2075 – Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman related: “Yahya ibn Muhammad ibn Sa‘id narrated to us; he said, ‘Isma‘il ibn Abi al-Harith narrated to us; he said, “Abu Badr Shuja‘ ibn al-Walid narrated from Ziyad ibn Khaythamah, from Nu‘aym ibn Abi Hind, from Rib‘i, from Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari, who said:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ declared, ‘I was offered a choice: either half of my community would enter Paradise, or I would be granted intercession. I chose the intercession, for it is broader in scope and more far-reaching. Do you suppose it is for the God-fearing? No—it is for the sinners, the offenders, and those sullied by their misdeeds.’”