Mukhtasar Muslim

Khursha bin Har says: I was sitting in a circle in the mosque of Madinah, and there was also a handsome old man there. It became known that he was Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him). He was speaking good things to the people. When he stood up, the people said, "Whoever wishes to see a person of Paradise, let him look at him." I said (in my heart), "By Allah, I will go with him and see his house." Then I followed him. He walked until he was about to leave the city, then he went into his house, so I also asked for permission to enter. He gave permission, then asked, "O my nephew! What do you need?" I said, "When you stood up, I heard the people say, 'Whoever wishes to see a person of Paradise, let him look at him,' so I wished to be with you." He said, "Allah knows best about the people of Paradise, and I will tell you the reason why people say this about me. Once I was sleeping, and in my dream a person came and said, 'Get up.' Then he took my hand, and I went with him. I found some paths on the left side, so I wanted to go on them, but he said, 'Do not go on them; these are the paths of the people of the left (i.e., the disbelievers).' Then I found some paths on the right side, so that person said, 'Go on these paths.' So he brought me to a mountain and said, 'Climb it.' I tried to climb up, but I fell on my back. Many times I tried to climb, but each time I fell. Then he took me along until we came to a pillar whose top was in the sky and its base in the earth, and on top of it was a ring. That person said to me, 'Climb up this pillar.' I said, 'How can I climb it when its top is in the sky?' Finally, that person took my hand and lifted me up, and I saw that I was hanging, holding onto that ring. Then that person struck the pillar, so it fell, and I remained hanging on that ring until morning (because there was no way to get down)." He says, "Then I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and related my dream to him. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, 'The paths you saw on the left are the paths of the people of the left, and the paths you saw on the right are the paths of the people of the right. And that mountain is the station of the martyrs; you will not reach there. And the pillar is the pillar of Islam, and the ring is the ring of Islam, and you will remain firm upon Islam until you die.' (And when one dies upon Islam, Paradise is certain, and that is why people call me a person of Paradise.)"