It is narrated from Sayyiduna ‘Ubada bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him): One night, the noble companions found that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was missing from his place. It was their custom that whenever they halted at a place, they would make the resting place of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in their midst. When they did not find him in his place, they became anxious and thought that Allah Almighty had chosen other people as companions for His Prophet instead of them (i.e., that he had passed away). So they set out in search of him. Then, when they saw him, they said“Allahu Akbar”out of happiness. Then they said: O Messenger of Allah! We feared that Allah Almighty had made others your companions instead of us (i.e., you had passed away). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: No, there is nothing of the sort, and you are my companions in this world and the Hereafter. The matter was that Allah Almighty awakened me and said: O Muhammad! Of all the Messengers and Prophets I have sent, each one made a supplication to Me, and I accepted that supplication for him in every case. O Muhammad! You too make a supplication; it will surely be accepted. So I submitted: My supplication is that on the Day of Resurrection, intercession will be for my Ummah. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: What is meant by intercession? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I will say, O my Lord! That intercession which I had kept hidden with You? Allah Almighty will say: Yes. Then, because of that intercession, Allah Almighty will take the remainder of my Ummah out of Hell and admit them into Paradise.