Just imagine! It is that radiant gathering in Masjid-e-Nabawi, the noble Companions (RA) are gathered around the lamp of Prophethood ﷺ like moths. Meanwhile, a Bedouin (villager) presents himself and asks the question that is the heartbeat of every believer:

"O Messenger of Allah! When will the Day of Judgment come?"

The Mercy to the Worlds ﷺ, instead of answering his question, asked him a question that shifted the worry about the Day of Judgment to the worry about deeds:

"What preparation have you made for it (the Day of Judgment)?"

The simple yet heavy answer of true love

The Bedouin replied with great humility and truthfulness:

"O Messenger of Allah! I do not have a great many prayers, fasts, and charities (that I could boast about), but I truly love Allah and His Messenger ﷺ."

This was the sentence that brought the mercy of the Lord of the Throne into action, and from the tongue of Prophethood emerged those words which became a guarantee of forgiveness for every sinful follower until the end of the world:

"Al-Mar'u ma'a man ahabb"

"A person will be (on the Day of Judgment) with the one he loves."

Hazrat Anas (RA), who served the Prophet ﷺ for ten years, testifies to this scene, saying:

"I have never seen Muslims rejoice so much over anything after accepting Islam as they rejoiced that day over this statement of the Prophet ﷺ."

Why wouldn't they be happy? The noble Companions (RA) were constantly consumed by the grief that, due to the elevated ranks in Paradise, they might be separated from the sight of their Master ﷺ. This one sentence removed all their worries, assuring them that if there is true love in the heart, Allah will never deprive you of the companionship of His Beloved ﷺ.

May we too be blessed with that companionship which the Truthful and Trustworthy ﷺ has promised.