Abdullah b. Salam’s dream of the firmest handhold
I was sitting in the mosque of Madinah when a man entered with traces of humility on his face. They said, "This is a man from the people of Jannah." He prayed two rakahs, making them brief, then went out, and I followed him. I said, "When you entered the masjid, they said, 'This is a man from the people of Jannah.'" He said, "By Allah, no one should say what he does not know. I will tell you why that was said: I saw a dream during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, and I related it to him."
"I saw myself as if I were in a meadow—he mentioned its vastness and greenness—and in the middle of it was an iron pillar, its lower part in the earth and its upper part in the sky. At its top was a handhold. It was said to him, 'Climb it.' I said, 'I cannot.' Then a servant came to me and lifted my clothes from behind, so I climbed until I was at its top, and I took hold of the handhold. It was said to him, 'Hold fast.' I woke up, and it was still in my hand. I related it to the Prophet ﷺ, and he said: "That meadow is Islam, that pillar is the pillar of Islam, and that handhold is the firmest handhold; you will remain upon Islam until you die." That man was Abdullah b. Salam.
كُنْتُ جَالِسًا فِي مَسْجِدِ الْمَدِينَةِ، فَدَخَلَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ أَثَرُ الْخُشُوعِ، فَقَالُوا: هَذَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ. فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ تَجَوَّزَ فِيهِمَا، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ، وَتَبِعْتُهُ، فَقُلْتُ: إِنَّكَ حِينَ دَخَلْتَ الْمَسْجِدَ قَالُوا: هَذَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ. قَالَ: وَاللَّهِ مَا يَنْبَغِي لأَحَدٍ أَنْ يَقُولَ مَا لاَ يَعْلَمُ، وَسَأُحَدِّثُكَ لِمَ ذَاكَ؛ رَأَيْتُ رُؤْيَا عَلَى عَهْدِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، فَقَصَصْتُهَا عَلَيْهِ.
وَرَأَيْتُ كَأَنِّي فِي رَوْضَةٍ، ذَكَرَ مِنْ سَعَتِهَا وَخُضْرَتِهَا، وَسْطَهَا عَمُودٌ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ أَسْفَلُهُ فِي الأَرْضِ وَأَعْلاَهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ، فِي أَعْلاَهُ عُرْوَةٌ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: ارْقَهْ. قُلْتُ: لاَ أَسْتَطِيعُ. فَأَتَانِي مِنْصَفٌ، فَرَفَعَ ثِيَابِي مِنْ خَلْفِي، فَرَقِيتُ حَتَّى كُنْتُ فِي أَعْلاَهَا، فَأَخَذْتُ بِالْعُرْوَةِ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: اسْتَمْسِكْ. فَاسْتَيْقَظْتُ وَإِنَّهَا لَفِي يَدِي، فَقَصَصْتُهَا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، قَالَ: «تِلْكَ الرَّوْضَةُ الإِسْلاَمُ، وَذَلِكَ الْعَمُودُ عَمُودُ الإِسْلاَمِ، وَتِلْكَ الْعُرْوَةُ عُرْوَةُ الْوُثْقَى، فَأَنْتَ عَلَى الإِسْلاَمِ حَتَّى تَمُوتَ». وَذَاكَ الرَّجُلُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَلاَمٍ.
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