91/23. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 7014 — The Firm Handhold of Islam
Taking hold or handhold or a ring
Hadith About the Firm Handhold of Islam
Sahih Bukhari : 7014
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 7014
حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَزْهَرُ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَوْنٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي خَلِيفَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذٌ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عَوْنٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا قَيْسُ بْنُ عُبَادٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَلاَمٍ، قَالَ رَأَيْتُ كَأَنِّي فِي رَوْضَةٍ، وَسَطَ الرَّوْضَةِ عَمُودٌ فِي أَعْلَى الْعَمُودِ عُرْوَةٌ، فَقِيلَ لِي ارْقَهْ. قُلْتُ لاَ أَسْتَطِيعُ. فَأَتَانِي وَصِيفٌ فَرَفَعَ ثِيَابِي فَرَقِيتُ، فَاسْتَمْسَكْتُ بِالْعُرْوَةِ، فَانْتَبَهْتُ وَأَنَا مُسْتَمْسِكٌ بِهَا، فَقَصَصْتُهَا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " تِلْكَ الرَّوْضَةُ رَوْضَةُ الإِسْلاَمِ، وَذَلِكَ الْعَمُودُ عَمُودُ الإِسْلاَمِ، وَتِلْكَ الْعُرْوَةُ عُرْوَةُ الْوُثْقَى، لاَ تَزَالُ مُسْتَمْسِكًا بِالإِسْلاَمِ حَتَّى تَمُوتَ ".
Abdullah bin Salam Narrated from:
(In a dream) I saw myself in a garden, and there was a pillar in the middle of the garden, and there was a handhold at the top of the pillar. I was asked to climb it. I said, "I cannot." Then a servant came and lifted up my clothes and I climbed (the pillar), and then got hold of the handhold, and I woke up while still holding it. I narrated that to the Prophet (ﷺ) who said, "The garden symbolizes the garden of Islam, and the handhold is the firm Islamic handhold which indicates that you will be adhering firmly to Islam until you die."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 7014In-book reference : Book 91, Hadith 32USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 87, Hadith 142
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 7014
This hadith about the firm handhold of Islam gives the Prophet’s own explanation of Abdullah bin Salam’s dream. Abdullah saw himself in a garden with a pillar in the middle and a handhold at the top. He first said he could not climb, but a servant helped him, so he climbed and held the handhold. He woke while still holding it. When he told the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, the Prophet explained the dream: the garden was the garden of Islam, the pillar was the pillar of Islam, and the handhold was the firm handhold. The message is direct: Abdullah would keep holding to Islam until death. This makes the dream a glad tiding of steadfast faith.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم explained the symbols in the dream himself.
- The garden, pillar, and handhold are all linked to Islam in the report.
- Steadfastness in Islam is praised through this dream.
- Help in the dream led to holding the firm handhold.
