English Translation

Al-Hudhayl ibn Maymun al-Kufi al-Ju'fi told us -- he used to sit in the mosque of the city, meaning the city of Abu Ja'far -- Abdullah said: this is an old Kufan elder -- from Mutarrih ibn Yazid, from Ubaydullah ibn Zahr, from Ali ibn Yazid, from al-Qasim, from Abu Umamah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "I entered Paradise and heard therein a rustling before me. I said, 'What is this?' It was said, 'Bilal.'" He said: "Then I went on, and behold, most of the people of Paradise were the poor among the Emigrants and the offspring of the Muslims, and I saw no one fewer than the wealthy and the women. It was said to me: 'As for the wealthy, they are here at the gate being reckoned and tested; and as for the women, the two red things distracted them -- gold and silk.'" He said: "Then we went out from one of the eight gates of Paradise. When I was at the gate, a scale was brought and I was placed in one pan, and my nation was placed in the other pan, and I outweighed them. Then Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, was brought and placed in one pan, and all of my nation was brought and placed [in the other], and Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, outweighed them. Then Umar was brought and placed in one pan, and all of my nation was brought and placed [in the other], and Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, outweighed them. My nation was presented, man by man, and they began passing by; then I was slow to see Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, until he came after I had despaired, and I said, 'Abd al-Rahman?' He said, 'May my father and mother be your ransom, O Messenger of Allah -- by the One who sent you with truth, I did not reach you until I thought I would never look upon you again except after turning gray-haired.' He said, 'And what was that?' He said, 'From the abundance of my wealth I was being reckoned and tested.'"