Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal: Book 1, Hadith 14
Then they will go to Nooh and will say: Intercede with your Lord for us, for Allah chose you and answered your supplication, and He did not leave one of the disbelievers on the Earth (cf. 71:26). He will say: I am not the one you want; go to Ibraheem for Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, took him as a close friend (khaleel). So they will go to Ibraheem but he will say: I am not the one you want; go to Moosa, for Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, spoke directly to him (cf. 4:164). But Moosa will say: I am not the one you want; go to ‘Eesa Ibn Maryam, for he healed those born blind and the lepers, and he brought forth the dead. But ‘Eesa will say: I am not the one you want; go to the leader of the sons of Adam, for he is the first one for whom the earth is split on the Day of Resurrection. Go to Muhammad, for he will intercede for you with your Lord, may He be glorified and exalted. Then (the Prophet) will go and Jibreel will come to his Lord and Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will say: Give him permission and give him the glad tidings of Paradise. Jibreel will take him and he will fall down in prostration for a week. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will say: Raise your head, O Muhammad; speak and you will be heard, intercede and your intercession will be accepted. So he will raise his head, and when he looks at his Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, he will fall down in prostration for another week. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will say: Raise your head, O Muhammad; speak and you will be heard, intercede and your intersession will be accepted. He will start to fall down in prostration again, but Jibreel (peace be upon him) will take hold of his upper arms and Allah, may he be glorified and exalted, will inspire him to offer a supplication such as no human being was ever inspired with. He will say: `O Lord, You created me as the leader of the sons of Adam, and no boast; the first one for whom the earth is split on the Day of Resurrection, and no boast; there will come to my Cistern more people than there can be between San‘a’ and Allah (Eilat).` Then it will be said: Call the Siddeeq’s so that they might intercede. Then it will be said: Call the Prophets. So one Prophet will come with a group, and another Prophet will come with five or six people, and another Prophet will come with nobody. Then it will be said: Call the martyrs so that they might intercede for whoever they want. When the martyrs do that, Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will say: I am the Most Merciful of those who show mercy; I admit to My Paradise anyone who does not associate anything with Me.
So they will enter Paradise. Then Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will say: Look in Hell; can you find anyone who ever did anything good? And they will find a man in Hell, and He will say to him: Did you ever do anything good? He will say: No, except that I was easy-going with people in buying and selling. And Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will say: Be easy-going with My slave as he was easygoing with My slaves. Then they will bring a man out of Hell and He will say to him: Did you ever do anything good? He will say: No, except that l instructed my sons: When I die, burn me with fire, then grind me until I am like kohl powder. Then take me to the sea and scatter me in the wind, for by Allah the Lord of the Worlds will never be able to punish me. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will say: Why did you do that? He will say: For fear of You. And Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will say: Look at the kingdom of the greatest king and you will have the like thereof and ten times as much. He will say: Are You making fun of me when You are the Sovereign? He (the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “That is what I was smiling at, at the time of the foremoon.`
Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal: Book 1, Hadith 14
The above hadith is from the Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal collection of hadiths. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s Musnad represents one of the largest and most significant early collections of prophetic traditions. This massive compilation is uniquely arranged by the names of the companions (Sahabah), devoting individual chapters to each one to consolidate all the narrations they are known to have transmitted. This approach offers profound insights into the teachings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad from the perspective of those who knew him best. The collection is universally esteemed for its authenticity and historical value, serving as a critical resource for scholars. However, because it aims for breadth, it encompasses a wide range of narrations, including some that experts have identified as having less reliable chains of narration alongside its many strong ones.
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For more Hadith in Book 1: Musnad Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (ra)