I met Thawban, the freedman of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and said, “Inform me of a deed I may do by which Allah will admit me into Paradise”—or he said: I said, “of the deeds most beloved to Allah”—but he remained silent. Then I asked him, and he remained silent.

Then I asked him a third time, and he said, “I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about that, and he said: "You must make abundant prostrations to Allah, for you do not prostrate to Allah a single prostration except that Allah raises you by it one degree and removes from you by it one sin."”

Madan said: Then I met Abu al-Darda and asked him, and he said to me the same as Thawban had said to me.

لَقِيتُ ثَوْبَانَ مَوْلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ: أَخْبِرْنِي بِعَمَلٍ أَعْمَلُهُ يُدْخِلُنِي اللَّهُ بِهِ الْجَنَّةَ –أَوْ قَالَ قُلْتُ: بِأَحَبِّ الأَعْمَالِ إِلَى اللَّهِ– فَسَكَتَ، ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُهُ فَسَكَتَ.

ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُهُ الثَّالِثَةَ فَقَالَ: سَأَلْتُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ: «عَلَيْكَ بِكَثْرَةِ السُّجُودِ لِلَّهِ، فَإِنَّكَ لاَ تَسْجُدُ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً إِلاَّ رَفَعَكَ اللَّهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً، وَحَطَّ عَنْكَ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً».

قَالَ مَعْدَانُ: ثُمَّ لَقِيتُ أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ لِي مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ لِي ثَوْبَانُ.

I was with Messenger of Allah ﷺ one night. and I brought him water and what he required. He said to me: "Ask ˹for anything you like˺" . I said: "I ask ˹to be in˺ your company in Paradise." He asked: "Is there anything else ˹you want˺?" I said: "That is all." He said: "Then help me for your sake ˹to achieve this˺ by performing a lot of prostrations."*

كُنْتُ أَبِيتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَتَيْتُهُ بِوَضُوئِهِ وَحَاجَتِهِ فَقَالَ لِي: «سَلْ»، فَقُلْتُ: أَسْأَلُكَ مُرَافَقَتَكَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ۔ قَالَ: «أَوَغَيْرَ ذَلِكَ؟» قُلْتُ: هُوَ ذَاكَ۔ قَالَ: «فَأَعِنِّي عَلَى نَفْسِكَ بِكَثْرَةِ السُّجُودِ».