Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that one night I looked for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and found him (peace and blessings be upon him) standing in prayer. He (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed a very long prayer, then said: "Tonight I have been given five things which were not given to any prophet before me: I have been sent to the red and the black (that is, to all humans and jinn); I have been helped by awe, so that the enemy is struck with awe even while he is a month's journey away; the earth has been made for me a place of prostration and a means of purification (for tayammum); the spoils of war have been made lawful for me, which were not lawful for anyone before me; and it was said to me: Ask and you will be given, so I have kept this supplication hidden as intercession for my Ummah. So this intercession will reach everyone who did not associate anything with Allah." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), but they did not record it in this wording, although they have recorded different words of it separately.

It is reported from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) concerning this saying of Allah Almighty: "But how can they attain it from a place far off?" [Surah Saba: 52] , that he said: They will ask to be returned (to the world), but now it is no longer the time for return. This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain of narration, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.