289 — ‘Abdullāh narrated to us, saying: Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Ashkāb narrated to me, saying: Rawh ibn Aslam narrated to us, saying: Shaddād ibn Sa‘īd narrated to us, from Ghaylān ibn Jarīr, from Abū Burdah, from his father, who said:

I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in a garden, while he was poking the water and mud with a fresh palm stalk he had with him. A soft-spoken man knocked at the gate. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked, “Who is that?” I replied, “Abū Bakr.” He said, “Open the gate for him and give him the glad tidings of Paradise.”

Then another man came, with a deep voice. He asked, “Who is that?” I replied, “‘Umar.” He said, “Open the gate for him and give him the glad tidings of Paradise.”

He continued: He remained there for as long as Allah willed. Then another man came and knocked at the gate. He asked, “Who is that?” I replied, “‘Uthmān.” He said, “Open the gate for him and give him the glad tidings of Paradise after an ordeal.”

He said: ‘Uthmān kept saying, “Allah is the One whose help is sought. Allah is the One whose help is sought.”