An-Nu`man bin Abi `Aiyash, on hearing me, said. "Did you hear this from Sahl?" I said, "Yes." He said, " I bear witness that I heard Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri saying the same, adding that the Prophet said: 'I will say: They are of me (i.e. my followers). It will be said, 'You do not know what they innovated (new things) in the religion after you left'. I will say, 'Far removed, far removed (from mercy), those who changed (their religion) after me."

"I will say those people are from me. It will be said, 'You do not know what changes and new things they did after you.' Then I will say, 'Far removed (from mercy), far removed (from mercy), those who changed (the religion) after me!"

Shal b. Sa'd reported God's messenger as saying, "I shall go to the Pond before you; he who comes to me will drink, and he who drinks will never thirst. Folk whom I know and who know me will come down to me, but something will come between them and me. I shall say that they belong to me, but I shall be told that I do not know what innovations they have produced since I departed from them. I shall then say, `Destruction, destruction to those who have made changes since my departure'!" (Bukhari and Muslim.)

I heard Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: I shall go to the Cistern before you and he who comes would drink and he who drinks would never feel thirsty, and there would come to me people whom I would know and who would know me. Then there would be intervention between me and them. Abu Hazim said that Nu'man b. Abu 'Ayyash heard it and I narrated to them this hadith, and said: Is it this that you heard Sahl saying? He said: Yes, and I bear witness to the fact that I heard it from Abu Sa'id Khudri also, but he made this addition that he (the Holy Prophet) would say: They are my followers, and it would be said to him: You do not know what they did after you and I will say to them: Woe to him who changes (his religion) after me.

The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) came to the graveyard and said: "Peace be upon you! The abode of the believing people and we, if God so wills, are about to join you. I love to see my brothers." They (the hearers) said: Aren't we your brothers, O Messenger of Allah? He said: You are my companions, and our brothers are those who have, so far, not come into the world. They said: Messenger of Allah, how would you recognise those persons of your Ummah who have not yet been born? He said: Supposing a man had horses with white blazes on foreheads and legs among horses which were all black, tell me, would he not recognise his own horses? They said: Certainly, O Messenger of Allah. He said: They would come with white faces and arms and legs owing to ablution, and I would arrive at the Cistern before them. Some people would be driven away from my Cistern as the stray camel is driven away. I would call out: Come, come. Then it would be said (to me): These people changed themselves after you, and I would say: Be off, be off.

“Peace be upon you, abode of believing people. We will join you soon, if Allah wills.” Then he said: “Would that we could see our brothers.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, are we not your brothers?” He said: “You are my Companions. My brothers are those who will come after me. I will reach the Cistern ahead of you.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, how will you recognize those of your nation who have not yet come?” He said: “If a man has a horse with a blaze on its forehead and white feet, don’t you think that he will recognize it among horses that are deep black in color?” They said: “Of course.” He said: “On the Day of Resurrection they will come with radiant faces, hands, and feet, because of the traces of ablution.” He said: “I will reach the Cistern ahead of you.” Then he said: “Men will be driven away from my Cistern just as stray camels are driven away. And I will call to them: ‘Come here!’ But it will be said: ‘They changed after you were gone, and they kept turning on their heels.’ So I will say: “Be off with you!”

Once when we were with God's messenger he laughed and asked if we knew why he was laughing. On our replying that God and His messenger knew best he told us that in the conversation a man will hold with his Lord he will say, "My Lord, didst Thou not grant me protection from oppression?" and when He replies that He certainly did he will say, "I allow only a witness of my own kind concerning me." He will reply, "You are sufficient to-day as a witness to yourself as are also the noble ones who keep records. His mouth will then be sealed and the members of his body will be told to speak. They will tell about his deeds, and when he is allowed to speak he will say, "May you perish and be cursed! You are the ones in whose defence I was pleading." Muslim transmitted it.

We were in the company of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) when he smiled, and said: Do you know why I laughed? We said: Allah and His Messenger, know best. Thereupon he said: It was because (there came to my mind the) talk which the servant would have with his Lord (on the Day of judgment). He would say: My Lord, have you not guaranteed me protection against injustice? He would say: Yes. Then the servant would say: I do not deem valid any witness against me but my own self, and He would say: Well, enough would be the witness of your self against you and that of the two angels who had been appointed to record your deeds. Then the seal would be set upon his mouth and it would be said to his hands and feet to speak and they would speak of his deeds. Then the mouth would be made free to talk, he would say (to the hands and feet): Be away, let there be curse of Allah upon you. It was for your safety that I contended.

" O people." I said to that girl: Keep away from me. She said: He (the Holy Prophet) has addressed the men only and he has not invited the attention of the women. I said: I am amongst the people also (and have thus every right to listen to the things pertaining to religion). Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: I shall be your harbinger on the Cistern; therefore, be cautious lest one of you should come (to me) and may be driven away like a stray camel. I would ask the reasons, and it would be said to me: You don't know what innovations they made after you. And I would then also say: Be away.