While I was with the Prophet ﷺ in one of the gardens of Medina, a man came and asked me to open the gate. The Prophet ﷺ said to me, "Open the gate for him and give him the glad tidings that he will enter Paradise." I opened (the gate) for him, and behold! It was Abu Bakr. I informed him of the glad tidings the Prophet ﷺ had said, and he praised Allah. Then another man came and asked me to open the gate. The Prophet ﷺ said to me "Open (the gate) and give him the glad tidings of entering Paradise." I opened (the gate) for him, and behold! It was ʿUmar. I informed him of what the Prophet ﷺ had said, and he praised Allah. Then another man came and asked me to open the gate. The Prophet ﷺ said to me. "Open (the gate) for him and inform him of the glad tidings, of entering Paradise with a calamity which will befall him. " Behold ! It was ʿUthman, I informed him of what Messenger of Allah ﷺ had said. He praised Allah and said, "I seek Allah's Aid."  

كُنْتُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي حَائِطٍ مِنْ حِيطَانِ الْمَدِينَةِ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ فَاسْتَفْتَحَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ افْتَحْ لَهُ وَبَشِّرْهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ فَفَتَحْتُ لَهُ فَإِذَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَبَشَّرْتُهُ بِمَا قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ ثُمَّ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ فَاسْتَفْتَحَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ افْتَحْ لَهُ وَبَشِّرْهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ فَفَتَحْتُ لَهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ عُمَرُ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِمَا قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ ثُمَّ اسْتَفْتَحَ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ لِي افْتَحْ لَهُ وَبَشِّرْهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ عَلَى بَلْوَى تُصِيبُهُ فَإِذَا عُثْمَانُ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِمَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ  

I performed ablution in my house and then went out and said, "Today I shall stick to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and stay with him all this day of mine (in his service)." I went to the Mosque and asked about the Prophet . They said, "He had gone in this direction." So I followed his way, asking about him till he entered a place called Bir Aris. I sat at its gate that was made of date-palm leaves till the Prophet ﷺ finished answering the call of nature and performed ablution. Then I went up to him to see him sitting at the well of Aris at the middle of its edge with his legs uncovered, hanging in the well. I greeted him and went back and sat at the gate. I said, "Today I will be the gatekeeper of the Prophet." Abu Bakr came and pushed the gate. I asked, "Who is it?" He said, "Abu Bakr." I told him to wait, went in and said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Abu Bakr asks for permission to enter." He said, "Admit him and give him the glad tidings that he will be in Paradise." So I went out and said to Abu Bakr, "Come in, and Messenger of Allah ﷺ gives you the glad tidings that you will be in Paradise" Abu Bakr entered and sat on the right side of Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the built edge of the well and hung his legs n the well as the Prophet ﷺ did and uncovered his legs. I then returned and sat (at the gate). I had left my brother performing ablution and he intended to follow me. So I said (to myself). "If Allah wants good for so-and-so (i.e. my brother) He will bring him here." Suddenly somebody moved the door. I asked, "Who is it?" He said, "ʿUmar bin Al-Khattab." I asked him to wait, went to Messenger of Allah ﷺ, greeted him and said, ʿUmar bin Al-Khattab asks the permission to enter." He said, "Admit him, and give him the glad tidings that he will be in Paradise." I went to "ʿUmar and said "Come in, and Messenger of Allah ﷺ, gives you the glad tidings that you will be in Paradise." So he entered and sat beside Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the built edge of the well on the left side and hung his legs in the well. I returned and sat (at the gate) and said, (to myself), "If Allah wants good for so-and-so, He will bring him here." Somebody came and moved the door. I asked "Who is it?" He replied, "Uthman bin ʿAffan." I asked him to wait and went to the Prophet ﷺ and informed him. He said, "Admit him, and give him the glad tidings of entering Paradise, I asked him to wait and went to the Prophet ﷺ and informed him. He said, "Adult him, and give him the glad tidings of entering Paradise after a calamity that will befall him." So I went up to him and said to him, "Come in; Allah's Apostle gives you the glad tidings of entering Paradise after a calamity that will befall you. "Uthman then came in and found that the built edge of the well was occupied, so he sat opposite to the Prophet ﷺ on the other side. Saʿid bin Al-Musaiyab said, "I interpret this (narration) in terms of their graves."  

