Sunan Abi Dawud 4632

Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Faris narrated to us; Abd al-Razzaq narrated to us—Muhammad said, ‘I copied it from his book’—and he said: Ma‘mar informed us, from al-Zuhri, from Ubayd Allah ibn Abdullah, from Ibn Abbas, who said: Abu Hurayrah used to relate that a man came to the Messenger of Allah and said, ‘Last night I saw a canopy from which clarified butter and honey were dripping. I saw people holding out their hands beneath it, some taking a great deal and others a little. I also saw a cord stretching from heaven to earth. Messenger of Allah, I saw you take hold of it and rise by means of it. Then another man took hold of it and rose by means of it; then another man took hold of it and rose by means of it; then another man took hold of it, and it broke. Then it was joined again, and he rose by means of it.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘May my father and mother be your ransom! Let me interpret it.’ He said, ‘Interpret it.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘The canopy is the canopy of Islam. What drips from it of clarified butter and honey is the Quran, with its gentleness and sweetness. Those taking a great deal or a little are those who take much or little of the Quran. The cord stretching from heaven to earth is the truth upon which you are. You take hold of it, and Allah raises you by it. Then a man after you takes hold of it and rises by it; then another man takes hold of it and rises by it; then another man takes hold of it and it breaks; then it is joined for him, and he rises by it. Messenger of Allah, I adjure you to tell me: was I right or wrong?’ He said, ‘You were right in some of it and wrong in some of it.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘I adjure you by Allah, Messenger of Allah, to tell me what I got wrong.’ The Prophet said, ‘Do not swear an oath.’