Sunan Ibn Majah 3918

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 (ﷺ) 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."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , I saw while I was sleeping during the night (this vision) that there was a canopy from which butter and honey were trickling and I also saw people collecting them in the palms of their hands, some more, some less, and I also saw a rope connecting the earth with the sky and I saw you catching hold of it and rising towards the heaven; then another person after you catching hold of it and rising towards (Heaven); then another person catching hold of it, but it was broken while it was rejoined for him and he also climbed up. Abu Bakr said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , may my father be sacrificed for you, by Allah, allow me to interpret it. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Well, give its interpretation. Thereupon Abu Bakr said: The canopy signifies the canopy of Islam and that what trickles out of it in the form of butter and honey is the Holy Qur'an and its sweetness and softness and what the people get hold of it in their palms implies major portion of the Qur'an or the small portion; and so far as the rope joining the sky with the earth is concerned, it is the Truth by which you stood (in the worldly life) and by which Allah would raise you (to Heaven). Then the person after you would take hold of it and he would also climb up with the help of it. Then another person would take hold of it and climb up with the help of it. Then another person would take hold of it and it would be broken; then it would be rejoined for him and he would climb up with the help of it. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , may my father be taken as a ransom for you, tell me whether I have interpreted it correctly or I have made an error. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: You have interpreted a part of it correctly and you have erred in interpreting a part of it. Thereupon he said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , by Allah, tell me that part where I have committed an error. Thereupon he said: Don't take an oath.

"I had a dream of a cloud with shade dripping butter and honey. I saw the people scooping it up with their hands, some taking much and some taking little. I saw a rope extending from the sky to the earth. Then I saw you O Messenger of Allah ! You took hold of it and went up, then a man took hold of it after you do so, then a man took hold of it after him to do so. Then a man took hold of it and it was severed, and then connected for him, and he did so (i.e. , went up)." Abu Bakr said: "May my father and mother be ransomed for you O Messenger of Allah! Allow me to interpret it." He said: "Interpret it." so he said: "As for the cloud with its shade, it is Islam. As for what the butter and honey that dropped from it, this is the Quran and its delicateness and sweetness. It means some of them gathered much of the Quran and some of them a little. As for the rope extending from the sky to the earth, it is the truth which you are upon, you clug to it and Allah exalted you. Then another man will take hold of it after you and ascend on it, then after him, another man will take hold of it and ascend on it. Then another [man] will take hold of it but it will break, then be connected so he will ascend on it. Inform me O Messenger of Allah! Am I correct or am I mistaken?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "You are correct in some of it and mistaken in some of it." He (i.e., Abu Bakr) said: "I swear to you by my father and my mother O Messenger of Allah! Inform me in what I was mistaken?" The Prophet(ﷺ) said: "Do not swear."

The above mentioned tradition has also been transmitted by Ma’mar through a different chain of narrators to the same effect.

Abu Hurairah said that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: I saw (in my dream) a piece of cloud from which ghee and honey were dropping. I saw the people spreading their hands. Some of them took much and some a little. I also saw a rope hanging from Heaven to Earth. I saw, Messenger of Allah, that you caught hold of it and ascended by it. Then another man caught hold of it and ascended it. Then another man caught hold of it and ascended it. Then another man caught hold of it, but it broke, and then it was joined and he ascended it. AbuBakr said: May my parents be sacrificed for you, if you allow, I shall interpret it. He said: Interpret it. He said: The piece of cloud is the cloud of Islam; the ghee and honey that were dropping from it are the Qur'an, which contains softness and sweetness. Those who received much or little of it are those who learn much or little of the Qur'an. The rope hanging from Heaven to Earth is the truth which you are following. You catch hold of it and then Allah will raise you to Him. Then another man will catch hold of it and ascend it, Then another man will catch hold of it and it will break. But it will be joined and he will ascend it. Tell me. Messenger of Allah, whether I am right or wrong. He said: You are partly right and partly wrong. He said: I adjure you by Allah, you should tell me where I am wrong. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Do not take an oath.

A man saw a dream and came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: I dreamt that there was a cloud dripping with honey and ghee, and the people were picking it up and taking it: some took a lot, some took a little and some were in between that. And there was a rope connected to the sky - and on one occasion Yazeed said: As if it was let down from the sky - You took hold of it and wanted to rise, and Allah lifted you up. Then a man came after you and took hold of it, wanting to rise, and Allah lifted him up. Then another man came after both of you and took hold of it, wanting to rise, and Allah lifted him up. Then a man came after you and took hold of it, but it was cut, then it was put back together for him and he wanted to rise, and Allah lifted him up. Abu Bakr said: Let me interpret it, O Messenger of Allah. He gave him permission, so he said: As for the cloud, it is Islam, and the honey and ghee are the sweetness of the Qur'an, some people read more, some less and some in between that. The rope is the path you are on; you want to rise and Allah will list you up. Then after you are gone there will be a man who follows your path; he will want to rise and Allah will lift him up. Then after the two of you are gone, there will be another man, who will hold on to the same (rope) as you did; he will want to rise and Allah will lift him up. Then after you there will be a man for whom it will be cut, then it will be put back together for him; he will want to rise and Allah will lift him up. He said: Did I get it right, O Messenger of Allah? He said: “You got some right and you got some wrong." He said: I swear that you should tell me. He said: "Do not swear.”