Musnad Ahmad 1012:116

Abdullah narrated to us, Abu Ahmad Mukhallad ibn al-Hasan ibn Abi Zumayl narrated to us, dictating from his book, al-Hasan ibn Amr ibn Yahya al-Fazari—whose kunya was Abu Abdullah and whose nickname was Abu al-Malih, meaning al-Raqqi—narrated to us, from Habib ibn Abi Marzuq, from Ata ibn Abi Rabah, from Abu Muslim, who said: I entered the mosque of Homs, and therein was a circle containing thirty-two men from the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said: And among them was a young man, dark-eyed, with sparkling teeth, sitting with his knees drawn up to his chest (muhtabi). Whenever they differed regarding something, they would ask him, and he would inform them, and they would end at his report. He said: I said, "Who is this?" They said, "This is Mu'adh ibn Jabal." He said: So I stood up to pray. He said: I wanted to meet some of them, but I was not able to reach any of them; they had departed. When the next day came, I entered, and there was Mu'adh praying by a pillar. He said: So I prayed near him. When he finished, I sat between myself and him at the pillar, then I sat with my knees drawn up to my chest. I remained for a while, neither speaking to him nor him speaking to me. He said: Then I said, "By Allah, I truly love you, not for any worldly gain I hope to obtain from you, nor is there any kinship between me and you." He said: "Then for what reason?" I said: "For the sake of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He." He said: He loosened my posture (of sitting), then said: "Rejoice if you are truthful, for I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say: 'Those who love one another for the sake of Allah will be in the shade of the Throne on a day when there is no shade but His shade; the prophets and the martyrs will envy them for their station.'" He said: Then I went out and met Ubadah ibn al-Samit. He said: I told him what Mu'adh had told me. Ubadah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, narrating from his Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He, that He said: "My love is incumbent upon those who love one another for My sake—meaning Himself—and My love is incumbent upon those who counsel one another for My sake, and My love is incumbent upon those who visit one another for My sake, and My love is incumbent upon those who spend on one another for My sake; they shall be upon pulpits of light, and the prophets and the truthful (siddiqun) will envy them for their station."