“I was given the choice between being admitted to Paradise, and I chose intercession, because it is more general and more sufficient. Do you think it is for the pious? No, it is for the impure sinners.”
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ خُيِّرْتُ بَيْنَ الشَّفَاعَةِ وَبَيْنَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ نِصْفُ أُمَّتِي الْجَنَّةَ فَاخْتَرْتُ الشَّفَاعَةَ لأَنَّهَا أَعَمُّ وَأَكْفَى أَتُرَوْنَهَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ لاَ وَلَكِنَّهَا لِلْمُذْنِبِينَ الْخَطَّائِينَ الْمُتَلَوِّثِينَ
[Machine] On the authority of the Prophet ﷺ , he said, "I was given the choice between intercession or having half of my nation enter Paradise, so I chose intercession because it is more inclusive and comprehensive. Do you think it is for the purified ones? No, it is for the sinners and the wrongdoers." Ziyad said, "Indeed, it is an advantage, but this is how the one who informed us narrated it to us."
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ خُيِّرْتُ بَيْنَ الشَّفَاعَةِ أَوْ يَدْخُلُ نِصْفُ أُمَّتِي الْجَنَّةَ فَاخْتَرْتُ الشَّفَاعَةَ لِأَنَّهَا أَعَمُّ وَأَكْفَى أَتُرَوْنَهَا لِلْمُنَقَّيْنَ لَا وَلَكِنَّهَا لِلْمُتَلَوِّثِينَ الْخَطَّاءُونَ قَالَ زِيَادٌ أَمَا إِنَّهَا لَحْنٌ وَلَكِنْ هَكَذَا حَدَّثَنَا الَّذِي حَدَّثَنَا
"خُيِّرْتُ بَيْنَ الشَّفَاعةِ وبينَ أَن يدْخُلَ شَطرُ أُمَّتِى الجنَّةَ، فَاخْتَرتُ الشَّفَاعةَ؛ لأَنَّهَا أَعَم وَأَكْفَأُ، أَتَرَونَهَا لِلمُؤمِنينَ المتقينَ؟ لا، ولكنها للمذنبِينَ المُتَلوِّثِينَ الخَطَّائينَ".