‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “If four people give a good testimony about any Muslim, God will cause him to enter paradise.” ‘Umar said they asked whether this would apply if three testified, and he said it would. They further asked if it would apply if two testified, and he said it would; but they did not ask him about one.
Jabir said God’s messenger had each pair of those killed at Uhud wrapped in a single garment and asked which of them knew more of the Qur’an. When one of them was pointed out to him, he had him put first in the side of the grave, and he said, “I shall be a witness to these men on the day of resurrection.” He ordered that they should be buried without the marks of blood being removed ; he did not pray over them, and they were not washed.
Anas told that when some people passed a dead body on a bier and spoke highly of the dead man the Prophet said, “It is certain.” When they passed another and spoke very badly of the dead man he said, “It is certain.” ‘Umar asked what was certain, and he replied, “You spoke highly of this one, so paradise is certain for him; but you spoke very badly of that one, so hell is certain for him. You are God’s witnesses in the earth.”
(Bukhari and Muslim.) A version has “The believers are God's witnesses in the earth.”
