Thus the word dhurriyya (offspring) is employed for adults just as it is for minors, and al-ʿAwfi’s explanation from Ibn ʿAbbas embraces both; this is likewise the view adopted by al-Wahidi and others.

In the end, however, the matter rests with Allah—exalted is He—for all good is in His hand, creation is His, and the command belongs to Him. This position is transmitted from al-Shaʿbi, Abu Mijlaz, Saʿid ibn Jubayr, Ibrahim al-Nakhaʿi, Qatadah, Abu Salih, and al-Rabiʿ ibn Anas. It reflects Allah’s grace and mercy toward the children through the blessing of their parents’ deeds. As for His grace toward the parents through the blessing of their children’s supplication, Imam Ahmad said:

Yazid related to us; Hammad ibn Salamah related to us, from ʿAsim ibn Abi al-Nujud, from Abu Salih, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stated:

“Indeed Allah—exalted is He—elevates the rank of a righteous servant in Paradise. The servant will ask, ‘My Lord, how did I attain this?’ He will be told, ‘Through your child’s seeking forgiveness for you.’”

This chain is sound, although none of the compilers of the canonical books recorded it. (1) It does, however, have supporting evidence in Sahih Muslim, from Abu Hurayrah, who reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“When a human being dies, his deeds cease except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him.” (2)

Section: The entrance of the poor into Paradise before the rich

Ahmad reported: ʿAffan narrated to us; Hammad ibn Salamah narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn ʿAmr, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“The poor Muslims will enter Paradise half a day before their wealthy brethren, and that half-day is five hundred years.”

Al-Tirmidhi—and Ibn Majah—also recorded it through the transmission of Muhammad ibn ʿAmr; al-Tirmidhi said: “Hasan sahih.” It has several other routes from Abu Hurayrah, among them the report transmitted by al-Thawri, from Muhammad ibn Zayd, from Abu Hazim, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:

“Indeed the poor believers will enter Paradise half a day before the rich, and that half-day equals five hundred years …” [full hadith] (3)

Ahmad likewise said: Abu ʿAbd al-Rahman narrated to us; Haywah—namely ibn Shurayh—narrated to us; Abu Hani’ informed me that he heard Abu ʿAbd al-Rahman al-Hubuli say: I heard ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAmr say: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ declare:

“The poor Emigrants will precede the rich on the Day of Resurrection”—that is, in reaching Paradise—“by forty autumns.”