24. Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Tamim al-Sarkhasi said: Hariz on the authority of `Abd al-`Aziz, on the authority of Zayd ibn Wahb, on the authority of Abu Dharr (may Allah have mercy upon him) that I went out one night. The Messenger of Allah (sw) was all alone. I thought that he was averse to anyone walking with him. When I started walking in the moon light, he turned around and saw me. He enquired, “What is that?” I answered, “Abu Dharr. May Allah make me your ransom!” He (sw) said
“Come here, O Abu Dharr!” So I walked with him for some time. He said: Verily, the ones with much will be the ones with less. On the Day of Resurrection with the exception of those Allah has favoured. His Favour will spread to them from right to left, and from front to back. It will fill them with good. Abu Dharr says: I continued to walk with him for a while. Then he (sw) said: “Sit down here. He made me sit down in some low ground around which was stones.” He said to me, “Sit down until I return to you.” He (Abu Dharr) said: He went to a stony area until I could no longer see him. His delay was prolonged. Then I heard him coming, while saying, “Even if he fornicated and eve if he stole?” He said: When he came back, I immediately asked him, “O Prophet of Allah! May Allah make me your ransom! Who are you talking to in the stony area for I did not hear anyone answer you?” He replied, “It was Jibra’il who appeared to me in that stony area and said: `Glad tidings to your Ummah that anyone who dies without associating anything with Allah, the Mighty and High, will enter Heaven.” He (sw) added, “I asked Jibra’il: `Even if he fornicated and even if he stole?’ He replied: `Yes, and even if he drank wine.’”
The Compiler of this book says: What he means by this is that he will succeed in repentance so that he may enter Paradise.