Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him): O Abu al-Hasan! Sometimes you were present (with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him) while we were absent, and sometimes we were present while you were absent. I will ask you about three things: do you have any knowledge about them? Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: What are those things? Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Sometimes a man loves another man although he has not seen any good from that other man; likewise, sometimes a man has hatred for another man although he has not seen any evil from that other man. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Yes! (That is, I have knowledge about this.) The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "In the air (that is, in the world of souls) the souls lived as assembled troops; they would meet one another, so those of them that became acquainted with one another become familiar with each other (in this world as well), and those that remained estranged there remain unfamiliar with each other (in this world as well)." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: That is one matter. Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: Sometimes a man narrates something and then forgets it. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "Every one of the hearts has a cloud, like the cloud of the moon: the moon is shining, then a cloud comes over it and it becomes dark; when the cloud moves away, it begins to shine again. Likewise a person is narrating something, and meanwhile a cloud comes over him, so he forgets it; and when that cloud moves away, he remembers it." Sayyiduna Umar said: That makes two matters. Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: A man sees various kinds of dreams; some of those dreams turn out to be true, and some dreams turn out to be false? Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Yes! I also heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "Whenever any male or female servant (of Allah) sleeps and his sleep becomes deep, his soul is taken up towards the Throne. If that person wakes up after reaching it, that is a dream which turns out to be true; and whoever wakes up before reaching the Throne, those are dreams which turn out to be false." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: There were three matters that I was seeking; all praise belongs to Allah Almighty that I found their answer before dying.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains a narrator, Azhar bin Abdullah; al-Uqayli says: His hadith from Ibn Ajlan is not mahfuz (preserved). This hadith is known through Isra'il, from Abu Ishaq, from al-Harith, from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) as mawquf (a statement of the Companion). The rest of the narrators of this narration have been declared trustworthy.
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب العلم / 738
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:إسنادہ ضعیف
Hadith Takhrij«اخرجه الإمام الطبراني فى معجم الاوسط 5220 ، أخرجه المعجم الأوسط للطبراني برقم: 5216، وأخرجه المستدرك على الصحيحين برقم: 8260»