English Translation

Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Sa'id al-Sa'di informed us, 'Ali ibn Khashram narrated to us, 'Isa ibn Yunus informed us, from Shu'bah, from 'Abd al-Malik ibn 'Umayr, from Zayd ibn Wahb, from 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud, who said: 'We were with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in a tent when he said: "Would it please you to be a quarter of the people of Paradise?" We said: "Yes." He said: "Would it please you to be a third of the people of Paradise?" We said: "Yes." He said: "Would it please you to be half of the people of Paradise?" We said: "Yes." He said: "By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, I hope that you will be half of the people of Paradise. Only a Muslim soul will enter Paradise, and you among the polytheists are but like a white hair on the hide of a black bull, or like a black hair on the hide of a red bull."'