Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, radiallahu anhu, said that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallim wa ala alihi, said, “Do you know what saddens me and what I am thinking and longing for?”
We said, “Oh Messenger of Allah inform us of that.”
He said, “I will tell you insha’Allah.” Then he sighed deeply and continued, “It is my yearning for my brothers who will come after me.”
I said, “Oh Messenger of Allah are we not your brothers?”
He said, “No, you are my companions and my brothers will come after me. Their situation is the situation of the prophets; they are a people who flee from their fathers and mothers and brothers and sisters and all their relations desiring the pleasure of Allah. They will abandon their property to Allah and humble themselves to Allah. They will not covet nor lust the superfluity of this world. They will gather in one of the houses of Allah as if they were exiles and you would see them sad from fear of the Fire and love of the Garden. Who knows their worth with Allah? There is no property or kinship between them but they are more compassionate to each other than the solicitude of the son for the father, the father for the son and the brother for the brother.
Here is my longing for them. They will free themselves from the trouble of this world and its blessing by saving themselves from the punishment of eternity and entering the Garden for the pleasure of Allah. Know, Oh Abu Dharr, one of them has the reward of seventy at Badr.
Oh Abu Dharr, one of them is more precious to Allah than everthing created on the face of the earth. Their hearts go to Allah and their deeds belong to Allah. If one of them becomes ill he has the credit of the ‘ibadah of a thousand years, fasting it days and praying its nights. Do you wish I tell you more, Abu Dharr?
I said, “Yes, tell us more Oh Messenger of Allah.”
He said, “When one of them dies, it is as if what is in the heavens of this world died because of his merit with Allah. Do you want me to say more?”
I said, “Yes Oh Messenger of Allah, tell me more.”
He said, “If one of them is hurt by a louse in his garment, with Allah he has the reward of forty Hajj’s and forty Umra’s and forty Ghazwas and the manumission of forty souls of the descendents of Isma’il and twelve thousand will enter in his intercession.”
The Prophet said, “Do you wonder at my words; do you want me to say more?”
Abu Dharr said, “Tell us more.”
So the Prophet said, “Abu Dharr if one of them desires one of the desires of this world and is patient and does not seek it, he has recompense through the report of his family. Ah! Then he sighs and is sad and Allah writes two million good deeds for him with every sigh and effaces two million evil deeds and raises him two million degrees. Do you want me to tell you more, Abu Dharr?”
I said, “My beloved Messenger of Allah tell me more.”
He said, “If one of them is patient with his companions and does not interrupt them and is patient in their hunger and the strength of their grief, he has the reward of seventy of those who did Ghazida at Tabuk. Do you want me to tell you more?”
I said, “Tell us more.”
He said, “If one of them puts his head on the ground and moans ‘Ah’, the angels of the seven heavens weep because of their compassion for him and Allah asks, ‘Oh my angels why are you weeping?’ They will reply, ‘Oh our Lord, we weep as your wali is on the ground moaning in his pain.’ Allah will say, ‘Oh my angels let you be witness that I am pleased with my slave as he is patient in affliction and does not ask for ease.’ The angels will say, ‘Oh our God and Master do not afflict misfortune on your slave and friend after he has said, ‘Ah’. He will say, ‘Oh my angels my friend is like one of the prophets with Me. If my friend makes supplication of Me and seeks intercession by my disposition, I grant it to him by more than seventy thousand. My slave and friend has what he wants in My Garden. Oh my angels by my Might and Glory, I am the Most Merciful to my friend. I am better for him than capital for the merchant and profit to the earner. In the Next World my friend will not be punished nor will there be any fear on him.’”
Then the Messenger of Allah said, “There is blessedness Oh Abu Dharr, if one of them prays two rak’ats among his companions it is more precious with Allah than a man who worshipped Him on Mount Lebanon until the time of Nuh. Do you wish I should tell you more Abu Dharr?”
“If one of them glorifies Allah it is better for him than if the mountains of the world became gold for him. A glance at one of them is dearer than a glance at the blessed House of Allah. If one of them dies in affliction among his companions he has the reward of one killed between the Maqam and the Corner and he has the reward of one who dies in the House of Allah, and he makes him enter the Garden. Do you want me to tell you more?”
I said, “Yes.”
He said, “People confined and weighed down with sins will sit with them and they will not depart until Allah looks at them, has mercy on them and forgives them because of their esteem with Allah.”
The Prophet said, “The negligent one among them is better with Allah than a thousand diligent ones from other than them, Oh Abu Dharr. Their laughter is ibadah; their joy is tasbih; their sleep is sadaqah and their breaths are jihad. Allah looks at them three times a day. Oh Abu Dharr I am longing for them.”
The he closed his eyes and wept with yearning and said, “Ya Allah, protect them and give them victory over whoever opposes them and do not forsake them and let my eye be delighted with them on the Day of Rising. Surely Allah’s friends, no fear shall be upon them, neither shall they grieve.”
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Hajj Issa - for the Fuqara 
As Salamu alaikum sidi Hajj Issa. May Allah bless you, increase you and may He grant you long life and sound health.
Could you please provide the reference for this Hadith? Which book is this Hadith referred from?
This came from my Shaykh forty years ago and I wrote it down then. I do not remember where it came from although I have heard it referred to many times over those years. I have never considered its source since then but I will ask the fuqaha that I know and post any response I get.
Here are some references to parts of the hadith:
34491- وددت أني لقيت إخواني الذين آمنوا بي ولم يروني.
٪ (حم - عن أنس).
