2 – Zuhayr ibn Harb narrated to us; Shababa ibn Sawwar narrated to us; Hisham ibn al-Ghāz narrated to us; Hayyān, Abū al-Naḍr, related to me. He said:

Wāthila ibn al-Asqaʿ said, “Lead me to Yazīd ibn al-Aswad, for I have been informed that he is in pain.”
So I led him, and we entered to see Yazīd while he was gravely ill. I said to Wāthila, “He is in a critical state; he has been turned to face the qibla and has lost consciousness.”
Wāthila replied, “Call him.” They called him, and I said, “This is your brother Wāthila.”
Allah left in him just enough awareness to hear that Wāthila had come. He stretched out his hand and began groping with it. Realising what he wanted, I took Wāthila’s hand and placed it in his. All he wished was for his hand to touch Wāthila’s hand, because that hand had once touched the hand of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.
Yazīd then moved Wāthila’s hand, placing it at times on his face, at times on his chest, and at times on his mouth.

Wāthila said, “Shall I not ask you something? How is your expectation of Allah?”
He answered, “My sins have drowned me and I am on the brink of destruction, yet I still hope for Allah’s mercy.”
Thereupon Wāthila proclaimed, “Allahu Akbar,” and the members of the household echoed his takbīr. He added, “Allahu Akbar! I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: ‘Allah says: I am as My servant thinks of Me; so let each person think of Me as he wishes.’”