never heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ say unto one living and moving about that he was in Paradise except to 'Abdullah b. Salim.  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ لِحَىٍّ يَمْشِي أَنَّهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ إِلاَّ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ 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.  

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 (sitting) in a company in which there were (besides others) Sa'd b. Malik and Ibn 'Umar that 'Abdullah b. Saliim happened to pass (by that side). They (the people sitting in that company) said: He is a person from amongst the dwellers of Paradise. I stood up and said to him: They say such and such (thing about you), whereupon he said: Hallowed be Allah, it is not meet for them to say (anything) of which They have no knowledge. Verily I saw as if a pillar had been raised in a green garden and there had been fixed at its (upper) end a handhold and there was a helper at its base. It was said to me: Climb up. So I climbed up and caught hold of the haildhold. I narrated (the contents of this dream) to Messenger of Allah ﷺ, whereupon he said: 'Abdullah would die in a state that he would be catching hold of the firmest handhold (he would die holding fast to the faith).  

سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ مَا كَانَ يَنْبَغِي لَهُمْ أَنْ يَقُولُوا مَا لَيْسَ لَهُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ إِنَّمَا رَأَيْتُ كَأَنَّ عَمُودًا وُضِعَ فِي رَوْضَةٍ خَضْرَاءَ فَنُصِبَ فِيهَا وَفِي رَأْسِهَا عُرْوَةٌ وَفِي أَسْفَلِهَا مِنْصَفٌ وَالْمِنْصَفُ الْوَصِيفُ فَقِيلَ لِيَ ارْقَهْ فَرَقِيتُ حَتَّى أَخَذْتُ بِالْعُرْوَةِ فَقَصَصْتُهَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَمُوتُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَهُوَ آخِذٌ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَى  

I was sitting in a circle in the mosque of Medina and there was an old man, quite handsome. He was 'Abdullah b. Salim. He was telling good things to them (to the people sitting in that company). As he stood up (to depart) the people said: He who is desirous of looking at a person from amongst the people of Paradise should see him. I said: By Allah, I will follow him, and would try to know his residence. So I followed him and he walked on until he reached the outskirts of Medina. He then entered his house. I sought permission from him to get in, and he granted me the permission, saying: My nephew, what is the need (that has brought you here)? I said to him: As you stood up, I heard people say about you: He who is desirous of seeing a person from among the people of Paradise should look at him. So I became desirous of accompanying you. He ('Abdullah b. Salim) said: It is Allah Who knows best about the people of Paradise. I would, however, narrate to you as to why they said like it. (The story is) that while I was asleep (one night) there came to me a person (in the dream) who asked me to stand up. (So I stood up) and he caught hold of my hand and I walked along with him, and, lo, I found some paths on my left and I was about to set out upon them. Thereupon he said to me Do not set yourself on (them) for these are the paths of the leftists (denizens of Hell-fire). Then there were paths leading to the right side, whereupon he said: Set yourself on these paths. We came across a hill and he said to me: Climb up, and I attempted to climb up that I fell upon my buttocks. I made several attempts (but failed to succeed). He led until he came to a pillar (so high) that its upper end touched the sky and its base was in the earth. And there was a handhold at its upper end. He said to me Climb over it. I said: How can I climb upon it, as its upper end touches the sky? He cought hold of my hand and pushed me up and I found myself suspended with the handhold. He then struck the pillar and it fell down, but I remained attached to that handhold until it was morning (and the dream was thus over). I came to Allah's Apostle ﷺ and narrated it to him. He said: So far as the paths which you saw on your left are concerned, these are paths of the leftists (denizens of Hell) and the paths which you saw on your right, these are the paths of the rightists (the dwellers of Paradise) and the mountain represents the destination of the martyrs which you would not be able to attain. The pillar implies the pillar of Islam. and so far as the handhold is concerned, it implies the handhold of Islam, and you would hold to it fastly until you would meet death.  

