I came to Madinah and found that sickness was occurring in it and death was widespread. I sat with 'Umar bin al-Khattab and a funeral passed by him. People spoke well of the deceased and ‘Umar said: It is guaranteed. Then another funeral passed by and people spoke well of the deceased and ‘Umar said: It is guaranteed. Then a third funeral passed by and people spoke badly of the deceased and ‘Umar said: It is guaranteed. Abul-Aswad said: What is guaranteed, O Ameer al-Mu'mineen? He said: I am saying what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ʿAny Muslim in whose favour four people testify, Allah will admit him to Paradise.ʿ We said: And three? He said: ʿAnd three.ʿ We said: And two? He said: ʿAnd two ʿ Then we did not ask him about one. (Using translation from Aḥmad 139)   

عُمَرُ ؓ وَجَبَتْ ثُمَّ مُرَّ بِأُخْرَى فَأُثْنِيَ عَلَيْهَا خَيْرًا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ وَجَبَتْ ثُمَّ مُرَّ بِالثَّالِثَةِ فَأُثْنِيَ عَلَى صَاحِبِهَا شَرًّا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ ؓ وَجَبَتْ قَالَ أَبُو الْأَسْوَدِ فَقُلْتُ مَا وَجَبَتْ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ كَمَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَيُّمَا مُسْلِمٍ شَهِدَ لَهُ أَرْبَعَةٌ بِخَيْرٍ أَدْخَلَهُ اللهُ الْجَنَّةَ قَالَ قُلْنَا وَثَلَاثَةٌ؟ قَالَ وَثَلَاثَةٌ قَالَ قُلْنَا وَاثْنَانِ؟ قَالَ وَاثْنَانِ ثُمَّ لَمْ نَسْأَلْهُ عَنِ الْوَاحِدِ