Masʿūd, regarding Allah’s words: “The inhabitants of Paradise on that Day will have the best abode and the finest place of repose” (24) [al-Furqān: 24], said: “The Day of Resurrection will not reach its midpoint before these and those have taken their siesta.”

Mention of the Praised Station (al-maqām al-maḥmūd) with which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was singled out above all the other prophets—peace be upon them all—which includes the supreme intercession on behalf of the people at the Place of Standing, so that the Lord—Exalted is He—will come to judge between them and relieve the believers from that ordeal, granting them a blessed return and a felicitous end.

Allah the Most High says: “And during a portion of the night keep vigil with it as an extra act of devotion for you; perhaps your Lord will raise you to a Praised Station.” (79) [al-Isrāʾ: 79].

Al-Bukhārī said: ʿAlī ibn ʿAyyāsh related to us; Shuʿayb ibn Abī Ḥamzah related to us; from Muḥammad ibn al-Munkadir; from Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allah, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“Whoever, when he hears the call to prayer, says: ‘O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and of the established prayer, grant Muḥammad al-wasīlah and al-faḍīlah, and raise him to the Praised Station which You have promised him,’ my intercession will be permissible for him on the Day of Resurrection.” Bukhārī narrated it alone, without Muslim. (1)

Imām Aḥmad said: Wakīʿ related to us; Dāwūd—meaning Ibn Yazīd ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Zaʿfarī—related to us; from his father; from Abū Hurayrah, who reported that the Prophet ﷺ, concerning the verse “perhaps your Lord will raise you to a Praised Station” [al-Isrāʾ: 79], said: “It is the intercession.” Its chain is sound. (2)

It is authentically recorded in the two Ṣaḥīḥs and elsewhere, from Jābir and others, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“I have been given five things that were not given to anyone before me: I have been helped by awe, so that the enemy is struck with terror a month’s journey away; spoils of war have been made lawful for me, whereas they were not lawful for anyone before me; the earth has been made for me a place of worship and a means of purification, so whenever the time of prayer overtakes a man of my community, let him pray; I have been granted intercession; [every prophet was sent only to his own people, whereas I have been sent to all mankind].” (3)

His statement, “I have been granted intercession,” refers to the intercession that people will first seek from Adam. He will say, “I am not fit for that; go to Noah.” Noah will say the same and direct them to Abraham, who will direct them to Moses; Moses will direct them to Jesus; and Jesus will direct them to Muḥammad ﷺ and upon them all be peace. He will say, “I am the one for it, I am the one for it.” This will be set out in detail in the hadiths of intercession concerning the release of sinners from the Fire. We have cited the various chains of this hadith at length from a group of Companions under our commentary on this noble verse in our book Tafsīr, and that should suffice.