Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 4731

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Two men were crossing a barren wilderness; one of them was a worshipper and the other was a sinner. The worshipper became thirsty until he fell down. His companion began looking at him. His companion had a vessel with a little water in it, and he kept looking at the worshipper, who had collapsed. Then he said: 'By Allah, if this righteous servant dies of thirst while I have water with me, I will never receive any good from Allah Almighty; but if I give him my water to drink, I may die.' Then he put his trust in Allah Almighty and made up his mind; he sprinkled some of his water on him and gave him the rest to drink. The worshipper stood up, and the two of them crossed the wilderness. On the Day of Resurrection, the sinner will be brought forward for reckoning, and he will be ordered to be taken to Hell. The angels will be leading him away when he will see the worshipper and say: 'O so-and-so, do you not recognise me?' He will ask: 'Who are you?' He will say: 'I am so-and-so, who preferred you over myself on the day of the wilderness.' He will reply: 'Yes, I recognise you.' Then the worshipper will say to the angels: 'Stop.' They will stop, and he will come, stand and supplicate to his Lord, saying: 'O my Lord! You know the favour this man did me, and how he preferred me over himself. O my Lord! Grant him to me.' The Lord will say to him: 'He is yours.' Then the worshipper will come, take his brother by the hand and admit him into Paradise." Ja'far bin Abi Sulayman says: I said to Abu Zilal: "Did Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrate this hadith to you from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?" He replied: "Yes."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) and Ibn Hibban declared the narrator Abu Zilal thiqah (trustworthy), though there is criticism of him.