Imam Ahmad likewise transmitted this narration through ʿAbd al-Ṣamad and ʿAffān, from Ḥammād ibn Salamah, with wording identical to the above, and none of the compilers of the canonical collections included it through this chain (1). Muslim, however, related—through Saʿīd ibn Abī Burdah and ʿAwn ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUtbah, from Abū Burdah, from his father Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī—that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “No Muslim dies except that Allah admits in his stead into the Fire a Jew or a Christian.” (2)
Section: Additional reports concerning the Sirat
After leaving the place of standing, people will reach the darkness that lies before the sirat—the bridge stretched across Jahannam—as was reported from ʿĀʾishah: when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked, “Where will the people be on the Day when the earth is exchanged for another earth and the heavens as well?” he replied, “They will be in darkness, beneath the bridge.” (3)
At that point the hypocrites will be separated from the believers: they will lag behind while the believers press on, and a wall will be placed between them, preventing the hypocrites from rejoining the believers, just as the Exalted says:
“The Day you will see the believing men and believing women, their light running before them and on their right. (It will be said:) ‘Good news for you today: gardens beneath which rivers flow, to remain therein forever; that is the supreme success.’ (12) On that Day the hypocrite men and women will say to those who believed, ‘Wait for us so that we may borrow some of your light.’ It will be said, ‘Go back behind you and seek light there.’ Then a wall will be set up between them with a gate; on the inside of it is mercy, but on the outside, facing it, is punishment. (13) They will call out, ‘Were we not with you?’ They will say, ‘Yes, but you tempted yourselves, you waited, you doubted, and wishful thinking deluded you until the command of Allah came, and the Deceiver deceived you concerning Allah. (14) So today no ransom will be accepted from you nor from those who disbelieved; your refuge is the Fire—it is your guardian, and what an evil destination.’ (15)” [al-Hadid 57: 12–15]
He, Most High, also says:
“On the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him; their light will shine before them and on their right. They will say, ‘Our Lord, perfect our light for us and forgive us; surely You are capable of all things.’ ” [at-Tahrim 66: 8]
Al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū al-Ḥasan al-Dāraqutni (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book al-Afrād: “Muḥammad ibn Mikhlad ibn Ḥafṣ and Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad al-Maṭīrī (4) told us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Ḥamzah ibn Ziyād al-Ṭūsī narrated to us; my father narrated to us; Qays ibn al-Rabīʿ narrated to us from ʿUbayd al-Muktib, from Mujāhid, from Ibn ʿUmar who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Jahannam surrounds the world [and Paradise lies beyond it]; for that reason the sirat passes over Jahannam as the road to Paradise.’ ”
He then remarked: “This report is gharīb coming from Mujāhid on the authority of Ibn ʿUmar; no one relates it from ʿUbayd al-Muktib except Qays, and it is uniquely transmitted from him by Ḥamzah ibn Ziyād.”