Ibn Abbas used to relate that a man came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "Messenger of Allah, last night I saw in a dream a cloud dripping butter and honey, and I saw people catching what fell from it with their hands, some taking a great deal and others a little. And I saw a rope extending from the sky to the earth, and I saw you take hold of it and rise up. Then another man took hold of it after you and rose up. Then another man took hold of it and rose up. Then another man took hold of it, but it was severed for him, then it was rejoined for him and he rose up."Abu Bakr said, "Messenger of Allah, may my father be ransomed for you, by Allah, allow me to interpret it."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Interpret it."Abu Bakr said, "As for the cloud, it is the cloud of Islam. As for what drips from it of butter and honey, it is the Quran, its sweetness and softness. As for what people catch from it, it is those who take much from the Quran and those who take little. As for the rope extending from the sky to the earth, it is the truth which you are upon, you take hold of it and Allah raises you by it. Then another man will take hold of it after you and rise by it. Then another man will take hold of it and rise by it. Then another man will take hold of it, but it will be severed for him, then it will be rejoined for him and he will rise by it. So tell me, Messenger of Allah, may my father be ransomed for you, have I been correct or have I erred?"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "You have been correct in some and erred in some."Abu Bakr said, "By Allah, Messenger of Allah, you must tell me what I have erred in."He replied, "Do not swear."
أن ابن عباس كان يحدث أن رجلا أتى رسول الله ﷺ فقال: يا رسول الله! إني أرى الليلة في المنام ظلة تنطف السمن والعسل فأرى الناس يتكففون منها بأيديهم، فالمستكثر والمستقل، وأرى سببا واصلا من السماء إلى الأرض، فأراك أخذت به فعلوت، ثم أخذ به رجل من بعدك فعلا، ثم أخذ به رجل آخر فعلا، ثم أخذ به رجل آخر فانقطع به ثم وصل له فعلا، قال أبو بكر: يا رسول الله! بأبي أنت والله لتدعني فلأعبرنها، قال رسول ﷺ: اعبرها قال أبو بكر: أما الظلة فظلة الإسلام، وأما الذي ينطف من السمن والعسل فالقرآن حلاوته ولينه، وأما ما يتكفف الناس من ذلك فالمستكثر من القرآن والمستقل، وأما السبب الواصل من السماء إلى الأرض فالحق الذي أنت عليه، تأخذ به فيعليك الله به ثم يأخذ به رجل من بعدك فيعلو به، ثم يأخذ به رجل آخر فيعلو به، ثم يأخذ به رجل آخر فينقطع به ثم يوصل له فيعلو به، فأخبرني يا رسول الله بأبي أنت أصبت أم أخطأت؟ قال رسول الله ﷺ: أصبت بعضا وأخطأت بعضا قال: فوالله يا رسول الله لتحدثني ما الذي أخطأت؟ قال: لا تقسم
Bukhari narrated it in the Book of Interpretation of Dreams (7046), and Muslim narrated it in the Book of Dreams (2269), both through the route of Yunus, from Ibn Shihab, that Ubaydullah bin Abdullah bin Utba informed him, and he mentioned it. Muslim also narrated it through the route of Sufyan, from Zuhri, with the same meaning, and in it, "A man came to the Prophet ﷺ when he returned from Uhud." He also narrated it through the route of Sulayman bin Kathir, from Zuhri, similarly, and in it, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say to his companions, 'Whoever among you sees a dream, let him relate it to me and I will interpret it for him.'"There was disagreement among the students of Zuhri. Most of them attributed it to the musnad of Ibn Abbas. Zubaydi narrated it from him, saying, "From Ibn Abbas or Abu Hurairah," and Muslim included his hadith. Bukhari set out the disagreement over Zuhri's narration following hadith (7000).