Volume 9, Book 87, Number 170:
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas:
A man came to Allah’s Apostle 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 Apostle! Let my father be sacrificed for you! Allow me to
interpret this dream.” The Prophet said to him, “Interpret it.” Abu Bakr said, “The cloud with shade
symbolizes Islam, and the butter and honey dropping from it, symbolizes the Quran, its sweetness
dropping and some people learning much of the Qur’an and some a little. The rope which is exten –
ded 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 an –
other 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 Apostle! 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 said, “Do
not swear.”