Abū Abd Allah Ahmad ibn al-Hasan ibn Abd al-Jabbār al-Sūfī narrated to us, saying: Sulaymān ibn Umar al-Raqqī narrated to us, saying: Īsā ibn Yūnus narrated to us, saying: ⦗1550⦘ Al-Awzāī narrated to us, from Abd al-Rahmān ibn Yazīd ibn Jābir, who said: I heard Khālid ibn al-Lajlāj narrating to Makhūl, from Abd al-Rahmān ibn Āyish, who said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say:

“I saw my Lord—Glorious and Exalted is He—in the most beautiful form. He said to me, ‘O Muhammad, over what does the Highest Assembly dispute?’ I replied, ‘You know best, O my Lord.’ He again asked, ‘Over what does the Highest Assembly dispute?’ I replied, ‘You know best, O my Lord.’ He then placed His palm—Glorious and Exalted is He—between my shoulders, whereupon I came to know what is in the heavens and what is on earth. Then the verse was recited: ‘And thus We showed Abraham the dominion of the heavens and the earth, so that he might be among those of certain faith.’

“He then asked me, ‘O Muhammad, over what does the Highest Assembly dispute?’ I replied, ‘Over the deeds by which ranks are raised.’ He asked, ‘What are those deeds?’ I replied, ‘Walking to the congregational prayers, remaining seated in the mosques after the prayers, and completing ablution thoroughly on bitterly cold mornings.’ He asked, ‘And over what else?’ I replied, ‘Over the deeds that expiate sins.’ He asked, ‘What are they?’ I replied, ‘Feeding others, freely offering greetings of peace, and praying at night while people are asleep.’

“He said, ‘Say: “O Allah, I ask You to enable me to perform good deeds, forsake evil deeds, and love the poor; ⦗1551⦘ to accept my repentance, forgive me, and have mercy upon me; and if You intend tribulation for a people, then take my soul while I remain unafflicted by it.”’”

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Learn these words, for by Him in Whose hand is my soul, they are certainly true.”