Sayyiduna Awf bin Malik al-Ashja'i (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We were with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) on a journey. One night we halted, and I got up to look for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). I did not find him (peace and blessings be upon him), but I found Mu'adh bin Jabal and Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with them both). They asked: What do you need? I said: Where is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)? They said: We did not know. While we were in that state, we heard from the upper part of the valley a sound like that of a millstone. A little while later the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived, and we said: O Messenger of Allah, we could not find you tonight. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "One came to me from my Lord and gave me the choice between my Ummah being half of the people of Paradise, or being granted intercession, and I chose intercession." We said: O Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah to make us among the people of intercession. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah, make us among them." Then we went to the people and told them, and they said: O Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah to make us among the people of your intercession. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah, make them among them too." Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "My intercession is for the one who dies without associating anything with Allah."
Hadith Referenceالمعجم الكبير للطبراني / باب العين / 15227