Is it true that Hz. Sulayman will enter paradise as the last one among the prophets?

- In a book written by Abul-Lays as-Samarqandi, it is written that due to richness and having a great rank, the last one to enter Paradise among the prophets will be Hz. Sulayman and among the Companions Abdurrahman bin Awf. The reason for it is stated as being reckoned for their wealth on the Day of Judgment; therefore, it is written there that they will be the last ones to enter Paradise. Is it true? Is it also written in other resources?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The narration stating thatHz. Sulayman will enter Paradise as the last one among prophets is weak. For, it is unanimously agreed that Yazid b. Abi Ziyad in the chain of the narrators is weak. (see Haythami, Majmauz-Zawaid, 8/196, no: 13215)

We can see the following information in sound narrations:

- “The poor enter Paradise forty years before the rich.” (Tirmidhi, h.no: 2352)

- “The poor enter Paradise five hundred years, that is, half a day, before the rich.” (Tirmidhi, h.no: 2353)

- The narration of Muslim is as follows: “On the day of Judgment, the poor among the Muhajirs will enter Paradise forty years before the rich.” (Muslim, Zuhd, 37)

Those sound hadiths show that the rich will enter Paradise later than the poor since the reckoning of the rich will take longer.

However, it cannot be said that a poor person who enters Paradise before a rich person is superior to the rich person in terms of degree. For instance, it cannot be thought that the degree of Abdurrahman b. Awf, who is one of the people who were given the glad tiding of Paradise, is inferior to those who enter Paradise before him.

- We have not been able to see a narration stating that Abdurrahman b. Awf will enter Paradise after the poor. A narration about him is as follows: “Abdurrahman b. Awf enters Paradise by crawling.”

However, Ahmad b. Hanbal states that this narration is wrong and fabricated. (see Ibnul-Jawzi, Mawduat, 2/13)

The narrator called Imara, who is present in the chain of the narrators of this hadith and similar ones, is said to be a liar by hadith authorities like Nasai, Yaha b. Main, al-Madani, Ibn Hibban and Daraqutni. (ibid)

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