Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: A man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: I saw a dream at night; I saw that there was a canopy, from which ghee and honey were dripping. I saw that people were collecting it in buckets, some taking more and some less. There was a rope that reached from the earth to the sky. I saw you holding it and ascending, then another man held it and he also ascended, then a third man held it and he too ascended, then a man held it but the rope broke, then it was joined again.

Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah! May my parents be sacrificed for you, allow me to interpret it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "(Alright) you interpret it." Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The canopy is Islam, and the honey and ghee dripping from it refers to the sweetness of the Qur'an. So, some people learn more of the Qur'an and some less, and the rope reaching from the sky to the earth is the truth upon which you stand. Allah, the Exalted, will raise you high through it. Then a man will hold it, and he too will be elevated with it, then another man will hold it and he will be elevated with it, then a third man will hold it, and it will break. Then it will be joined, and then he will be elevated with it. O Messenger of Allah! May my parents be sacrificed for you, tell me, is the interpretation I have given correct or incorrect?

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You have interpreted some parts correctly and made a mistake in some parts." Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: By Allah! You must tell me where I made a mistake. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Abu Bakr! Do not swear an oath."