Significance of Dreams in Islaam

by Asma bint Shameem

Dreams can be of three kinds:

1. The good dream- that’s from Allaah

🍃Ibn ‘Abbaas Radhi Allaahu anhu said:

“The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ drew back the curtain and the people were lined up in rows behind Abu Bakr.

He said: “O people, there is nothing left of the glad tidings of Prophethood except a good dream that a Muslim sees or that is seen for him.” (Saheeh Muslim 479)

2. The bad dream - the nightmares, the ones you worry about- that’s from the Shaytaan.

3. The thoughts that we’ve been thinking about - that’s from the person’s own subconscious mind.

So for example, if we’ve been cooking all day and preparing for a special dinner, we might dream about it too.

Or a student studying hard might dream of himself taking an exam etc.

🍃 The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Good dreams come from Allaah and bad dreams come from the Shaytaan.”

(al-Bukhaari, Muslim)

🍃 Shaykh ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan Al-Barraak said:

With regard to dreams, some of them are true and some are the playing of the Shaytaan.

The living may come to know something of the circumstances of the dead via true dreams, but that depends on the sincerity of the one who sees the dream, whether the dream is a true dream and the ability of the one who interprets these dreams.

Yet despite that we should not be certain of what the dream says, unless there is some evidence to indicate that; for a living person may see his deceased relative in a dream, advising him to do things or saying some things to him which he may know are true if they match reality.

There have been some cases in which dreams matched reality and others where there is no evidence to suggest that the dreams are true.

And some dreams are known to be untrue.

So dreams are of three types. We must pay attention to that when dealing with news, reports and stories that have to do with the circumstances of the dead.”

(Islamqa Fatwa # 13183)

🔺True dreams:

True dreams are a part of Prophethood.

That’s what the Prophet ﷺ told us.

🍃 He ﷺ said:

“True dreams are one of the forty-six parts of Prophethood.”

(al-Bukhaari, 6472; Muslim 4200)

The truthfulness of the dream is related to the sincerity of the dreamer.

Those who have the most truthful dreams are those who are the most truthful in speech.

(Saheeh Muslim 4200)

Towards the end of time, hardly any dreams will be untrue.

🍃 The Prophet ﷺ said:

“That will be because the Prophethood and its effects will be so far away in time, so the believers will be given some compensation in the form of dreams which will bring them some good news or will help them to be patient and steadfast in their faith.”

(al-Bukhaari, 6499; Muslim, 4200)

So if we see a good dream, we should thank Allaah and we may tell our loved ones or those sincere to us about that good dream.

🍃 Ibn Hajar said:

“to sum up what has been said about good dreams, we may say three things:

“A person should praise Allaah for the good dream

He should feel happy about it.

He should talk about it to those whom he loves but not to those whom he dislikes.”

🍃 He also said:

“All dreams are either of two types:

a) True dreams.

These are the dreams of the Prophets and of the righteous people who follow them.

They may also happen to other people, but this is very rare, such as the dream of the kaafir king which was interpreted for him by Yoosuf Alayhis Salaam.

True dreams are those which come true in real life as they were seen in the dream.

b) Mixed up false dreams, which warn of something.

These are of different types:

- games of the Shaytaan to make a person distressed, such as when he sees his head cut off and he is following it, or he sees himself falling into a crisis and cannot find anyone to save him from it, and so on.

- When he sees some of the angels telling him to do something forbidden, or other things that cannot possibly make sense.

- When he sees something that happens to him in real life, or he wishes it would happen, and he sees it very realistically in his dream; or he see what usually happens to him when he is awake or what reflects his mood.

These dreams usually speak of the future or the present, rarely of the past.”

(Fath al-Baari12/352-354)

🍃 The scholars said:

“The dreams of the Prophets are wahy (revelation) for they are protected from the Shaytaan.

The Ummah is agreed upon this.

This is why Ibraaheem Alaiyhis-Salaam set out to fulfill the command of Allaah to sacrifice his son Ismaa’eel when he saw that in a dream; may peace be upon them both.

The dreams of people other than the Prophets are to be examined in the light of the clear Wahy [i.e., the Qur’aan and Sunnah]. If they are in accordance with the Qur’aan and Sunnah, all well and good; otherwise, they should not be acted upon. This is a very serious matter indeed, for many of the innovators among the Sufis and others have gone astray because of this.

Whoever wants to have true dreams should strive to speak honestly, eat halaal food, adhere to the commandments of sharee’ah, avoid that which Allaah and His Messenger ﷺ have forbidden, sleep in a state of complete purity facing the Qiblah, and remember Allaah until he feels his eyelids drooping.

If he does all this, then his dreams can hardly be untrue.

The most truthful of dreams are those that are seen at the time of suhoor [just before dawn], for this is the time when Allaah descends and when mercy and forgiveness are close.

It is also the time when the devils are quiet, unlike the time of darkness just after sunset, when the devils and devilish souls spread out.”

(Madaarij al-Saalikeen, 1/50-52)

🔺What to do when you see a bad dream?