كُنْتُ جَالِسًا فِي حَلْقَةٍ فِي مَسْجِدِ الْمَدِينَةِ قَالَ وَفِيهَا شَيْخٌ حَسَنُ الْهَيْئَةِ وَهُوَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَلاَمٍ قَالَ فَجَعَلَ يُحَدِّثُهُمْ حَدِيثًا حَسَنًا قَالَ فَلَمَّا قَامَ قَالَ الْقَوْمُ مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ إِلَى هَذَا قَالَ فَقُلْتُ وَاللَّهِ لأَتْبَعَنَّهُ فَلأَعْلَمَنَّ مَكَانَ بَيْتِهِ قَالَ فَتَبِعْتُهُ فَانْطَلَقَ حَتَّى كَادَ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ مَنْزِلَهُ قَالَ فَاسْتَأْذَنْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَأَذِنَ لِي فَقَالَ مَا حَاجَتُكَ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ سَمِعْتُ الْقَوْمَ يَقُولُونَ لَكَ لَمَّا قُمْتَ مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ إِلَى هَذَا فَأَعْجَبَنِي أَنْ أَكُونَ مَعَكَ قَالَ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِأَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ وَسَأُحَدِّثُكَ مِمَّ قَالُوا ذَاكَ إِنِّي بَيْنَمَا أَنَا نَائِمٌ إِذْ أَتَانِي رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ لِي قُمْ فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِي فَانْطَلَقْتُ مَعَهُ قَالَ فَإِذَا أَنَا بِجَوَادَّ عَنْ شِمَالِي قَالَ فَأَخَذْتُ لآخُذَ فِيهَا فَقَالَ لِي لاَ تَأْخُذْ فِيهَا فَإِنَّهَا طُرُقُ أَصْحَابِ الشِّمَالِ قَالَ فَإِذَا جَوَادُّ مَنْهَجٌ عَلَى يَمِيِنِي فَقَالَ لِي خُذْ هَا هُنَا فَأَتَى بِي جَبَلاً فَقَالَ لِي اصْعَدْ قَالَ فَجَعَلْتُ إِذَا أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَصْعَدَ خَرَرْتُ عَلَى اسْتِي قَالَ حَتَّى فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ مِرَارًا قَالَ ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَ بِي حَتَّى أَتَى بِي عَمُودًا رَأْسُهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَأَسْفَلُهُ فِي الأَرْضِ فِي أَعْلاَهُ حَلْقَةٌ فَقَالَ لِيَ اصْعَدْ فَوْقَ هَذَا قَالَ قُلْتُ كَيْفَ أَصْعَدُ هَذَا وَرَأْسُهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ قَالَ فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِي فَزَجَلَ بِي قَالَ فَإِذَا أَنَا مُتَعَلِّقٌ بِالْحَلْقَةِ قَالَ ثُمَّ ضَرَبَ الْعَمُودَ فَخَرَّ قَالَ وَبَقِيتُ مُتَعَلِّقًا بِالْحَلْقَةِ حَتَّى أَصْبَحْتُ قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَصَصْتُهَا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ أَمَّا الطُّرُقُ الَّتِي رَأَيْتَ عَنْ يَسَارِكَ فَهِيَ طُرُقُ أَصْحَابِ الشِّمَالِ قَالَ وَأَمَّا الطُّرُقُ الَّتِي رَأَيْتَ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ فَهِيَ طُرُقُ أَصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ وَأَمَّا الْجَبَلُ فَهُوَ مَنْزِلُ الشُّهَدَاءِ وَلَنْ تَنَالَهُ وَأَمَّا الْعَمُودُ فَهُوَ عَمُودُ الإِسْلاَمِ وَأَمَّا الْعُرْوَةُ فَهِيَ عُرْوَةُ الإِسْلاَمِ وَلَنْ تَزَالَ مُتَمَسِّكًا بِهَا حَتَّى تَمُوتَ