It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came out to us and said: "My intimate friend Jibril (peace be upon him) has just left me. He said: O Muhammad, by the One who sent you with the truth, Allah Almighty had a servant who worshipped Allah for five hundred years on the top of a mountain in the middle of the sea, whose width and length were thirty cubits by thirty cubits, and the sea surrounded it for four thousand farsakhs on every side. Allah Almighty had made a spring of sweet water the width of a finger flow for him, from which sweet water kept seeping and collecting at the foot of the mountain, and there was a pomegranate tree that gave him one pomegranate every night, with which he met his nourishment for the whole day. When evening came, he would come down and perform ablution, pick that pomegranate and eat it, and then stand for his prayer. At the time of his death he asked his Lord to take his soul while he was in prostration, and not to give the earth or anything else any means of spoiling him, until he is raised while still in prostration." (Jibril, peace be upon him) said: "Allah did exactly that, so whenever we descend to the earth or ascend to the heaven, we pass by him. We have learned from the knowledge of Allah that on the Day of Resurrection, when he is brought before Allah, Allah Almighty will say: Take My servant into Paradise by My mercy. He will say: O my Lord, rather by my deeds. Then Allah will say: Admit My servant into Paradise by My mercy. He will again say: O my Lord, rather because of my deeds. Then Allah will say: Admit My servant into Paradise by My mercy. He will say: O my Lord, rather because of my deeds. Then Allah Almighty will command the angels: Weigh My servant's blessings against his deeds. So when they are weighed, the single blessing of eyesight alone will outweigh his five hundred years of worship, and the blessings of the whole body will still remain over and above. Then Allah will say: Take My servant to Hell. As he is dragged towards Hell, he will cry out: O my Lord, admit me into Paradise by virtue of Your mercy. Allah will say: Bring him back. Then he will stand before Allah, and Allah will say: O My servant, who created you when you were nothing? He will say: You did, O my Lord. Allah will say: Was that from you or by My mercy? He will reply: Rather by Your mercy. Allah will say: Who gave you the strength to worship for five hundred years? He will reply: You did, O my Lord. Allah will say: Who placed you on a mountain in the middle of the deep sea? Who brought out sweet water for you from bitter (salty) water? Who produced a pomegranate for you every night when it grows only once a year? And you asked Me to take your soul in prostration, and did I not do that for you? He will reply: O my Lord, You are (the One who did it). Allah Almighty will say: So all of this happened by My mercy, and now by My mercy alone I will admit you into Paradise. Take My servant into Paradise; you were an excellent servant. Then Allah will admit him into Paradise." Jibril (peace be upon him) said: "O Muhammad, all matters depend only on the mercy of Allah Almighty." Imam al-Hakim says: This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain of narration, because Sulayman bin Harim al-Abid is one of the ascetics of the people of Sham, and al-Layth bin Sa'd does not narrate from unknown narrators.