حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ يُونُسَ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ، أَنَّ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ كَانَ يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ رَجُلاً أَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ اللَّيْلَةَ فِي الْمَنَامِ ظُلَّةً تَنْطِفُ السَّمْنَ وَالْعَسَلَ، فَأَرَى النَّاسَ يَتَكَفَّفُونَ مِنْهَا فَالْمُسْتَكْثِرُ وَالْمُسْتَقِلُّ، وَإِذَا سَبَبٌ وَاصِلٌ مِنَ الأَرْضِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، فَأَرَاكَ أَخَذْتَ بِهِ فَعَلَوْتَ، ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِهِ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَعَلاَ بِهِ، ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِهِ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَعَلاَ بِهِ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِهِ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَانْقَطَعَ ثُمَّ وُصِلَ‏.‏ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَاللَّهِ لَتَدَعَنِّي فَأَعْبُرَهَا‏.‏ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ اعْبُرْ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ أَمَّا الظُّلَّةُ فَالإِسْلاَمُ، وَأَمَّا الَّذِي يَنْطِفُ مِنَ الْعَسَلِ وَالسَّمْنِ فَالْقُرْآنُ حَلاَوَتُهُ تَنْطُفُ، فَالْمُسْتَكْثِرُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ وَالْمُسْتَقِلُّ، وَأَمَّا السَّبَبُ الْوَاصِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ فَالْحَقُّ الَّذِي أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ تَأْخُذُ بِهِ فَيُعْلِيكَ اللَّهُ، ثُمَّ يَأْخُذُ بِهِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَعْدِكَ فَيَعْلُو بِهِ، ثُمَّ يَأْخُذُ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَيَعْلُو بِهِ، ثُمَّ يَأْخُذُهُ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَيَنْقَطِعُ بِهِ ثُمَّ يُوَصَّلُ لَهُ فَيَعْلُو بِهِ، فَأَخْبِرْنِي يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ أَصَبْتُ أَمْ أَخْطَأْتُ‏.‏ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ أَصَبْتَ بَعْضًا وَأَخْطَأْتَ بَعْضًا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ فَوَاللَّهِ لَتُحَدِّثَنِّي بِالَّذِي أَخْطَأْتُ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ تُقْسِمْ ‏"‏‏.‏

A man came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "I saw in a dream, a cloud having shade. Butter and honey were dropping from it and I saw the people gathering it in their hands, some gathering much and some a little. And behold, there was a rope extending from the earth to the sky, and I saw that you (the Prophet) held it and went up, and then another man held it and went up and (after that) another (third) held it and went up, and then after another (fourth) man held it, but it broke and then got connected again." Abu Bakr said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Let my father be sacrificed for you! Allow me to interpret this dream." The Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "Interpret it." Abu Bakr said, "The cloud with shade symbolizes Islam, and the butter and honey dropping from it, symbolizes the Qur'an, its sweetness dropping and some people learning much of the Qur'an and some a little. The rope which is extended from the sky to the earth is the Truth which you (the Prophet) are following. You follow it and Allah will raise you high with it, and then another man will follow it and will rise up with it and another person will follow it and then another man will follow it but it will break and then it will be connected for him and he will rise up with it. O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Let my father be sacrificed for you! Am I right or wrong?" The Prophet replied, "You are right in some of it and wrong in some." Abu Bakr said, "O Allah's Prophet! By Allah, you must tell me in what I was wrong." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do not swear."