Abul Qassem Jaafar bin Mohammad bin Masrur narrated from Husain bin Mohammad, from Ahmad bin Alawea, known as Ibn Al-Aswad Al-Asbahani, from Ibrahim bin Mohammad, from Abdullah bin Saleh, from Jurair bin Abdil Hamid, from Mujahed, from Ibn Abbas, who said
I heard the MESSENGER OF ALLAH (SWT) say:
On the night of Me’raaj, every time I passed by a group of angels, they asked me about ALI BIN ABI TALEB (ASWS) so often that I started to believe that ALI (ASWS) was more famous in the skies than I was.
When I reached the fourth sky, I saw the angel of death.
The angel of death asked me, “O MOHAMMAD (SAWW), how is ALI (ASWS) ?”
I said, “O my friend, how do you know ALI (ASWS) ?”
He said, “O MOHAMMAD (SAWW), I am responsible for taking the life of everyone that ALLAH (SWT) has created except for two beings, that is, YOUR (SAWW) life and ALI (ASWS) ’s life, because ALLAH (SWT) himself will take your lives.”
Then I reached under ARSH (the Throne) and when I looked up I saw ALI BIN ABI TALEB (ASWS) standing under the Throne of my Lord.
I said, “O ALI (ASWS) , did you race me up here?”
Then Jibraeel asked me, “O MOHAMMAD (SAWW), to whom are you speaking?” I replied, “I am talking to my brother, ALI BIN ABI TALEB (ASWS).”
Jibraeel replied, “O MOHAMMAD (SAWW), this is not ALI (ASWS) . This is an angel that ALLAH (SWT) has created in the shape of ALI BIN ABI TALEB (ASWS). When we (angels) miss ALI BIN ABI TALEB (ASWS), we go and look at this angel and seek forgiveness from ALLAH (SWT) for ALI (ASWS) ’s Shia.”
(Ref: Bihar Volume 18 Page 300 Hadees no.3)