- Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ said:
- "There is a group of Allāh's angels who move about the streets searching for the people who mention Him. When they find a group doing that, they call each other, "Here is what you are looking for."
- Then they cover that group with their wings right up to the sky.
- When these angels return to the heavens, their Lord asks them, although He knows the answer:
- "What were My Servants saying?"
- They say:
- "They were describing Your Holiness and Greatness, and were busy praising and glorifying You."
- Allāh then asks: "Have they seen Me?"
- The angels reply: "By Allāh! They have not seen You."
- Allāh says: "What would they have done if they could see me?"
- The angels reply: "They would then be even more busy in their worship, glorification, and praise."
- Then Allāh asks: "What did they want from Me?"
- The angels reply: "They asked You for Jannah (Heaven)."
- Allāh says: "Have they seen it?"
- They answer: "No, by Allāh! They have not seen it."
- Allāh says: "What would they have done if they had seen it?"
- The angels answer: "Had they seen it, they would desire it more eagerly, and would work harder to deserve it."
- Then Allāh asks: "From what thing did they want Me to protect them?"
- The angels answer: "They wanted to be protected from Hell."
- Allāh says: "Have they seen it?"
- They answer: "No, by Allāh! They have not seen it."
- Allāh says: "What would they have done if they had seen it?"
- The angels answer: "Had they seen it, they would have feared it and run from it even more."
- Then Allāh says: "Be My witnesses: I have forgiven them!"
- One of the angels then says: "But among them was a person who is not one of them. He had simply come for something he needed."
- Allāh says: "I have forgiven him too, just because he happened to sit with them. Anyone who sits with those people will not be a loser."