Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Allah Almighty will gather the people on the Day of Resurrection. At that time, the people will say, "If we could take someone to intercede with our Lord, it might be beneficial. Perhaps we could be delivered from this state of ours." So the people will come to Adam (peace be upon him) and say, "You are the noble prophet whom Allah created with His own hand, and He breathed into you His concealed spirit, and He commanded the angels, so they prostrated to you. Please intercede for us with our Lord." He will say, "I am not fit for this," and then he will remember his mistake and say, "Go to Noah, for he is the first messenger whom Allah sent." The people will come to Noah (peace be upon him), but he will also give the same answer, "I am not fit for this," and he will mention his mistake and say, "Go to Abraham, whom Allah made His close friend." The people will come to him, but he will also say, "I am not fit for this," mention his mistake, and say, "Go to Moses, with whom Allah spoke." The people will go to Moses (peace be upon him), but he will also give the same answer, "I am not fit for this," mention his mistake, and say, "Go to Jesus." The people will go to Jesus (peace be upon him), but he will also say, "I am not fit for this. Go to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), for all his past and future sins have been forgiven." So the people will come to me. At that time, I will seek permission from my Lord (for intercession) and will fall into prostration. Allah Almighty will let me remain in prostration as long as He wills. Then it will be said, "Raise your head, ask and you will be given, speak and you will be heard, intercede and your intercession will be accepted." At that time, I will praise my Lord with such praises as Allah will teach me. Then I will intercede, and a limit will be set for me, and I will take people out of Hell and admit them to Paradise. And in the same way, I will fall into prostration a third or fourth time, until only those people will remain in Hell whom the Qur'an has restrained (i.e., those about whom it is explicitly mentioned in the Qur'an that they will remain in Hell forever).