❖ A Man Will Now Enter — And He Is from Among the People of Paradise
Authored by: Hafiz Muhammad Anwar Zahid حفظه الله
✿ The Incident as Narrated by Anas رضي الله عنه
It is narrated from Anas رضي الله عنه that:
"We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he said: 'Behold! A man from among the people of Paradise is about to appear.'
Shortly after, an Ansari companion came in, carrying his sandals in his left hand, having just performed ablution, and water was dripping from his beard.
The same thing happened the next day: we were sitting, and the Prophet ﷺ again said the same words, and the same man appeared again in the same manner.
On the third day, the same incident repeated.
Then, Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-‘As رضي الله عنه decided to observe the man more closely. When the gathering of the Prophet ﷺ ended and the man left, Abdullah followed him and said: 'O respected one! There has been a misunderstanding between me and my father due to which I have vowed not to return home for three days. Would you kindly allow me to stay with you during this period?'
The Ansari agreed, and Abdullah رضي الله عنه stayed with him for three nights.
He observed that the man did not perform long night prayers (Tahajjud), nor did he engage in any extraordinary acts of worship. The only thing he noticed was that whenever the man would wake up during the night, he would remember and glorify Allah while still lying on his bed, and would then rise only for Fajr prayer.
Additionally, Abdullah did not hear anything from his mouth except good and wholesome speech.
After three days, Abdullah said: 'O respected one! In truth, there was no issue between me and my father. The reality is that I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say about you three times that a man from among the people of Paradise is about to arrive — and each time it was you. So I wished to observe your actions and imitate them. But I have not seen you do any exceptional deeds, nor have I seen you exceeding others in acts of worship. I am now returning, but kindly inform me — what is that particular deed of yours which has earned you this glad tiding from the Prophet ﷺ during your lifetime?'
The man replied: 'What you have seen is all that I do. I have no other hidden deeds.'
Then, as Abdullah was walking away, the man called him back and said: 'Yes, there is one thing I do — I never harbor any deceit, envy, or ill-will in my heart towards any Muslim. I never wish evil for any fellow believer.'
Upon hearing this, Abdullah رضي الله عنه said: 'This is the deed that has raised your status — and indeed, this is something that is beyond the capacity of most people.'"
❖ Authentication of the Hadith:
Status of the Chain: Its chain is weak.
- The narration is considered weak due to the tadlīs (concealment) of al-Zuhri in the chain of narrators.
- For detailed analysis, refer to:
- Abu ‘Ubaydah Mashhoor ibn Hasan Salmaan’s book Qasas la Tathbut, Vol. 8, p. 47
- Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaq (11/287, Hadith 20559)
- Musnad Ahmad (3/166, Hadith 12727)
- al-Diya’ in al-Mukhtarah (7/186–188, Hadith 2619)
- Musnad ‘Abd ibn Humayd (Hadith 1159)
- Musnad al-Bazzar (21/409, Hadith 1981)
- Makārim al-Akhlāq, Hadith 72
- Masāwi’ al-Akhlāq by al-Khara’iti, Hadith 764
- Targhīb wa al-Tarhīb (1/466, Hadith 1108)
- Sharḥ al-Sunnah by al-Baghawi (13/112, Hadith 3535)
- Shu‘ab al-Īmān by al-Bayhaqi (5/264, Hadith 6605)
✿ Conclusion:
Though widely quoted for its moral value, the hadith's chain is weak due to issues in transmission. Nonetheless, its content promotes a powerful spiritual message — sincerity of heart, absence of malice, and goodwill toward fellow Muslims — a deed highlighted as the cause for one man's guaranteed entry into Paradise.
