While I was sitting in the Mosque of Medina, there entered a man (Abdullah bin Salam) with signs of solemnity over his face. The people said, "He is one of the people of Paradise." He prayed two light rakʿat and then left. I followed him and said, "When you entered the Mosque, the people said, 'He is one of the people of Paradise.' " He said, "By Allah, one ought not say what he does not know; and I will tell you why. In the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ I had a dream which I narrated to him. I saw as if I were in a garden." He then described its extension and greenery. He added: In its center there was an iron pillar whose lower end was fixed in the earth and the upper end was in the sky, and at its upper end there was a (ring-shaped) hand-hold. I was told to climb it. I said, "I can't." "Then a servant came to me and lifted my clothes from behind and I climbed till I reached the top (of the pillar). Then I got hold of the hand-hold, and I was told to hold it tightly, then I woke up and (the effect of) the handhold was in my hand. I narrated al I that to the Prophet ﷺ who said, 'The garden is Islam, and the handhold is the Most Truth-worthy Hand-Hold. So you will remain as a Muslim till you die." The narrator added: "The man was ʿAbdullah bin 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 وَقَالَ لِي خَلِيفَةُ حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذٌ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عَوْنٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ حَدَّثَنَا قَيْسُ بْنُ عُبَادٍ عَنِ ابْنِ سَلاَمٍ قَالَ وَصِيفٌ مَكَانَ مِنْصَفٌ  

I was in the company of some persons, amongst whom some were the Companions of Allah's Apostle ﷺ in Medina, that there came a person whose face depicted the fear (of Allah). Some people said: He is a person from amongst the people of Paradise; he is a person from amongst the people of Paradise. He observed two short rak'ahs of prayer and then went out. I followed him and he got into his house and I also got in and we began to converse with each other. And when he became familiar (with me) I said to Him: When you entered (the mosque) before (your entrance in the house) a person said so and so (that you are amongst the people of Paradise), whereupon he said: It is not meet for anyone to say anything which he does not know. I shall (now) tell you why they (say) this. I saw a dream during the lifetime of Messenger of Allah ﷺ and narrated it to him. I seemed to be in a garden [he described its vastness, its rich fructification and its verdure]; in the midst of it, there stood an iron pillar, with its base in the earth and its summit in the sky: and upon its summit there was a handhold. It was said to me: Climb up this (pillar). I said to him (visitant in the dream): I am unable to do it. Thereupon a helper came to me, and he (supported) me (by catching hold of my) garment from behind and thus helped me with his hand and so I climbed up till I was at the summit of the pillar, and grasped the handhold. It was said to me: Ho d it tightly. It was at this that I woke up when (the handhold) was in fthe grip) of my hand. I narrated it (the dream) to Allah's Apostle ﷺ, whereupon he said: That garden implies al-Islam and that pillar implies the pillar of Islam. And that handhold is the firmest faith (as refered to in the Qur'an). And you will remain attached to Islam until you shall die. And that man was 'Abdullah b. Salim.  

كُنْتُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ فِي نَاسٍ فِيهِمْ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ فِي وَجْهِهِ أَثَرٌ مِنْ خُشُوعٍ فَقَالَ بَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ هَذَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ هَذَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ يَتَجَوَّزُ فِيهِمَا ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَاتَّبَعْتُهُ فَدَخَلَ مَنْزِلَهُ وَدَخَلْتُ فَتَحَدَّثْنَا فَلَمَّا اسْتَأْنَسَ قُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّكَ لَمَّا دَخَلْتَ قَبْلُ قَالَ رَجُلٌ كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ مَا يَنْبَغِي لأَحَدٍ أَنْ يَقُولَ مَا لاَ يَعْلَمُ وَسَأُحَدِّثُكَ لِمَ ذَاكَ رَأَيْتُ رُؤْيَا عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَصَصْتُهَا عَلَيْهِ رَأَيْتُنِي فِي رَوْضَةٍ ذَكَرَ سَعَتَهَا وَعُشْبَهَا وَخُضْرَتَهَا وَوَسْطَ الرَّوْضَةِ عَمُودٌ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ أَسْفَلُهُ فِي الأَرْضِ وَأَعْلاَهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ فِي أَعْلاَهُ عُرْوَةٌ فَقِيلَ لِي ارْقَهْ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ لاَ أَسْتَطِيعُ فَجَاءَنِي مِنْصَفٌ قَالَ ابْنُ عَوْنٍ وَالْمِنْصَفُ الْخَادِمُ فَقَالَ بِثِيَابِي مِنْ خَلْفِي وَصَفَ أَنَّهُ رَفَعَهُ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ بِيَدِهِ فَرَقِيتُ حَتَّى كُنْتُ فِي أَعْلَى الْعَمُودِ فَأَخَذْتُ بِالْعُرْوَةِ فَقِيلَ لِيَ اسْتَمْسِكْ فَلَقَدِ اسْتَيْقَظْتُ وَإِنَّهَا لَفِي يَدِي فَقَصَصْتُهَا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ تِلْكَ الرَّوْضَةُ الإِسْلاَمُ وَذَلِكَ الْعَمُودُ عَمُودُ الإِسْلاَمِ وَتِلْكَ الْعُرْوَةُ عُرْوَةُ الْوُثْقَى وَأَنْتَ عَلَى الإِسْلاَمِ حَتَّى تَمُوتَ قَالَ وَالرَّجُلُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَلاَمٍ  

I was in the company of some persons, amongst whom some were the Companions of Allah's Apostle ﷺ in Medina, that there came a person whose face depicted the fear (of Allah). Some people said: He is a person from amongst the people of Paradise; he is a person from amongst the people of Paradise. He observed two short rak'ahs of prayer and then went out. I followed him and he got into his house and I also got in and we began to converse with each other. And when he became familiar (with me) I said to Him: When you entered (the mosque) before (your entrance in the house) a person said so and so (that you are amongst the people of Paradise), whereupon he said: It is not meet for anyone to say anything which he does not know. I shall (now) tell you why they (say) this. I saw a dream during the lifetime of Messenger of Allah ﷺ and narrated it to him. I seemed to be in a garden [he described its vastness, its rich fructification and its verdure]; in the midst of it, there stood an iron pillar, with its base in the earth and its summit in the sky: and upon its summit there was a handhold. It was said to me: Climb up this (pillar). I said to him (visitant in the dream): I am unable to do it. Thereupon a helper came to me, and he (supported) me (by catching hold of my) garment from behind and thus helped me with his hand and so I climbed up till I was at the summit of the pillar, and grasped the handhold. It was said to me: Ho d it tightly. It was at this that I woke up when (the handhold) was in fthe grip) of my hand. I narrated it (the dream) to Allah's Apostle ﷺ, whereupon he said: That garden implies al-Islam and that pillar implies the pillar of Islam. And that handhold is the firmest faith (as refered to in the Qur'an). And you will remain attached to Islam until you shall die. And that man was 'Abdullah b. Salim. (Using translation from Muslim 2484a)   

كُنْتُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ فِي وَجْهِهِ أَثَرٌ مِنْ خُشُوعٍ فَدَخَلَ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَأَوْجَزَ فِيهِمَا فَقَالَ الْقَوْمُ هَذَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ اتَّبَعْتُهُ حَتَّى دَخَلَمَنْزِلَهُ فَدَخَلْتُ مَعَهُ فَحَدَّثْتُهُ فَلَمَّا اسْتَأْنَسَ قُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّ الْقَوْمَ لَمَّا دَخَلْتَ قَبْلُ الْمَسْجِدَ قَالُوا كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللهِ مَا يَنْبَغِي لِأَحَدٍ أَنْ يَقُولَ مَا لَا يَعْلَمُ وَسَأُحَدِّثُكَ لِمَ؟ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ رُؤْيَايَ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَصَصْتُهَا عَلَيْهِ رَأَيْتُ كَأَنِّي فِي رَوْضَةٍ خَضْرَاءَ قَالَ ابْنُ عَوْنٍ فَذَكَرَ مِنْ خُضْرَتِهَا وَسَعَتِهَا وَسْطُهَا عَمُودُ حَدِيدٍ أَسْفَلُهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَاهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ فِي أَعْلَاهُ عُرْوَةٌ فَقِيلَ لِيَ اصْعَدْ عَلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ لَا أَسْتَطِيعُ فَجَاءَنِي مِنْصَفٌ قَالَ ابْنُ عَوْنٍ هُوَ الْوَصِيفُ فَرَفَعَ ثِيَابِي مِنْ خَلْفِي فَقَالَ اصْعَدْ عَلَيْهِ فَصَعِدْتُ حَتَّى أَخَذْتُ بِالْعُرْوَةِ فَقَالَ اسْتَمْسِكْ بِالْعُرْوَةِ فَاسْتَيْقَظْتُ وَإِنَّهَا لَفِي يَدِي قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَصَصْتُهَا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ أَمَّا الرَّوْضَةُ فَرَوْضَةُ الْإِسْلَامِ وَأَمَّا الْعَمُودُ فَعَمُودُ الْإِسْلَامِ وَأَمَّا الْعُرْوَةُ فَهِيَ الْعُرْوَةُ الْوُثْقَى أَنْتَ عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ حَتَّى تَمُوتَ قَالَ وَهُوَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ سَلَامٍ  

[Machine] I entered the mosque of Al-Madina, and a man came and performed two units of prayer. He excelled in them with a mark of humility. A man said, "Whoever wishes to see a man from the people of Paradise, let him look at this man." So, I followed him and informed him of what was said. He said, "SubhanAllah! It is not appropriate for anyone to say what he does not know. Shall I inform you why? I had a dream, and I narrated it to the Prophet ﷺ. I saw as if I were in a garden, and I mentioned its width, beauty, and greenery. In the middle of it stood a pillar made of iron, with its bottom on the ground and its top in the sky. At its head was a rope. He (the Prophet) said to me, 'Climb up.' I said, 'I cannot.' Then, a pulpit approached me, and he said, 'Hold onto my clothes.' So, I held onto it, and I woke up, and indeed it was in my hands. I narrated the dream to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he said, 'The garden represents Islam, the pillar is the pillar of Islam, and the rope is the firmest bond, so you are upon Islam.' Therefore, behold! It is Abdullah Ibn Salam."  

دَخَلْتُ مَسْجِدَ الْمَدِينَةِ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَتَجَوَّزَ فِيهِمَا عَلَيْهِ أَثَرٌ مِنَ الْخُشُوعِ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ إِلَى هَذَا فَاتَّبَعْتُهُ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَقَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللهِ مَا يَنْبَغِي لِأَحَدٍ أَنْ يَقُولَ مَا لَا يَعْلَمُ وَسَأُحَدِّثُكَ لِمَ ذَلِكَ؟ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ رُؤْيَا فَقَصَصْتُهَا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ رَأَيْتُ كَأَنِّي فِي رَوْضَةٍ فَذَكَرَ مِنْ سَعَتِهَا وَحُسْنِهَا وَخَضَرِهَا فِي وَسَطِهَا عَمُودٌ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ أَسْفَلُهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَاهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ فِي رَأْسِهِ عُرْوَةٌ فَقَالَ لِي اصْعَدْ فَقُلْتُ لَا أَسْتَطِيعُ فَأَتَانِي مَنْصِبٌ فَقَالَ بِثِيَابِي أَيْ مِنْ خَلْقِي فَضَرَبَ فِي أَعْلَاهَا فَقَالَ اسْتَمْسِكْ فَاسْتَيْقَظْتُ وَإِنَّهَا لَفِي يَدَيَّ فَقَصَصْتُهَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ «الرَّوْضَةُ الْإِسْلَامُ وَالْعَمُودُ عَمُودُ الْإِسْلَامِ وَالْعُرْوُةُ الْوُثْقَى فَأَنْتَ عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ» فَإِذَا هُوَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ سَلَامٍ