أَنَّهُ تَوَضَّأَ فِي بَيْتِهِ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَقُلْتُ لأَلْزَمَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلأَكُونَنَّ مَعَهُ يَوْمِي هَذَا قَالَ فَجَاءَ الْمَسْجِدَ فَسَأَلَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالُوا خَرَجَ وَوَجَّهَ هَا هُنَا فَخَرَجْتُ عَلَى إِثْرِهِ أَسْأَلُ عَنْهُ حَتَّى دَخَلَ بِئْرَ أَرِيسٍ فَجَلَسْتُ عِنْدَ الْبَابِ وَبَابُهَا مِنْ جَرِيدٍ حَتَّى قَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَاجَتَهُ فَتَوَضَّأَ فَقُمْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَإِذَا هُوَ جَالِسٌ عَلَى بِئْرِ أَرِيسٍ وَتَوَسَّطَ قُفَّهَا وَكَشَفَ عَنْ سَاقَيْهِ وَدَلاَّهُمَا فِي الْبِئْرِ فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفْتُ فَجَلَسْتُ عِنْدَ الْبَابِ فَقُلْتُ لأَكُونَنَّ بَوَّابَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْيَوْمَ فَجَاءَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَدَفَعَ الْبَابَ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَقُلْتُ عَلَى رِسْلِكَ ثُمَّ ذَهَبْتُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَذَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَسْتَأْذِنُ فَقَالَ ائْذَنْ لَهُ وَبَشِّرْهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ فَأَقْبَلْتُ حَتَّى قُلْتُ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ ادْخُلْ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِالْجَنَّةِ فَدَخَلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَجَلَسَ عَنْ يَمِينِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَعَهُ فِي الْقُفِّ وَدَلَّى رِجْلَيْهِ فِي الْبِئْرِ كَمَا صَنَعَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَكَشَفَ عَنْ سَاقَيْهِ ثُمَّ رَجَعْتُ فَجَلَسْتُ وَقَدْ تَرَكْتُ أَخِي يَتَوَضَّأُ وَيَلْحَقُنِي فَقُلْتُ إِنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ بِفُلاَنٍ خَيْرًا يُرِيدُ أَخَاهُ يَأْتِ بِهِ فَإِذَا إِنْسَانٌ يُحَرِّكُ الْبَابَ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فَقُلْتُ عَلَى رِسْلِكَ ثُمَّ جِئْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ هَذَا عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ يَسْتَأْذِنُ فَقَالَ ائْذَنْ لَهُ وَبَشِّرْهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ فَجِئْتُ فَقُلْتُ ادْخُلْ وَبَشَّرَكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِالْجَنَّةِ فَدَخَلَ فَجَلَسَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي الْقُفِّ عَنْ يَسَارِهِ وَدَلَّى رِجْلَيْهِ فِي الْبِئْرِ ثُمَّ رَجَعْتُ فَجَلَسْتُ فَقُلْتُ إِنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ بِفُلاَنٍ خَيْرًا يَأْتِ بِهِ فَجَاءَ إِنْسَانٌ يُحَرِّكُ الْبَابَ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عَفَّانَ فَقُلْتُ عَلَى رِسْلِكَ فَجِئْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَقَالَ ائْذَنْ لَهُ وَبَشِّرْهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ عَلَى بَلْوَى تُصِيبُهُ فَجِئْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ ادْخُلْ وَبَشَّرَكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِالْجَنَّةِ عَلَى بَلْوَى تُصِيبُكَ فَدَخَلَ فَوَجَدَ الْقُفَّ قَدْ مُلِئَ فَجَلَسَ وُجَاهَهُ مِنَ الشِّقِّ الآخَرِ قَالَ شَرِيكٌ قَالَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ فَأَوَّلْتُهَا قُبُورَهُمْ