“A man came to the Prophet ﷺ, upon his return from Uhud, and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, in my dream I saw a cloud giving shade, from which drops of ghee and honey were falling, and I saw people collecting them in the palms of their hands, some gathering a lot and some a little. And I saw a rope reaching up into heaven, and I saw you take hold of it and rise with it. Then another man took hold of it after you rose with it, then another man took hold of it after him and rose with it. Then a man took hold of it after him and it broke, then it was reconnected and he rose with it.’ Abu Bakr said: ‘Let me interpret it, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘Interpret it.’ He said: ‘As for the cloud giving shade, it is Islam, and the drops of honey and ghee that fall from it (represent) the Qur’an with its sweetness and softness. As for the people collecting that in their palms, some learn a lot of the Qur’an and some learn a little. As for the rope reaching up into heaven, it is the truth that you are following; you took hold of it and rose with it, then another man till take hold of it after you and rise with you, then another, who will rise with it, then another, but it will break and then he reconnected, then he will rise with it.’ He said: ‘You have got some of it right and some of it wrong.’ Abu Bakr said: ‘I adjure you O Messenger of Allah, tell me what I got right and what I got wrong.’ The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Do not swear, O Abu Bakr.”* (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3918)   

أَتَى رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ رَجُلٌ مُنْصَرَفَهُ مِنْ أَحِدٍ فَقَالَ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ فِي الْمَنَامِ كَأَنَّ ظُلَّةً تَنْطُفُ سَمْنًا وَعَسَلًا فَرَأَيْتُ النَّاسَ يَتَكَفَّفُونَ مِنْهُ فَالْمُسْتَقِلُّ وَالْمُسْتَكْثِرُ وَرَأَيْتُ سَبَبًا وَاصِلًا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ أَخَذْتَ بِهِ فَعَلَوْتَ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِهِ بَعْدَكَ آخَرُ فَعَلَا ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِهِ بَعْدَهُ آخَرُ فَعَلَا ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِهِ بَعْدَهُ آخَرُ فَانْقَطَعَ ثُمَّ وُصِلَ لَهُ فَعَلَا قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ دَعْنِي أَعْبُرْهَا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ «أَعْبُرْهَا» قَالَ أَمَّا الظُّلَّةُ فَهِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ وَأَمَّا مَا يَنْطُفُ مِنَ السَّمْنِ وَالْعَسَلِ فَهُوَ الْقُرْآنُ حَلَاوَتُهُ وَلِينُهُ فَالْمُسْتَقِلُّ وَالْمُسْتَكْثِرُ وَأَمَّا السَّبَبُ الْوَاصِلُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْحَقُّ أَخَذْتَ بِهِ فَعَلَوْتَ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِهِ بَعْدَكَ آخَرُ فَعَلَا ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِهِ بَعْدَهُ آخَرُ فَعَلَا ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِهِ آخَرُ فَانْقَطَعَ فَوُصِلَ لَهُ فَعَلَا هَلْ أَصَبْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَمْ أَخْطَأْتُ؟ فَقَالَ «أَصَبْتَ بَعْضًا وَأَخْطَأْتَ بَعْضًا» قَالَ أَقْسَمْتُ؟ قَالَ «لَا تُقْسِمْ» [112] 7594 أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ كَانَ أَحْيَانًا يَقُولُ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَأَحْيَانًا يَقُولُ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَجُلًا أَتَى رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