How sound is the hadith narrated in the exegesis of Allah Almighty's saying, "A company of those of old, and a company of those of later times" (Quran 56:39-40), concerning the dream of Abu Zumal Al-Juhani, and how can it be reconciled with reality?

The aforementioned hadith, narrated by Ibn Kathir from Al-Bayhaqi in Dala'il al-Nubuwwah, is not considered sound by scholars. Ibn al-Jawzi explicitly stated that it is not authentic, and Ibn Hibban mentioned that Sulayman ibn Ata' narrated fabricated things from Maslamah.