35/10. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 3920 — Hold Tight to Islam
Interpretation Of Dreams
Hold Tight to Islam: Abdullah bin Salam’s Dream and the Firm Handhold
Sunan Ibn Majah : 3920
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 3920
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُوسَى الأَشْيَبُ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ بَهْدَلَةَ، عَنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ بْنِ رَافِعٍ، عَنْ خَرَشَةَ بْنِ الْحُرِّ، قَالَ قَدِمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَجَلَسْتُ إِلَى أَشْيِخَةٍ فِي مَسْجِدِ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَجَاءَ شَيْخٌ يَتَوَكَّأُ عَلَى عَصًا لَهُ فَقَالَ الْقَوْمُ مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ إِلَى هَذَا . فَقَامَ خَلْفَ سَارِيَةٍ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَقُمْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ قَالَ بَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ كَذَا وَكَذَا . قَالَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الْجَنَّةُ لِلَّهِ يُدْخِلُهَا مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَإِنِّي رَأَيْتُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ رُؤْيَا رَأَيْتُ كَأَنَّ رَجُلاً أَتَانِي فَقَالَ لِيَ انْطَلِقْ . فَذَهَبْتُ مَعَهُ فَسَلَكَ بِي فِي مَنْهَجٍ عَظِيمٍ فَعُرِضَتْ عَلَىَّ طَرِيقٌ عَلَى يَسَارِي فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَسْلُكَهَا فَقَالَ إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا . ثُمَّ عُرِضَتْ عَلَىَّ طَرِيقٌ عَنْ يَمِينِي فَسَلَكْتُهَا حَتَّى إِذَا انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى جَبَلٍ زَلَقٍ فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِي فَزَجَلَ بِي فَإِذَا أَنَا عَلَى ذُرْوَتِهِ فَلَمْ أَتَقَارَّ وَلَمْ أَتَمَاسَكْ وَإِذَا عَمُودٌ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ فِي ذُرْوَتِهِ حَلْقَةٌ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِي فَزَجَّلَ بِي حَتَّى أَخَذْتُ بِالْعُرْوَةِ فَقَالَ اسْتَمْسَكْتَ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ فَضَرَبَ الْعَمُودَ بِرِجْلِهِ . فَاسْتَمْسَكْتُ بِالْعُرْوَةِ . فَقَالَ قَصَصْتُهَا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ . قَالَ " رَأَيْتَ خَيْرًا أَمَّا الْمَنْهَجُ الْعَظِيمُ فَالْمَحْشَرُ وَأَمَّا الطَّرِيقُ الَّتِي عُرِضَتْ عَنْ يَسَارِكَ فَطَرِيقُ أَهْلِ النَّارِ وَلَسْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا وَأَمَّا الطَّرِيقُ الَّتِي عُرِضَتْ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ فَطَرِيقُ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ وَأَمَّا الْجَبَلُ الزَّلَقُ فَمَنْزِلُ الشُّهَدَاءِ وَأَمَّا الْعُرْوَةُ الَّتِي اسْتَمْسَكْتَ بِهَا فَعُرْوَةُ الإِسْلاَمِ فَاسْتَمْسِكْ بِهَا حَتَّى تَمُوتَ " . فَأَنَا أَرْجُو أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَإِذَا هُوَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَلاَمٍ .
Kharashah bin Hurr Narrated from:
I came to Al-Madinah and sat with some old men in the mosque of the Prophet (ﷺ). Then an old man came, leaning on his stick, and the people said: ‘Whoever would like to look at a man from among the people of Paradise, let him look at this man.’ He stood behind a pillar and prayed two Rak’ah. I got up and went to him, and said to him: ‘Some of the people said such and such.’ He said: ‘Praise is to Allah. Paradise belongs to Allah and He admits whomsoever He wills to it. At the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) I saw a dream in which a man came to me and said: “Let’s go.” So I went with him and he took me along a great road. A road was shown to me on the left and I wanted to follow it, but he said: “You are not one of its people.”Then a road was shown to me on the right, and I followed him until I reached a slippery mountain. He took me by the hand and helped me up. When I reached the top I could not stand firm. There was an iron pillar there with a golden ring at the top. He took my hand and helped me up until I reached the handhold, then he said: “Have you gotten a firm hold?” I said: “Yes.” Then he struck the pillar with his foot and I held tight to the pillar.I told this to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said: "You have seen something good. The great road is the plain of gathering (on the Day of Resurrection). The road that you were shown on your left is the way of the people of Hell, and you are not one of its people. The road which you were shown on your right is the way of the people of Paradise. The slippery mountain is the place of the martyrs, and the handhold that you held on tight to is the handhold of Islam. Hold on tight to it until you die." I hope to be one of the people of Paradise,' and he was 'Abdullah bin Salam."
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 3920In-book reference : Book 35, Hadith 28English translation : Vol. 5, Book 35, Hadith 3920
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 3920
This hadith presents a dream of Abdullah bin Salam and the Prophet’s interpretation of it. In the dream, he was guided along a great road, shown a path on the left and told he was not of its people, then taken on a path to the right. He reached a slippery mountain and then held firmly to a golden ring on an iron pillar. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) interpreted the great road as the plain of gathering, the left road as the way of the people of Hell, the right road as the way of the people of Paradise, the slippery mountain as the place of the martyrs, and the handhold as the handhold of Islam. The main lesson is to hold tight to Islam until death.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) interpreted the handhold as the handhold of Islam.
- Abdullah bin Salam was told to hold tight to it until death.
- The dream included a clear contrast between the road of Hell and the road of Paradise.
