Mu'adh b. Jabal said:

God’s Messenger was detained one morning from observing the prayer with us till the sun had almost appeared over the horizon. He then came cut quickly, and when the <i>iqama</i> had been uttered he conducted the prayer in a shortened form; then when he had given the salutation he called out to us saying, “Keep to your rows as you were.” Then turning to us he said, “I shall tell you what detained me from you this morning. I got up during the night, performed ablution, and prayed what I could; but during my prayer I dozed and was overcome, and there and then I saw my Lord in the most beautiful form. He addressed me by name, and when I replied, ‘At Your service, my Lord,’ He asked, ‘What do the angels near My presence dispute about?’ and I replied that I did not know. He asked it three times. Then I saw Him put the palm of His hand between my shoulder-blades, so that I experienced the coolness of His fingers between my nipples so everything became clear to me and I attained knowledge. He then addressed me by name, and when I replied, ‘At Your service, my Lord,’ He asked, ‘What do the angels near My presence dispute about?’ I replied, ‘Expiation.’ He asked what they were, and I replied, ‘Walking on foot to the congregational prayers, sitting in the mosques after the prayers are over, and performing complete ablution in difficult circumstances. He asked what next they disputed about, and when I said it was about degrees, He asked what they were and I replied, ‘Providing food, speaking gently, and praying at night when people are asleep.’ He then told me to make a request, and I said, ‘O God, I ask You for power to do good things and abandon objectionable things, for love towards the poor, that You shouldest forgive me and show mercy to me, and that when You intendest to test any people You wilt take me to Thyself without being led astray. And I ask for Your love, the love of those who love You, and a love of doing things which will bring me near to Your love.’” Then God’s Messenger said, “It is true, so study it and learn it.” Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Tirmidhi said, “This is a <i>hasan sahih</i> tradition. I asked Muhammad b. Isma'il (Al-Bukhari) about this tradition, and he said it is a <i>sahih</i> tradition.”

وَعَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ قَالَ: احْتَبَسَ عَنَّا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ذَاتَ غَدَاة عَن صَلَاة الصُّبْح حَتَّى كدنا نتراءى عين الشَّمْس فَخرج سَرِيعا فثوب بِالصَّلَاةِ فَصَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَتَجَوَّزَ فِي صَلَاتِهِ فَلَمَّا سَلَّمَ دَعَا بِصَوْتِهِ فَقَالَ لَنَا عَلَى مَصَافِّكُمْ كَمَا أَنْتُمْ ثُمَّ انْفَتَلَ إِلَيْنَا ثُمَّ قَالَ أَمَا إِنِّي سَأُحَدِّثُكُمْ مَا حَبَسَنِي عَنْكُمُ الْغَدَاةَ إِنِّي قُمْتُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَتَوَضَّأْتُ وَصَلَّيْتُ مَا قُدِّرَ لِي فَنَعَسْتُ فِي صَلَاتِي حَتَّى اسْتَثْقَلْتُ فَإِذَا أَنَا بِرَبِّي تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى فِي أَحْسَنِ صُورَةٍ فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ قُلْتُ لَبَّيْكَ رَبِّ قَالَ فِيمَ يخْتَصم الْمَلأ الْأَعْلَى قلت لَا أَدْرِي رب قَالَهَا ثَلَاثًا قَالَ فَرَأَيْتُهُ وَضَعَ كَفَّهُ بَيْنَ كَتِفَيَّ حَتَّى وَجَدْتُ بَرْدَ أَنَامِلِهِ بَيْنَ ثَدْيَيَّ فَتَجَلَّى لِي كُلُّ شَيْءٍ وَعَرَفْتُ فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ قُلْتُ لَبَّيْكَ رَبِّ قَالَ فِيمَ يَخْتَصِمُ الْمَلأ الْأَعْلَى قلت فِي الْكَفَّارَات قَالَ مَا هُنَّ قُلْتُ مَشْيُ الْأَقْدَامِ إِلَى الْجَمَاعَاتِ وَالْجُلُوسُ فِي الْمَسَاجِد بَعْدَ الصَّلَوَاتِ وَإِسْبَاغُ الْوَضُوءِ حِينَ الْكَرِيهَاتِ قَالَ ثُمَّ فِيمَ؟ قُلْتُ: فِي الدَّرَجَاتِ. قَالَ: وَمَا هن؟ إطْعَام الطَّعَام ولين الْكَلَام وَالصَّلَاة وَالنَّاس نيام. ثمَّ قَالَ: سل قل اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ فِعْلَ الْخَيْرَاتِ وَتَرْكَ الْمُنْكَرَاتِ وَحُبَّ الْمَسَاكِينِ وَأَنْ تَغْفِرَ لِي وَتَرْحَمَنِي وَإِذَا أَرَدْتَ فِتْنَةً قوم فتوفني غير مفتون أَسأَلك حَبَّكَ وَحُبَّ مَنْ يَحْبُكُ وَحُبَّ عَمَلٍ يُقَرِّبُنِي إِلَى حبك ". فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّهَا حَقٌّ فَادْرُسُوهَا ثُمَّ تَعَلَّمُوهَا» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ وَسَأَلْتُ مُحَمَّد ابْن إِسْمَاعِيل عَن هَذَا الحَدِيث فَقَالَ: هَذَا حَدِيث صَحِيح