English translation
4632. It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbās said: "Abū Hurairah would narrate that a man came to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ and said: 'Last night (I had a dream in which) I saw a cloud dripping ghee and honey, and I saw the people catching it with their hands; some received a lot and some received a little. And I saw a rope stretching from heaven to earth. I saw you, O
Messenger of Allāh, take hold of it and ascend. Then another man took hold of it and ascended with it. Then another man took hold of it and ascended with it. Then another man took hold of it but it broke, then it was reconnected and he ascended with it.' Abū Bakr said: 'May my father and mother be sacrificed for you; let me interpret it.' He said: "Interpret it." He said: As for the cloud, it is the cloud of Islam, and as for the ghee and honey that were dripping from it, that is the Qur'ān with its softness and sweetness. As for those who take a lot and a little, they are the ones who learn a lot or a little of the Qur'ān. As for the rope that stretches between heaven and earth, it is the truth that you follow, you take hold of it and Allāh causes you to ascend thereby, then another man will take hold of it after you and will ascend thereby, then another man will take hold of it after you and will ascend thereby, then a man will take hold of it and it will break, then it will be reconnected and he will ascend thereby. O Messenger of Allāh, tell me, am I right or am I wrong? He said: "You have got some of it right and some of it wrong." He said: I adjure you by Allāh, O Messenger of Allāh, tell me what I got wrong. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Do not swear oaths."[1] (Sahih)
Arabic text
4632 - حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ فَارِسٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، قَالَ: مُحَمَّدٌ كَتَبْتُهُ مِنْ كِتَابِهِ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ: كَانَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ رَجُلًا أَتَى إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: إِنِّي أَرَى اللَّيْلَةَ ظُلَّةً يَنْطِفُ مِنْهَا السَّمْنُ وَالْعَسَلُ، فَأَرَى النَّاسَ يَتَكَفَّفُونَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ، فَالْمُسْتَكْثِرُ، وَالْمُسْتَقِلُّ، وَأَرَى سَبَبًا وَاصِلًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ، فَأَرَاكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَخَذْتَ بِهِ فَعَلَوْتَ بِهِ، ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِهِ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَعَلَا بِهِ، ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِهِ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَعَلَا بِهِ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِهِ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَانْقَطَعَ، ثُمَّ وُصِلَ فَعَلَا بِهِ، قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ: بِأَبِي وَأُمِّي لَتَدَعَنِّي فَلَأُعَبِّرَنَّهَا، فَقَالَ: «اعْبُرْهَا» قَالَ: أَمَّا الظُّلَّةُ فَظُلَّةُ الْإِسْلَامِ، وَأَمَّا مَا يَنْطِفُ مِنَ السَّمْنِ، وَالْعَسَلِ، فَهُوَ الْقُرْآنُ لِينُهُ وَحَلَاوَتُهُ، وَأَمَّا الْمُسْتَكْثِرُ، وَالْمُسْتَقِلُّ، فَهُوَ الْمُسْتَكْثِرُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ، وَالْمُسْتَقِلُّ مِنْهُ، وَأَمَّا السَّبَبُ الْوَاصِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ فَهُوَ الْحَقُّ الَّذِي أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ: تَأْخُذُ بِهِ فَيُعْلِيكَ اللَّهُ، ثُمَّ يَأْخُذُ بِهِ بَعْدَكَ رَجُلٌ فَيَعْلُو بِهِ، ثُمَّ يَأْخُذُ بِهِ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَيَعْلُو بِهِ، ثُمَّ يَأْخُذُ بِهِ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَيَنْقَطِعُ، ثُمَّ يُوصَلُ لَهُ فَيَعْلُو بِهِ، أَيْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَتُحَدِّثَنِّي أَصَبْتُ أَمْ أَخْطَأْتُ، فَقَالَ: «أَصَبْتَ بَعْضًا وَأَخْطَأْتَ بَعْضًا» فَقَالَ: أَقْسَمْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَتُحَدِّثَنِّي مَا الَّذِي أَخْطَأْتُ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا تُقْسِمْ»