Sayyiduna Awf bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: We were participating in a battle with the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). One night I came, and I did not see the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) at his place of residence. The companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) were such that it was as if birds were sitting on their heads, while the camels had lowered their necks. The narrator says: I saw, and while I was in this worry, Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) came before me. I asked: Where is the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? He replied: He is behind me. I was still in this state when it was Abu Musa Ash'ari, I asked: Where is the Messenger of Allah? He said: He is behind me.

The narrator named Humaid bin Hilal, with his chain of narration, has transmitted this statement of Sayyiduna Awf bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) from Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him): I heard the voice of Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) behind me, just like the sound of a grinding mill, then the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived. I said: O Messenger of Allah! When you are in the enemy's land, you should have a guard. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: A person (i.e., an angel) came to me and gave me a choice between two things: either half of my Ummah will enter Paradise, or (through) intercession (countless people will enter Paradise). So I chose intercession.

Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah! May my parents be sacrificed for you, you know my status, include me among them as well. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: You are one of them. Sayyiduna Awf bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah! You know that we have left our land and families, we believe in Allah and His Messenger, include us among them as well. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Both of you are also among them. The narrator says: We came to the people who had woken up. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: A person (i.e., an angel) came to me from my Lord, and he gave me the choice that half of my Ummah would enter Paradise or there would be intercession, so I chose intercession. The attendees said: Include us among them as well. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: You people remain silent. They became silent, to the extent that it seemed as if no one wanted to say anything. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This intercession will be for every person who dies in such a state that he does not associate anyone with Allah.