Ibn Mas’ud reported: While I was sitting and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was resting beside me, I beheld men around him in white garments. Allah knows best how handsome they were! They stopped near me and a group sat by the head of the Prophet, while another sat by his feet. They said among themselves, “We have never seen a servant given the likes of this prophet! His eyes sleep while his heart remains awake. Strike for him a parable of a master who built a palace, then placed a feast within and invited the people to eat and drink. Whoever answered him ate from his food and drank from his drinks, but whoever did not answer him was punished!” Then, they departed and the Messenger of Allah was awakened by that. The Prophet said, “I heard what they were saying. Do you know who they were?” I said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” The Prophet said, “They were angels. The parable they struck is that of the Most Merciful, Blessed and Exalted, who built Paradise and invites His servants to it. Whoever does not accept Him will be punished or tormented.”
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2861
Grade: Hasan (fair) according to Al-Tirmidhi
عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ بَيْنَا أَنَا قَاعِدٌ وَرَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مُتَوَسِّدٌ فَخِذِي إِذَا أَنَا بِرِجَالٍ عَلَيْهِمْ ثِيَابٌ بِيضٌ اللهُ أَعْلَمُ مَا بِهِمْ مِنَ الْجَمَالِ فَانْتَهَوْا إِلَيَّ فَجَلَسَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ عِنْدَ رَأْسِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَطَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ عِنْدَ رِجْلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالُوا بَيْنَهُمْ مَا رَأَيْنَا عَبْدًا قَطُّ أُوتِيَ مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ هَذَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّ عَيْنَيْهِ تَنَامَانِ وَقَلْبَهُ يَقْظَانُ اضْرِبُوا لَهُ مَثَلًا مَثَلُ سَيِّدٍ بَنَى قَصْرًا ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مَأْدُبَةً فَدَعَا النَّاسَ إِلَى طَعَامِهِ وَشَرَابِهِ فَمَنْ أَجَابَهُ أَكَلَ مِنْ طَعَامِهِ وَشَرِبَ مِنْ شَرَابِهِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يُجِبْهُ عَاقَبَهُ ثُمَّ ارْتَفَعُوا وَاسْتَيْقَظَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتَ مَا قَالَ هَؤُلَاءِ وَهَلْ تَدْرِي مَنْ هَؤُلَاءِ قُلْتُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ هُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالْمَثَلُ الَّذِي ضَرَبُوا الرَّحْمَنُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى بَنَى الْجَنَّةَ وَدَعَا إِلَيْهَا عِبَادَهُ فَمَنْ أَجَابَهُ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَنْ لَمْ يُجِبْهُ عَاقَبَهُ أَوْ عَذَّبَهُ
2861 سنن الترمذي أبواب الأمثال باب ما جاء في مثل الله لعباده
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