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Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said:
“While I was sleeping, I saw myself standing at a well over which there was a bucket. I pulled out as many buckets of water as Allah wished from it. Ibn Abi Quhafah then took the bucket from me and pulled out one or two full buckets, but there was weakness in his pull – may Allah forgive him. Then the bucket turned into a very large one and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab took it. I have never seen any person draw water with such strength as ‘Umar did, until the people [drank to their satisfaction and] watered their camels to their fill; whereupon the camels sat beside the water.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol.9, p.122, no.148]
The kunyah [pet name] of Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq’s father was Abu Quhafah. That is, the name Ibn Abi Quhafah [the son of Abu Quhafah] refers to Abu Bakr.
The symbolism in the Prophet’s dream indicated that Abu Bakr would lead the Muslim state during trying times, for one or two years; while ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab would lead them in times of prosperity for a number of years.
