42/3. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2269a — Abu Bakr Interprets a Dream
Interpretation Of Dreams
Hadith About Dream Interpretation, Qur’an, and Truth
Sahih Muslim : 2269a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2269a
حَدَّثَنَا حَاجِبُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، عَنِ الزُّبَيْدِيِّ، أَخْبَرَنِي الزُّهْرِيُّ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، أَوْ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ كَانَ يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ رَجُلاً، أَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ح وَحَدَّثَنِي حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى التُّجِيبِيُّ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَنَّ عُبَيْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ كَانَ يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ رَجُلاً أَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أَرَى اللَّيْلَةَ فِي الْمَنَامِ ظُلَّةً تَنْطِفُ السَّمْنَ وَالْعَسَلَ فَأَرَى النَّاسَ يَتَكَفَّفُونَ مِنْهَا بِأَيْدِيهِمْ فَالْمُسْتَكْثِرُ وَالْمُسْتَقِلُّ وَأَرَى سَبَبًا وَاصِلاً مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ فَأَرَاكَ أَخَذْتَ بِهِ فَعَلَوْتَ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِهِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَعْدِكَ فَعَلاَ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِهِ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَعَلاَ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِهِ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَانْقَطَعَ بِهِ ثُمَّ وُصِلَ لَهُ فَعَلاَ . قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَاللَّهِ لَتَدَعَنِّي فَلأَعْبُرَنَّهَا . قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " اعْبُرْهَا " . قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَمَّا الظُّلَّةُ فَظُلَّةُ الإِسْلاَمِ وَأَمَّا الَّذِي يَنْطِفُ مِنَ السَّمْنِ وَالْعَسَلِ فَالْقُرْآنُ حَلاَوَتُهُ وَلِينُهُ وَأَمَّا مَا يَتَكَفَّفُ النَّاسُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَالْمُسْتَكْثِرُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ وَالْمُسْتَقِلُّ وَأَمَّا السَّبَبُ الْوَاصِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ فَالْحَقُّ الَّذِي أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ تَأْخُذُ بِهِ فَيُعْلِيكَ اللَّهُ بِهِ ثُمَّ يَأْخُذُ بِهِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَعْدِكَ فَيَعْلُو بِهِ ثُمَّ يَأْخُذُ بِهِ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَيَعْلُو بِهِ ثُمَّ يَأْخُذُ بِهِ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَيَنْقَطِعُ بِهِ ثُمَّ يُوصَلُ لَهُ فَيَعْلُو بِهِ . فَأَخْبِرْنِي يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ أَصَبْتُ أَمْ أَخْطَأْتُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَصَبْتَ بَعْضًا وَأَخْطَأْتَ بَعْضًا " . قَالَ فَوَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَتُحَدِّثَنِّي مَا الَّذِي أَخْطَأْتُ قَالَ " لاَ تُقْسِمْ " .
It is reported either on the authority of Ibn `Abbas or on the authority of Abu Huraira that a person came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said: Allah's Messenger, I saw while I was sleeping during the night (this vision) that there was a canopy from which butter and honey were trickling and I also saw people collecting them in the palms of their hands, some more, some less, and I also saw a rope connecting the earth with the sky and I saw you catching hold of it and rising towards the heaven; then another person after you catching hold of it and rising towards (Heaven); then another person catching hold of it, but it was broken while it was rejoined for him and he also climbed up. Abu Bakr said: Allah's Messenger, may my father be sacrificed for you, by Allah, allow me to interpret it. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Well, give its interpretation. Thereupon Abu Bakr said: The canopy signifies the canopy of Islam and that what trickles out of it in the form of butter and honey is the Holy Qur'an and its sweetness and softness and what the people get hold of it in their palms implies major portion of the Qur'an or the small portion; and so far as the rope joining the sky with the earth is concerned, it is the Truth by which you stood (in the worldly life) and by which Allah would raise you (to Heaven). Then the person after you would take hold of it and he would also climb up with the help of it. Then another person would take hold of it and climb up with the help of it. Then another person would take hold of it and it would be broken; then it would be rejoined for him and he would climb up with the help of it. Allah's Messenger, may my father be taken as a ransom for you, tell me whether I have interpreted it correctly or I have made an error. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: You have interpreted a part of it correctly and you have erred in interpreting a part of it. Thereupon he said: Allah's Messenger, by Allah, tell me that part where I have committed an error. Thereupon he said: Don't take an oath.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2269aIn-book reference : Book 42, Hadith 32USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 29, Hadith 5643
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2269a
This Hadith about dream interpretation records a detailed vision. A man saw a canopy with butter and honey trickling from it, people taking different amounts, and a rope connecting the earth to the sky. Abu Bakr asked permission to interpret it. He said the canopy meant Islam, the butter and honey meant the Qur’an with its sweetness and softness, and the rope meant the Truth by which Allah would raise the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and others after him. Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم then said that Abu Bakr had interpreted part of it correctly and made an error in part of it. When Abu Bakr asked by oath to know the error, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said not to take an oath. The Hadith teaches that dream interpretation in Islam is not casual guesswork.
What we learn from this hadith
- A dream may contain symbols, but its full meaning is not always easy to know.
- Even a respected Companion could be correct in part and mistaken in part.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم corrected the use of an oath in this situation.