🍃 The Prophet ﷺ said:

A)”If any one of you sees a bad dream which makes him afraid, let him spit drily to his left and seek refuge with Allaah from its evil, then it will not harm him.” (al-Bukhaari 3292)

B) “If any one of you sees a dream that he dislikes, let him spit drily to his left three time, and seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan three times, and change the side on which he was sleeping.” (Muslim 2262)

C) “If any one of you sees something that he dislikes (in a dream), let him get up and pray, and not tell people about it.’” (Muslim 2263)

So if you see a bad dream, you should do the following:

🔺1. Know that this dream is from the Shaytaan, so don’t pay any attention to it.

🔺2. Spit drily to your left side three times.

🔺3. Say Aa'oodhu Billaahi min ash-Shaytaanir-Rajeem

or you can say

‎أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللهِ التَّامَّاتِ مِنْ غَضَبِهِ وَعِقَابِهِ، وَشَرِّ عِبَادِهِ، وَمِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَأَنْ يَحْضُرُونِ

‘A’oothu bikalimaatil-laahit-taammaati min ghadhabihi wa ‘iqaabihi, wa sharri ‘ibaadihi, wa min hamazaatish-shayaateeni wa ‘an yahdhuroon.

“I seek refuge in the Perfect Words of Allah from His anger and His punishment, from the evil of His slaves and from the taunts of devils and from their presence.” (at-Tirmidhi -hasan by al-Albaani)

🔺4. Ask Allaah to protect you from the evil of this dream.

🔺5. Don’t tell anyone about it.

🔺6. Turn over from the side on which you were sleeping.

🔺7. If you can, then get up and pray.

If you do this then In shaa’ Allaah this bad dream will not harm you or affect you in any way.

QUESTION

How can a dream “harm” someone?

Bad dreams are described in the hadeeth as “harming” or being “from the shaytaan.”

What that means is that they make the person sad, anxious or scared and cause distress.

That’s why the Prophet ﷺ said the bad dream is “from the Shaytaan” because the Shaytaan wants to cause fear or anxiety in the person and bother him.

🍃 Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

“Alarm comes from the shaytaan.

The shaytaan depicts to a person in his sleep things that alarm him with regard to himself, his wealth or his family, or in his community, because the shaytaan loves to make the believers sad, as Allaah says:

“Secret counsels (conspiracies) are only from Shaytaan, in order that he may cause grief to the believers.

But he cannot harm them in the least, except as Allaah permits”

[al-Mujaadilah 58:10]

Everything that causes distress to people and upsets them, the shaytaan is eager for it, whether it is when they are awake or asleep, because the shaytaan is an enemy as Allaah says:

“Surely, Shaytaan is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an enemy”

[Faatir 35:6]”

(Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen 1/329)

🔺Dream interpretations:

🍃 Imaam al-Baghawi said:

“Know that the interpretation of dreams falls into various categories.

Dreams may be interpreted in the light of the Qur’aan or in the light of the Sunnah, or by means of the proverbs that are current among people, or by names and metaphors, or in terms of opposites.” (Sharh al-Sunnah, 12/220)

Do keep in mind that it’s not just anybody’s job to interpret dreams.

Rather, interpreting dreams is a specialized science, only known and practiced by those who have that knowledge.

🍃 Al-Baaji said:

“No one should interpret dreams except one who is good at doing so. If a person has no knowledge of that or does not do it well, then he should refrain from doing that.”

🍃 Shaykh Abdul Azeez Aal Ash-Shaykh said:

“The interpreters of Ru’yas (dreams) on the other hand, should fear Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala and beware of engaging in this field without sufficient knowledge, because interpreting a dream is like giving a Fatwa…

Having said this, the field of interpreting dreams has expanded to the extent that there are now special programs on satellite channels, phone lines that reply to inquiries from the public, columns in newspapers and magazines, and places in clubs that aim to attract people and unjustly consume their wealth. All these practices are a great evil and trifle with this type of knowledge, which is part of prophethood.

Once Imaam Maalik was asked if it was permissible for any person to interpret Ru’ya, to which he replied:

“Is prophethood to be played with?”

Malik added: “Only those well-versed in interpreting dreams should do so.

If it bears glad tidings, one can narrate it; but if it bears an evil omen, one should say something good or else remain silent.”

He was further asked: “Should one interpret it as glad tidings although he knows that it bears an evil omen, as the saying goes: It (a dream) will be realized as interpreted?”

He replied: “No, dreams are one part of prophethood which cannot be played with.”

All Muslims should cooperate in preventing this evil, every one according to their capacity.” (Taken from the Shaikh’s website)

🔺 Also keep in mind that the books going around attributed to Ibn Sireen are not his work.

Ibn Sireen does not have any books about Dream Interpretation.

🍃 Someone asked Shaykh Fawzaan:

“Did Ibn Sireen specialize in dream interpretation?

And can it be said that the books present now in the libraries and bookstores are by Ibn Sireen?”

Shaykh Fawzan replied:

“This is a lie.

Ibn Sireen does not have any books about dream interpretation.

This book which is present now is not by Ibn Sireen; rather it was falsely attributed to him.”

And Allaah knows best