Handhalah al-Usaidi said:

Abu Bakr (radhiyAllaahu `anhum) met me and asked, ‘How are you, Handhalah?’ I replied, ‘Handhalah has become a hypocrite.’ He said, ‘Subhanallaah! What are you saying?’ I replied, ‘When we are with Allaah’s Messenger (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam), he mentions the Fire and the Garden until it is as if we can see them. But when we leave the Prophet’s company and play with our wives and children or busy ourselves with our properties, we forget much.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘By Allaah, I have experienced the same thing.’ He and I then went to visit the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam), and I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, Handhalah has become a hypocrite.’ He asked, ‘And how is that?’ I replied, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, when we are with you, you talk about the Fire and the Garden until it is as if we can see them. Then we go out and play with our wives and children and deal with our properties, and we forget much.’

The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) then said,

‘By Him in Whose hand is my soul, if you were to continue at the same level at which you were when with me and in remembering Allaah, the angels would shake hands with you when you are resting and when you walk about, but, O Handhalah, there is a time (for this) and a time (for that).’

He repeated this phrase three times.

[Reported by Muslim]