The Hadīth on Intercession
Authentic hadithعن حذيفة بن اليمان وأبي هريرة رضي الله عنهما مرفوعاً: «يجمع الله -تبارك وتعالى- الناس فيقوم المؤمنون حتى تُزْلَفَ لهم الجنة، فيأتون آدم صلوات الله عليه، فيقولون: يا أبانا استفتح لنا الجنة، فيقول: وهل أخرجكم من الجنة إلا خطيئة أبيكم! لست بصاحب ذلك، اذهبوا إلى ابني إبراهيم خليل الله، قال: فيأتون إبراهيم فيقول إبراهيم: لستُ بصاحب ذلك إنما كنت خليلا من وراءِ وراء، اعمدوا إلى موسى الذي كلمه الله تكليما، فيأتون موسى، فيقول: لستُ بصاحب ذلك، اذهبوا إلى عيسى كلمة الله وروحه، فيقول عيسى: لست بصاحب ذلك، فيأتون محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم فيقوم فيؤذن له، وتُرسَلُ الأمانة والرحم فيقومان جَنْبَتَي الصِّرَاطَ يمينا وشمالا فيَمُرُّ أوَّلُكُم كالبَرْقِ» قلتُ: بأبي وأمي، أي شيء كَمَرِّ البرْقِ؟ قال: «ألم تروا كيف يمر ويرجع في طَرْفِة عَيْنٍ، ثم كَمَرِّ الرِّيح، ثم كَمَرِّ الطَّيْرِ، وشَدِّ الرِّجال تجري بهم أعمالهم، ونبيكم قائم على الصراط، يقول: رب سَلِّمْ سَلِّمْ، حتى تعجز أعمال العباد، حتى يجيء الرجل لا يستطيع السير إلا زَحْفَا، وفي حافتي الصراط كَلالِيبُ مُعَلَّقَةٌ مأمورة بأخذ من أُمِرَتْ به، فَمَخْدُوشٌ نَاجٍ، ومُكَرْدَسٌ في النار». والذي نفس أبي هريرة بيده، إن قَعْرَ جهنم لسبعون خريفا.
Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamān and Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah, Blessed and Exalted, will gather mankind (on the Day of Resurrection). The believers will stand until Paradise is brought near to them. So, they will go to Adam (peace be upon him) and say: 'O our Father, request that Paradise be opened for us.' He will say: 'Was it anything other than your father's sin that got you out of Paradise? I am not fit for that. Go to my son Ibrahīm, the intimate friend of Allah.' They will go to Ibrahīm who will say: 'I am not fit for that. Indeed, I was only an intimate friend of a low order. Go to Mūsa whom Allah spoke directly to.' They will go to Mūsa, but he will say: 'I am not fit for that. Go to ‘Īsa, the Word and Spirit of Allah.' ‘Īsa will say: 'I am not fit for that.' So they will go to Muhammad who will stand and will be given permission. Trust and kinship will be sent to stand on the right and left of the Sirāt. The first of you will pass over it like lightning." I (the narrator) said: "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! What is the passing of lightening like?" He said: "Have you not seen how it comes and goes in the blink of an eye? Then it will be like the passing of wind. Then it will be like the passing of birds. Then it will be like the running of men; their deeds will make them run. Your Prophet will be standing at the Sirāt saying: 'O Lord, give salvation, give salvation!' until the deeds of slaves will not avail them; until a man would not be able to move except by crawling. On the two edges of the Sirāt, there will be suspended hooks, commanded to snatch whom they are ordered to snatch. Some people will sustain injuries but will be saved; others will be dumped in the Fire." By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Abu Hurayrah, the depth of Hell is seventy years.
Explanation
Allah will gather mankind on the Day of Resurrection for questioning and recompense. The believers will stand until Paradise is brought near to them, but it will not be opened to them due to the long period of standing on the Day of Resurrection. So they will go to Adam (peace be upon him) and ask him to ask Allah to open the gates of Paradise for them. He will decline, saying that he does not deserve that privilege because of his sin which caused the fall of humanity from Paradise. Adam will send them to Ibrahīm (peace be upon him) because he is the close friend of Allah, and close friendship is the highest station of love. So they will go to Ibrahīm who will say to them that he is not of such a lofty degree. He will tell them to go to Mūsa, since Allah the Exalted talked to Mūsa directly without an intermediary. So they will go to Mūsa (peace be upon him) who will say to them that he does not deserve that privilege. He will tell them to go to ‘Īsa, since Allah created him by a word from Him. So they will go to ‘Īsa (peace be upon him) who will say to them that he does not deserve this privilege. So they will go to our Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and they will ask him to ask Allah to judge between them and open Paradise to them. He will respond to their request, will seek permission, and will be granted it. Trust and kinship will stand on the two sides of the Sirāt, which is a bridge that extends over Hell. People will pass on it according to their deeds. Those who, in the life of this world, hastened to do good deeds will pass swiftly on the Bridge, and vice versa. Some will be saved and some will fall into Hell. It takes seventy years to reach the bottom of Hell – May Allah save us from it!
Source · Narrated by Muslim
From the Hadith Encyclopedia (hadeethenc.com).