Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 16644

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Hawalah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "On the night I was taken on the Night Journey, I saw a white pillar, like a shimmering pearl, which the angels were carrying. I asked: 'What are you carrying?' They said: 'It is the pillar of the Book; we have been commanded to place it in Syria (al-Sham).'" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Once, while I was sleeping, I saw the pillar of the Book being snatched from beneath my pillow, and I thought that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, had abandoned the people of the earth. I followed it with my gaze, and it was like a radiant light before me, until it was placed in Syria." Sayyiduna Ibn Hawalah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah! Choose (a city or region) for me." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You must live in Syria."
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and the narrators of this report are the narrators of the Sahih, except Salih bin Rustam, and he is thiqah (trustworthy).