A funeral procession passed in front of the Prophet ﷺ and the people praised the deceased. The Prophet ﷺ said, "It has been affirmed (Paradise)." Then another funeral procession passed by and the people talked badly of the deceased. The Prophet ﷺ said, "It has been affirmed (Hell)." Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! You said it has been affirmed for both?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "The testimony of the people (is accepted), (for) the believer are Allah's witnesses on the earth."  

مُرَّ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِجَنَازَةٍ فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا خَيْرًا فَقَالَ وَجَبَتْ ثُمَّ مُرَّ بِأُخْرَى فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا شَرًّا أَوْ قَالَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ وَجَبَتْ فَقِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قُلْتَ لِهَذَا وَجَبَتْ وَلِهَذَا وَجَبَتْ قَالَ شَهَادَةُ الْقَوْمِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ شُهَدَاءُ اللَّهِ فِي الأَرْضِ  

Once I went to Medina where there was an outbreak of disease and the people were dying rapidly. I was sitting with ʿUmar and a funeral procession passed by. The people praised the deceased. ʿUmar said, "It has been affirmed" (Paradise). Then another funeral procession passed by. The people praised the deceased. ʿUmar said, "It has been affirmed." (Paradise). Then another funeral procession passed by. The people praised the deceased. ʿUmar said, "It has been affirmed (Paradise)." Then a third funeral procession passed by and the people talked badly of the deceased. ʿUmar said, "It has been affirmed (Hell)." I asked ʿUmar, "O chief of the believers! What has been affirmed?" He said, "I have said what the Prophet ﷺ said. He said, 'Allah will admit into paradise any Muslim whose good character is attested by four persons.' We asked the Prophet, 'If there were three witnesses only?' He said, 'Even three.' We asked, 'If there were two only?' He said, 'Even two.' But we did not ask him about one witness."  

أَتَيْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ وَقَدْ وَقَعَ بِهَا مَرَضٌ وَهُمْ يَمُوتُونَ مَوْتًا ذَرِيعًا فَجَلَسْتُ إِلَى عُمَرَ ؓ فَمَرَّتْ جِنَازَةٌ فَأُثْنِيَ خَيْرٌ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ وَجَبَتْ ثُمَّ مُرَّ بِأُخْرَى فَأُثْنِيَ خَيْرًا فَقَالَ وَجَبَتْ ثُمَّ مُرَّ بِالثَّالِثَةِ فَأُثْنِيَ شَرًّا فَقَالَ وَجَبَتْ فَقُلْتُ مَا وَجَبَتْ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ قَالَ قُلْتُ كَمَا قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَيُّمَا مُسْلِمٍ شَهِدَ لَهُ أَرْبَعَةٌ بِخَيْرٍ أَدْخَلَهُ اللَّهُ الْجَنَّةَ قُلْنَا وَثَلاَثَةٌ قَالَ وَثَلاَثَةٌ قُلْتُ وَاثْنَانِ قَالَ وَاثْنَانِ ثُمَّ لَمْ نَسْأَلْهُ عَنِ الْوَاحِدِ