I met Abu Bakr. He said: Who are you? He (Hanzala) said: Hanzala has turned to be a hypocrite. He (Abu Bakr) said: Hallowed be Allah, what are you saying? Thereupon he said: I say that when we are in the company of Messenger of Allah ﷺ we ponder over Hellfire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our very eyes and when we are away from Messenger of Allah ﷺ we attend to our wives, our children, our business; most of these things (pertaining to After-life) slip out of our minds. Abu Bakr said: By Allah, I also experience the same.

So I and Abu Bakr went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said to him: Messenger of Allah, Hanzala has turned out to be a hypocrite. Thereupon Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: What has happened to you? I said: Messenger of Allah, when we are in your company, we are reminded of Hellfire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our own eyes, but whenever we go away from you and attend to our wives, children, and business, much of these things go out of our minds. Thereupon Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if your state of mind remains the same as it is in my presence and you are always busy in remembrance (of Allah), the Angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your paths but, Hanzala, time should be devoted (to the worldly affairs) and time (should be devoted to prayer and meditation). He (the Holy Prophet) said this thrice.  

وَكَانَ مِنْ كُتَّابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَقِيَنِي أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَقَالَ: كَيْفَ أَنْتَ يَا حَنْظَلَةُ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ: نَافَقَ حَنْظَلَةُ! قَالَ: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ! مَا تَقُولُ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ: نَكُونُ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُذَكِّرُنَا بِالنَّارِ وَالْجَنَّةِ حَتَّى كَأَنَّا رَأْىَ عَيْنٍ، فَإِذَا خَرَجْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَافَسْنَا الأَزْوَاجَ وَالأَوْلاَدَ وَالضَّيْعَاتِ فَنَسِينَا كَثِيرًا۔ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ: فَوَاللَّهِ إِنَّا لَنَلْقَى مِثْلَ هَذَا۔

فَانْطَلَقْتُ أَنَا وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ حَتَّى دَخَلْنَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قُلْتُ: نَافَقَ حَنْظَلَةُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «وَمَا ذَاكَ؟» قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ نَكُونُ عِنْدَكَ تُذَكِّرُنَا بِالنَّارِ وَالْجَنَّةِ حَتَّى كَأَنَّا رَأْىَ عَيْنٍ فَإِذَا خَرَجْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِكَ عَافَسْنَا الأَزْوَاجَ وَالأَوْلاَدَ وَالضَّيْعَاتِ نَسِينَا كَثِيرًا۔ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنْ لَوْ تَدُومُونَ عَلَى مَا تَكُونُونَ عِنْدِي وَفِي الذِّكْرِ لَصَافَحَتْكُمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ عَلَى فُرُشِكُمْ وَفِي طُرُقِكُمْ، وَلَكِنْ يَا حَنْظَلَةُ سَاعَةً وَسَاعَةً ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ۔»  

" عن حَنْظَلَةَ الكَاتِبِ الأُسَيْدِى، وَكَانَ مِنْ كُتَّابِ النَّبِىِّ ﷺ قَالَ: كُنَّا عِنْدَ النَّبِىِّ ﷺ فَذَكَّرَنَا الجَنَّةَ وَالنَّارَ، حَتَّى كَانَا رَأىَ العَيْنِ، فَقُمْتُ إِلَى أَهْلِى وَوَلدِى، فَضَحِكْتُ وَلَعِبْتُ، فَذَكَرْتُ الّذِى كُنَّا فِيهِ، فَخرَجْتُ، فَلَقِيتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَقُلْتُ: نَافَقْتُ نَافَقْتُ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ، قَالَ: وَمَا ذَاكَ؟ قُلْتُ: نَكُونُ عِنْدَ النَّبِىِّ ﷺ يُذَكَّرُ بِالنَّارِ وَالجَنَّة كَأَنَّا رَأَىُ عَيْنٍ، فَإِذَا خَرَجْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ عَافَسْنَا الأَزْوَاجَ وَالأَوْلَادَ والضيعاتِ فَنَسِينَا، فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ: إنَّا لَنَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ، فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِىَّ ﷺ فَذَكَرْتُ لَهُ ذَلِكَ، فقَالَ: يَا حَنْظَلَةُ! لَوْ كُنْتُمْ عِنْدَ أَهْلِيكُمْ كمَا تَكُونُونَ عِنْدِى، لَصَافَحَتْكُمُ المَلَائِكَةُ عَلَى فُرُشِكُمْ وَفِى الطَّرِيقِ يَا حَنْظَلَةُ سَاعَةٌ وَسَاعَةٌ".