On the authority of Jundub ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: There was amongst those before you a man who had a wound. He was in [such] anguish that he took a knife and made with it a cut in his hand, and the blood did not cease to flow till he died. Allah the Almighty said: My servant has himself forestalled Me; I have forbidden him Paradise. It was related by al-Bukhari
On the authority of Masruq, who said: We asked Abdullah (i.e. Ibn Masud) about this verse: And do not regard those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead, rather are they alive with their Lord, being provided for (Quran 3:169). He said: We asked about that and the Prophet (ﷺ) said: Their souls are in the insides of green birds having lanterns suspended from the Throne, roaming freely in Paradise where they please, then taking shelter in those lanterns. So their Lord cast a glance at them (1) and said: Do you wish for anything? They said: What shall we wish for when we roam freely in Paradise where we please? And thus did He do to them three times. When they say that they would not be spared from being asked [again], they said: O Lord, we would like for You to put back our souls into our bodies so that we might fight for Your sake once again. And when He saw that they were not in need of anything they were let be. (1) i.e. at those who had been killed in the cause of Allah. It was related by Muslim (also by at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah)
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My faithful servant's reward from Me, if I have taken to Me his best friend from amongst the inhabitants of the world and he has then borne it patiently for My sake, shall be nothing less than Paradise. It was related by al-Bukhari
On the authority of Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said: Truly of those devoted to Me the one I most favor is a believer who is of meager means and much given to prayer, who has been particular in the worship of his Lord and has obeyed Him inwardly[1], who was obscure among people and not pointed out, and whose sustenance was just sufficient to provide for him yet he bore this patiently. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) shook his hand and said: Death will have come early to him, his mourners will have been few, his estate scant. [1] i.e. he has not been ostentatious in his obedience. It was related by at-Tirmidhi (also by Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ibn Majah). Its chain of authorities is sound
