‘Awf bin Malik Al-Ashja’i said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Do you know what choice my Lord gave me on this night?’ We said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said: ‘He gave me the choice between admitting half of my nation to Paradise and intercession, and I chose intercession.’ We said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, pray that we will be among its people (the people for whom you will intercede).’ He said: ‘It is for every Muslim.’”

حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا صَدَقَةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سُلَيْمَ بْنَ عَامِرٍ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ عَوْفَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ الأَشْجَعِيَّ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ ﷺ ـ " أَتَدْرُونَ مَا خَيَّرَنِي رَبِّيَ اللَّيْلَةَ " . قُلْنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ " فَإِنَّهُ خَيَّرَنِي بَيْنَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ نِصْفُ أُمَّتِي الْجَنَّةَ وَبَيْنَ الشَّفَاعَةِ فَاخْتَرْتُ الشَّفَاعَةَ " . قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ادْعُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَجْعَلَنَا مِنْ أَهْلِهَا . قَالَ " هِيَ لِكُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ " .