35/10. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 3918 — Abu Bakr Interprets a Dream
Interpretation Of Dreams
Abu Bakr’s Dream Interpretation: Shade, Qur’an, Truth, and the Rope to Heaven
Sunan Ibn Majah : 3918
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 3918
حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ كَاسِبٍ الْمَدَنِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ رَجُلٌ مُنْصَرَفَهُ مِنْ أُحُدٍ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ فِي الْمَنَامِ ظُلَّةً تَنْطِفُ سَمْنًا وَعَسَلاً وَرَأَيْتُ النَّاسَ يَتَكَفَّفُونَ مِنْهَا فَالْمُسْتَكْثِرُ وَالْمُسْتَقِلُّ وَرَأَيْتُ سَبَبًا وَاصِلاً إِلَى السَّمَاءِ رَأَيْتُكَ أَخَذْتَ بِهِ فَعَلَوْتَ بِهِ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِهِ رَجُلٌ بَعْدَكَ فَعَلاَ بِهِ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِهِ رَجُلٌ بَعْدَهُ فَعَلاَ بِهِ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِهِ رَجُلٌ بَعْدَهُ فَانْقَطَعَ بِهِ ثُمَّ وُصِلَ لَهُ فَعَلاَ بِهِ . فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ دَعْنِي أَعْبُرْهَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . قَالَ " اعْبُرْهَا " . قَالَ أَمَّا الظُّلَّةُ فَالإِسْلاَمُ وَأَمَّا مَا يَنْطِفُ مِنْهَا مِنَ الْعَسَلِ وَالسَّمْنِ فَهُوَ الْقُرْآنُ حَلاَوَتُهُ وَلِينُهُ وَأَمَّا مَا يَتَكَفَّفُ مِنْهُ النَّاسُ فَالآخِذُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ كَثِيرًا وَقَلِيلاً وَأَمَّا السَّبَبُ الْوَاصِلُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَمَا أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ أَخَذْتَ بِهِ فَعَلاَ بِكَ ثُمَّ يَأْخُذُهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَعْدِكَ فَيَعْلُو بِهِ ثُمَّ آخَرُ فَيَعْلُو بِهِ ثُمَّ آخَرُ فَيَنْقَطِعُ بِهِ ثُمَّ يُوَصَّلُ لَهُ فَيَعْلُو بِهِ . قَالَ " أَصَبْتَ بَعْضًا وَأَخْطَأْتَ بَعْضًا " . قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَقْسَمْتُ عَلَيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَتُخْبِرَنِّي بِالَّذِي أَصَبْتُ مِنَ الَّذِي أَخْطَأْتُ . فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " لاَ تُقْسِمْ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ " . حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَنْبَأَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ كَانَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ رَجُلاً، أَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ رَأَيْتُ ظُلَّةً بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ تَنْطِفُ سَمْنًا وَعَسَلاً فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ نَحْوَهُ .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ), upon his return from Uhud, and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, in my dream I saw a cloud giving shade, from which drops of ghee and honey were falling, and I saw people collecting them in the palms of their hands, some gathering a lot and some a little. And I saw a rope reaching up into heaven, and I saw you take hold of it and rise with it. Then another man took hold of it after you rose with it, then another man took hold of it after him and rose with it. Then a man took hold of it after him and it broke, then it was reconnected and he rose with it.’ Abu Bakr said: ‘Let me interpret it, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘Interpret it.’ He said: ‘As for the cloud giving shade, it is Islam, and the drops of honey and ghee that fall from it (represent) the Qur’an with its sweetness and softness. As for the people collecting that in their palms, some learn a lot of the Qur’an and some learn a little.As for the rope reaching up into heaven, it is the truth that you are following; you took hold of it and rose with it, then another man till take hold of it after you and rise with you, then another, who will rise with it, then another, but it will break and then he reconnected, then he will rise with it.’ He said: ‘You have got some of it right and some of it wrong.’ Abu Bakr said: ‘I adjure you O Messenger of Allah, tell me what I got right and what I got wrong.’ The Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘Do not swear, O Abu Bakr.”*
[1] Meaning his saying: Aqsamtu ; "I adjure you."Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 3918In-book reference : Book 35, Hadith 26English translation : Vol. 5, Book 35, Hadith 3918
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 3918
This hadith gives a detailed example of dream interpretation in Islam. A man told the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) about a cloud giving shade, drops of ghee and honey, people collecting them, and a rope reaching to heaven. Abu Bakr asked to interpret it. He said the shade was Islam, the honey and ghee were the Qur’an with its sweetness and softness, and people collecting from it meant people taking much or little from the Qur’an. He also interpreted the rope as the truth followed by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said Abu Bakr got some right and some wrong, but did not tell him which parts. The hadith teaches care and humility in interpretation.
What we learn from this hadith
- Dream interpretation may involve meanings connected to Islam, the Qur’an, and truth, as stated in the report.
- Even Abu Bakr’s interpretation was described as partly right and partly wrong.
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) told Abu Bakr not to swear when asking about the interpretation.
