“I saw in a dream that I was at the gate of Paradise and I saw them (those two men). Someone came out of Paradise and admitted the one who had died last, then he came out and admitted the one who had been martyred. Then he came back to me and said: ‘Go back, for your time has not yet come.’” The next morning, Talhah told the people of that and they were amazed. News of that reached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and they told him the story. He said: “Why are you so amazed at that?” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, the first one was the one who strove harder, then he was martyred, but the other one was admitted to Paradise before him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Did he not stay behind for a year?” They said: “Yes.” He said: “And did not Ramadan come and he fasted, and he offered such and such prayers during that year?” They said: “Yes.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The difference between them is greater than the difference between heaven and earth.”  

أَنَّ رَجُلَيْنِ مِنْ بَلِيٍّ قَدِمَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَكَانَ إِسْلاَمُهُمَا جَمِيعًا فَكَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَشَدَّ اجْتِهَادًا مِنَ الآخَرِ فَغَزَا الْمُجْتَهِدُ مِنْهُمَا فَاسْتُشْهِدَ ثُمَّ مَكَثَ الآخَرُ بَعْدَهُ سَنَةً ثُمَّ تُوُفِّيَ قَالَ طَلْحَةُ فَرَأَيْتُ فِي الْمَنَامِ بَيْنَا أَنَا عِنْدَ بَابِ الْجَنَّةِ إِذَا أَنَا بِهِمَا فَخَرَجَ خَارِجٌ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ فَأَذِنَ لِلَّذِي تُوُفِّيَ الآخِرَ مِنْهُمَا ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَأَذِنَ لِلَّذِي اسْتُشْهِدَ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَىَّ فَقَالَ ارْجِعْ فَإِنَّكَ لَمْ يَأْنِ لَكَ بَعْدُ فَأَصْبَحَ طَلْحَةُ يُحَدِّثُ بِهِ النَّاسَ فَعَجِبُوا لِذَلِكَ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَحَدَّثُوهُ الْحَدِيثَ فَقَالَ مِنْ أَىِّ ذَلِكَ تَعْجَبُونَ فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَذَا كَانَ أَشَدَّ الرَّجُلَيْنِ اجْتِهَادًا ثُمَّ اسْتُشْهِدَ وَدَخَلَ هَذَا الآخِرُ الْجَنَّةَ قَبْلَهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَلَيْسَ قَدْ مَكَثَ هَذَا بَعْدَهُ سَنَةً قَالُوا بَلَى قَالَ وَأَدْرَكَ رَمَضَانَ فَصَامَهُ وَصَلَّى كَذَا وَكَذَا مِنْ سَجْدَةٍ فِي السَّنَةِ قَالُوا بَلَى قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا أَبْعَدُ مِمَّا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ  

[Machine] Two men from a tribe came to the Prophet ﷺ , and both of them embraced Islam. One of them was more dedicated and committed than the other. The more dedicated man participated in a battle and was martyred, while the other lived for a year, observed fasting in Ramadan, and then passed away. The Prophet ﷺ saw Talhah ibn Ubaydullah outside of paradise. He permitted the one who died after living longer to enter paradise first, then permitted the martyr to enter. The Prophet ﷺ returned to Talhah and said to him, "Go back, for it is not yet your time." Talhah then began telling people about what he had witnessed. The news reached the Prophet ﷺ , and he asked about it. When they explained the situation, the Prophet ﷺ said, "Didn't this man live for a year after the martyrdom of the other man?" They replied, "Yes."  

قَدِمَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ رَجُلَانِ مِنْ بَلِيٍّ فَكَانَ إِسْلَامُهُمَا جَمِيعًا وَاحِدًا وَكَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَشَدَّ اجْتِهَادًا مِنَ الْآخَرِ فَغَزَا الْمُجْتَهِدُ فَاسْتُشْهِدَ وَعَاشَ الْآخَرُ سَنَةً حَتَّى صَامَ رَمَضَانَ ثُمَّ مَاتَ فَرَأَى طَلْحَةُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ خَارِجًا خَرَجَ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ فَأَذِنَ لِلَّذِي تُوُفِّيَ آخِرَهُمَا ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَأَذِنَ لِلَّذِي اسْتُشْهِدَ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى طَلْحَةَ فَقَالَ ارْجِعْ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَأْنِ لَكَ فَأَصْبَحَ طَلْحَةُ يُحَدِّثُ بِهِ النَّاسَ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَحَدَّثُوهُ الْحَدِيثَ وَعَجِبُوا فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَانَ أَشَدَّ الرَّجُلَيْنِ اجْتِهَادًا وَاسْتُشْهِدَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَدَخَلَ هَذَا الْجَنَّةَ قَبْلَهُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «أَلَيْسَ قَدْ مَكَثَ هَذَا بَعْدَهُ بِسَنَةٍ؟ » قَالُوا نَعَمْ  

“I saw in a dream that I was at the gate of Paradise, and I saw them both. Someone had come out from Paradise and he gave permission to the one who died last (to enter); then he came out and gave permission to the one who had been martyred. Then they both came back to me and said to me: Go back, for your time has not yet come.” The next morning, Talhah told the people about that and they were amazed by it. News of that reached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he said: “Why are you amazed?ʿ They said: “O Messenger of Allah, this one strove harder in worship and then was martyred for the sake of Allah, but the other one entered Paradise before him?” He said: ʿDid he not remain for a year after (the other one) died?” They said: “Yes.” He said: “Did he not live until Ramadan came and fast it?” They said: “Yes.” He said: ʿDid he not pray this many rakʿahs during that year?ʿ They said: “Yes.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Verily, the distance between them is the distance between heaven and earth.” (Using translation from Aḥmad 1403)   

أَنَّ رَجُلَيْنِ مِنْ بَلِيٍّ قَدِمَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَكَانَ إِسْلَامُهُمَا مَعًا وَكَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَشَدَّ اجْتِهَادًا مِنَ الْآخَرِ فَغَزَا الْمُجْتَهِدُ مِنْهُمَا فَاسْتُشْهِدَ ثُمَّ مَكَثَ الْآخَرُ بَعْدَهُ سَنَةً ثُمَّ تُوُفِّيَ قَالَ طَلْحَةُ بَيْنَا أَنَا عِنْدَ بَابِ الْجَنَّةِ فِي النَّوْمِ إِذْ أَنَا بِهِمَا فَخَرَجَ خَارِجٌ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ فَأَذِنَ لِلَّذِي مَاتَ الْآخِرَ مِنْهُمَا ثُمَّ رَجَعَ فَأَذِنَ لِلَّذِي اسْتُشْهِدَ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَيَّ فَقَالَ ارْجِعْ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَأْنِ لَكَ فَأَصْبَحَ طَلْحَةُ فَحَدَّثَ النَّاسَ فَعَجِبُوا؛ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ مِنْ أِيِّ ذَلِكَ تَعْجَبُونَ ؟ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ هَذَا الَّذِي كَانَ أَشَدَّ الرَّجُلَيْنِ اجْتِهَادًا فَاسْتُشْهِدَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ فَدَخَلَ الْآخَرُ الْجَنَّةَ قَبْلَهُ قَالَ أَلَيْسَ قَدْ مَكَثَ هَذَا بَعْدَهُ سَنَةً وَأَدْرَكَ رَمَضَانَ فَصَامَهُ ؟ قَالُوا بَلَى قَالَ وَصَلَّى كَذَا وَكَذَا مِنْ سَجْدَةٍ فِي السَّنَةِ ؟ قَالُوا بَلَى قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا أَبْعَدُ مِمَّا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ تَابَعَهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