Sayyiduna Awf bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: One night the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) camped with us, and everyone spread out the arms of his mount. The narrator says: In a part of the night, I woke up and there was no one in front of the camel of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) (i.e., the Prophet was not present). I set out in search of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Qais (may Allah be pleased with him) were also standing there. I asked: Where is the Messenger of Allah? They replied: We do not know, but we heard a sound from the upper part of the valley, a sound like that of a millstone turning.

The narrator says: Shortly after, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) came to us. He informed us: A messenger from my Lord came to me and gave me the choice that either half of my Ummah would enter Paradise or I could choose intercession (Shafa'ah), so I chose intercession. The people said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! We beseech you by Allah and by our relationship with you, include us among those who will receive your intercession. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: You will receive my intercession. The narrator says: When those people mounted (their rides), the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I make all those present witnesses that I declare, whoever from my Ummah dies in such a state that he does not associate anyone with Allah, he will receive my intercession.