ذِكْرُ شَهَادَةِ الْمُصْطَفَى ﷺ بِالِاسْتِمْسَاكِ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَى لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَلَامٍ إِلَى أَنْ مَاتَ

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. (Using translation from Muslim 2484c)   

أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ إِلَى هَذَا قَالَ قُلْتُ وَاللَّهِ لَأَتْبَعَنَّهُ فَلَأَعْلَمَنَّ بَيْتَهُ قَالَ فَتَبِعْتُهُ فَانْطَلَقَ حَتَّى كَادَ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ دَخَلَ مَنْزِلَهُ فَاسْتَأْذَنْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَأَذِنَ لِي فَقَالَ مَا حَاجَتُكَ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي؟ قُلْتُ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ الْقَوْمَ يَقُولُونَ لَمَّا قُمْتَ مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ إِلَى هَذَا فَأَعْجَبَنِي أَنْ أَكُونَ مَعَكَ قَالَ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِأَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ وَسَأُخْبِرُكَ مِمَّا قَالُوا ذَلِكَ إِنِّي بَيْنَا أَنَا نَائِمٌ أَتَانِي رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ قُمْ فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِي فَانْطَلَقْتُ مَعَهُ فَإِذَا أَنَا بِجَوَادٍ عَنْ شِمَالِي فَأَخَذْتُ لِآخُذَ فِيهَا فَقَالَ لِي لَا تَأْخُذْ فِيهَا فَإِنَّهَا طُرُقُ أَصْحَابِ الشِّمَالِ قَالَ وَإِذَا جَوَادٌ مَنْهَجٌ عَنْ يَمِينِي قَالَ لِي خُذْ هَاهُنَا فَأَتَى بِي جَبَلًا فَقَالَ لِي اصْعَدْ فَوْقَ هَذَا فَجَعَلْتُ إِذَا أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَصْعَدَ خَرَرْتُ عَلَى اسْتِي حَتَّى فَعَلْتُهُ مِرَارًا ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَ حَتَّى أَتَى بِي عَمُودًا رَأْسُهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَأَسْفَلُهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَاهُ حَلْقَةٌ فَقَالَ لِي اصْعَدْ فَوْقَ هَذَا فَقُلْتُ كَيْفَ أَصْعَدُ فَوْقَ هَذَا وَرَأْسُهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ؟ فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِي فَزَحَلَ بِي فَإِذَا أَنَا مُتَعَلِّقٌ بِالْحَلْقَةِ ثُمَّ ضَرَبَ الْعَمُودَ فَخَرَّ وَبَقِيتُ مُتَعَلِّقًا بِالْحَلْقَةِ حَتَّى أَصْبَحْتُ فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَصَصْتُهَا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ «أَمَّا الطَّرِيقُ الَّذِي رَأَيْتَ عَلَى يَسَارِكَ فَهِيَ طَرِيقُ أَصْحَابِ الشِّمَالِ وَأَمَّا الطَّرِيقُ الَّذِي رَأَيْتَ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ فَهِيَ طَرِيقُ أَصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ وَالْجَبَلُ هُوَ مَنَازِلُ الشُّهَدَاءِ وَلَنْ تَنَالَهُ وَأَمَّا الْعَمُودُ فَهُوَ عَمُودُ الْإِسْلَامِ وَأَمَّا الْعُرْوَةُ فَهِيَ عُرْوَةُ الْإِسْلَامِ وَلَنْ تَزَالَ مُسْتَمْسِكًا بِهَا حَتَّى تَمُوتَ»  

"عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سَلَامٍ قَالَ: بَيْنَا أَنَا نَائِمٌ إِذْ أَتَانِى رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ لِى: قُمْ، فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِى، فَانْطَلَقْتُ مَعَهُ، فَإِذَا أنَا بِجَوَادٍ عَنْ شِمَالِى. فَقَالَ: لَا تَأخُذْ فِيهَا فَإِنَّهَا طُرُقُ أصْحَابِ الشِّمَالِ، وَإذَا أَنَا بِجَوَادٍ عَنْ يَمِينِى، فَقَالَ لِى: خُذْ هَاهُنَا، وَأَتَى جَبَلًا فَقَالَ لِى: اصْعَدْ، فَجَعَلتُ إِذَا أَرَدْتُ أَصْعَدُ خَرَرْتُ عَلَى اسْتِى، فَعَلتُ ذَلِكَ مِرَارًا، تُمَّ انْطَلَقَ بِى حَتَّى أَتَى بِى عَمُودًا رَأسُهُ فِى السَّمَاءِ وَأَسْفَلُهُ فِى الأَرْضِ، وَفِى أَعْلَاهُ حَلَقَةٌ، فَقَالَ لِى: اصْعَدْ فَوْقَ هَذَا، فَقُلتُ لَهُ: كَيْفَ أَصْعَدُ فَوْقَ هَذَا وَرَأسُهُ فِى السَّمَاءِ؟ فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِى فَرَحَلَ بِى فَإِذَا أَنَا مُتَعَلِّقٌ بِالْحَلَقَةِ، ثُمَّ ضَرَبَ الْعَمُودَ فَخَرَّ وَبَقِيتُ مُتَعَلِّقًا بِالْحَلَقَةِ حَتَّى أَصْبَحْتُ، فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِىَّ ﷺ فَقَصَصْتُهُ عَلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ: أَمَّا الطُّرُقُ الَّتِى عَنْ يَمِينِكَ فَهِىَ طُرُقُ أَصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ، وَأَمَّا الْجَبَلُ فَهُوَ مَنَازِلُ الشُّهَدَاءِ وَلَنْ تَنَالَهُ، وَأَمَّا الْعَمُودُ فَهُوَ عَمُودُ الإسْلَامِ، وَأَمَّا الْعُرْوَةُ فَهِىَ عُرْوَةُ الإِسْلَامِ، لَمْ تَزَلْ مُتَمَسِّكًا بِهِ حَتَّى بِهِ حَتَّى تَمُوتَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَتَدْرِى كَيْفَ خَلَقَ الله آدَمَ؟ فَقَالَ: يَلِدُ فُلَانٌ فُلانًا، وَيَلِدُ فُلَانٌ فُلانًا أَجَلُهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا، وَعَمَلُهُ كَذا وَكَذَا، وَرِزْقُهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا، ثُمَّ يَنْفُخُ فِيهِ الرُّوحَ".