It is narrated from Sayyiduna Zayd bin Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent me (on an errand) and said: "Go until you reach Abu Bakr. You will find him in his house, sitting with his knees drawn up to his stomach and wrapped in his garment (in the ihtiba' posture). Say to him: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sends you greetings of peace and says: Rejoice at the glad tidings of Paradise. Then go until you reach the mountain pass; there you will meet Umar riding a donkey, his bald head gleaming. Say to him: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sends you greetings of peace and says: Rejoice at the glad tidings of Paradise. Then go until you reach the market; there you will meet Uthman buying and selling. Say to him: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sends you greetings of peace and says: Rejoice at the glad tidings of Paradise after a severe trial."
Sayyiduna Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I went and reached Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and found him in his house sitting in the ihtiba' posture just as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had said. I said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sends you greetings of peace and says: "Rejoice at the glad tidings of Paradise." He asked: And where is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)? I said: In such-and-such a place. So he got up and went to him (peace and blessings be upon him). Then I came to the mountain pass, and there was Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) riding a donkey, his bald head gleaming, just as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had said. I said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sends you greetings of peace and says: "Rejoice at the glad tidings of Paradise." He asked: And where is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)? I said: In such-and-such a place. So he set off towards him (peace and blessings be upon him). Then I went on until I came to the market, and there I met Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) buying and selling, just as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had said. I said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sends you greetings of peace and says: "Rejoice at the glad tidings of Paradise after a severe trial." He asked: And where is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)? I said: In such-and-such a place. Then he took hold of my hand and we came together into the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him (peace and blessings be upon him): O Messenger of Allah! Zayd came to me and said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sends you greetings of peace and says: "Rejoice at the glad tidings of Paradise after a severe trial." So, O Messenger of Allah, what trial will befall me? By the One who sent you with the truth! I have never sung, nor indulged in false wishes, and since I gave you my pledge of allegiance I have not touched my private part with my right hand. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That (trial) is the one."
Imam al-Tabarani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "This hadith is narrated from Sayyiduna Zayd bin Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) only with this chain; Abd al-A'la bin Abi al-Musawir (may Allah have mercy on him) is alone in narrating it."
Hadith Referenceالمعجم الأوسط / باب الألف / 868
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:إسناده ضعيف لضعف عبد الأعلى بن أبي المساور
Hadith Takhrij«قال الطبراني: لا يروى هذا الحديث عن زيد إلا بهذا الإسناد «الإعلام بسنته عليه الصلاة والسلام بشرح سنن ابن ماجه الإمام، ج 1، ص 159»» «قال الهيثمي: فيه عبد الأعلى بن أبي المساور وقد ضعفه الجمهور ووثق في رواية عن يحيى بن معين والمشهور عنه تضعيفه «مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد، ج 9، ص 56»» «قال الهيثمي: وفيه عبد الأعلى بن أبي المساور وقد ضعفه الجمهور ووثق في رواية عن يحيى بن معين والمشهور عنه تضعيفه «مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد، ج 9، ص 56»» «أخرجه الطبراني فى «الكبير» برقم: 5061»