship between me and you. He asked: Then for what reason (is this love)? I said: For the sake of Allah Almighty. He undid my ihtiba' and then said: If you are speaking the truth, then accept this glad tiding: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Those who love one another for the sake of Allah Almighty will be in the shade of Allah Almighty on the day when there will be no shade but His shade, and the prophets and martyrs will envy them for their station." The narrator says: I went out from there and met Sayyiduna Ubadah bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him). I narrated to him the hadith that Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) had narrated to me, and Sayyiduna Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: May Allah Almighty have mercy on Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him). I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) narrate this from his Lord; the Lord says: "My love is due to those who love one another for My sake, the narrator says: that is, for the sake of Allah Almighty, and My love is due to those who sincerely advise one another for My sake, and My love is due to those who visit one another for My sake, and My love is due to those who spend on one another for My sake. These people will be on pulpits made of light, and the prophets and the truthful (siddiqin) will envy them for their station." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Imam al-Tirmidhi recorded only a part of the hadith narrated by Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him).
Abdullah bin Ahmad recorded it, al-Tabarani recorded it in abridged form, and Imam al-Bazzar recorded only part of the report narrated by Sayyiduna Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him). The narrators of Abdullah and al-Tabarani have been declared trustworthy.