“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