“I would love to have met my brothers, the ones who believe in me but who have not seen me.” (Ahmad ibn Hanbal narrated it from Anas)
34580- ليتني لقيت إخواني! فإني أحبهم، فقال أبو بكر: أليس نحن إخوانك؟ قال: لا، أنتم أصحابي، إخواني الذين لم يروني وآمنوا بي وصدقوني وأحبوني حتى أني أحب إلى أحدهم من والده وولده، ألا تحب يا أبا بكر قوما أحبوك بحبي إياك؟ قال: بلى يا رسول الله! قال: فأحبهم ما أحبوك بحبي إياك.
٪ (أبو نعيم في فضائل الصحابة - عن نافع عن أبي هريرة عن أنس، وفيه أبو هرمز متروك).
“Would that I had met my brothers, for I love them.” So Abu Bakr said, “Are we not your brothers?” He said, “No, you are my companions. My brothers are the ones who have not seen me, but believe in me and affirm me and love me to such an extent that I am more beloved to one of them than his father or his child. Abu Bakr, do you not love a people who love you because of my love for you?” He said, “Indeed, Messenger of Allah.” He said, “Then love them for as long as they love you because of my love for you.” (Abu Nu‘aym in The Merits of the Sahabah from Nafi‘ from Abu Hurayrah from Anas. In it [the isnad] is Abu Hurmuz [whose hadith] are abandoned.)
34581- ليتني أرى إخواني وردوا علي الحوض فأستقبلهم بالآنية فيها الشراب فأسقيهم من حوضي قبل أن يدخلوا الجنة! قيل: يا رسول الله! ألسنا أخوانك؟ قال: أنتم أصحابي، وإخواني من آمن بي ولم يرني، إني سألت ربي أن يقر عيني بكم وبمن آمن بي ولم يرني.
٪ (أبو نعيم - عن ابن عمر).
“Would that I could see my brothers; they will come to me at the Basin and I will receive them with a vessel in which is a drink and so give them to drink from my Basin before they enter the Garden.” Someone said, “Messenger of Allah, are we not your brothers?” He said, “You are my companions, and my brothers are those who believe in me even though they do not see me. I asked my Lord to cool my eye with you and with whoever believes in me without having seen me.” (Abu Nu‘aym from Ibn ‘Umar)
34583- متى ألقى إخواني؟ قالوا: ألسنا إخوانك؟ قال: بل أنتم أصحابي، وإخواني الذين آمنوا بي ولم يروني، أنا إليهم بالأشواق.
٪ (ع وأبو الشيخ - عن أنس).
“When will I meet my brothers?” They said, “Are we not your brothers?” He said, “On the contrary, you are my companions, and my brothers are the ones who believe in me without having seen me. I long for them.” (Abu Ya‘la related it in his Musnad as did Abu’sh-Shaykh from Anas)
34584- يا أبا بكر: ليت أني لقيت إخواني فإني أحبهم! الذين لم يروني وصدقوني وأحبوني حتى أني لأحب إلى أحدهم من والده وولده.
٪ (أبو الشيخ - عن أنس).
“O Abu Bakr, would that I had seen my brothers, for I love them: the ones who have not seen me, but they affirm me and love me to such an extent that I am more beloved to one of them than his father and his child.” (Abu’sh-Shaykh from Anas)
34586- وددت أني لقيت إخواني! قالوا: يا رسول الله! ألسنا إخوانك؟ قال: أنتم أصحابي، وإخواني قوم يجيئون من بعدي يؤمنون بي ولم يروني، ثم قال: يا أبا بكر! ألا تحب قوما بلغهم أنك تحبني فأحبوك بحبك إياي؟ فأحبهم أحبهم الله.
٪ (ابن عساكر - عن البراء).
“I would love to have met my brothers.” They said, “Messenger of Allah, are we not your brothers?” He said, “You are my companions, but my brothers are a people who will come after me believing in me even though they did not see me.” Then he said, “Abu Bakr, do you not love a people whom it reached that you love me and so they love you for your love of me? So love them! Allah loves them.” (Ibn ‘Asakir narrated it from al-Bara’)
37899- عن عبد الله بن أبي أوفى أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: إني لمشتاق إلى إخواني، فقال عمر بن الخطاب: يا رسول الله! ألسنا إخوانك؟ قال: لا، أنتم أصحابي، إخواني قوم آمنوا بي ولم يروني، فجاء أبو بكر فأخبره عمر بالذي قال له رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ألا تحب قوما بلغهم أنك تحبني فأحبوك فأحبهم الله عز وجل.
٪ (قال ابن كثير: غريب ضعيف الاسناد).
From ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa there is that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “I long for my brothers.” So ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab said, “Messenger of Allah, are we not your brothers?” He said, “No, you are my companions; my brothers are a people who believe in me without having seen me.” Then Abu Bakr came and ‘Umar informed him about the thing that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had said to him. So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Do you not love a people whom it reaches that you love me and so they love you and so Allah, mighty is He and majestic, loves them.” (Ibn Katheer said, “Unusual with a weak isnad.”)
37900- عن ابن عمر قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ليتني أرى إخواني وردوا علي الحوض فأستقبلهم بالآنية فيها الشراب فأسقيهم من حوضي قبل أن يدخلوا الجنة! فقيل له: يا رسول الله! ولسنا إخوانك؟ قال: أنتم أصحابي وإخواني، من آمن بي ولم يرني.
٪ (الديلمي، وفيه إسماعيل بن يحيى التيمي).
Ibn ‘Umar said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Would that I had seen my brothers. They will come to me at the Basin and I will welcome them with a goblet in which there is drink, and so I will give them to drink from my Basin before they enter the Garden.” So it was said to him, “Messenger of Allah, and we are not your brothers?” He said, “You are my companions, and my brothers are whoever believe in me without seeing me.” (Ad-Daylami narrated it and in it there is Isma‘il ibn Yahya at-Taymi [who was presumably weak]).