How to Interpret Dreams in Islam Like a Pro
18/10/2019
Dreams are a form of sensations or images that occur on a person when he/she is sleeping. The fascination about dreams and interpreting them have become a common trend among Muslims and non-Muslims alike. According to the Oxford dictionary, the definition for a dream is as follows,
"To experience a series of images, events and feelings in your mind while you are asleep"
The merriam-webster dictionary defines a dream as follows,
"A series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep"
Now, Islam gives a deep explanation of what kind of dreams a person sees. The prophet(Sal) said,
“Dreams are of three types: a dream from Allah, a dream which causes distress and which comes from the Shaytan, and a dream which comes from what a person thinks about when he is awake, and he sees it when he is asleep.”
(Bukhari,Muslim and others)
From this dream it is clear that a dream has three types.
1.Dreams from Allah
2.Dreams that are by Shaytan
3. And dreams which a person sees by thinking at things when he was awake which are meaningless dreams.
From these let me explain the dreams from Allah(Swt0 and the dreams from Shaytan.
Explaining Good Dreams and Bad Dreams
Dreams that you see that makes you happy are good dreams that are from Allah and the dreams that brings fear or that is desliked by the seer is a bad dream that is from Shaytan.
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (Rali) reported,
The Prophet(Sal) said,
“When one of you sees a dream he likes, it is from Allah so let him praise Allah for it and speak about it. When one of you sees something else he dislikes, it is from Satan so let him seek refuge from its evil and not mention it to anyone. It will not harm him.”
(Bukhari)
Abu Qatada reported Allah's Messenger (Sal) as saying,
"A good vision is from Allah and a bad dream (hulm) is from the satan; so if one of you sees anything (in a dream which he dislikes, he should spit on his left side thrice and seek refuge with Allah from its evil, and then it will never harm him. Abu Salama said: I used to see dreams weighing more heavily upon me than a mountain; but since I heard this hadith I don't care for it (its burden)."
(Muslim)
Narrated by Jabir (Rali) that the Prophet (Sal) said,
“If any one of you sees a dream that he dislikes, let him spit to his left three times, and seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan three times, and turn over from the side on which he was sleeping.”
(Muslim)
Aboo Hurayrah narrated,
I heard Allah’s Messenger (Sal) as
saying, “Nothing is left of the prophethood except glad tidings.”
They asked, “What are glad tidings?” He replied, “Good
dreams.”
(Bukhari)
Anas ibn Maalik related that Allaah’s Messenger (Sal) said,
“Indeed messengership and prophethood have ended, so there
will be no messenger nor prophet after me.” He [Anas] said:
The people found it difficult to bear, so the Prophet (ρ) said,
“Except glad tidings.” They asked, “O Messenger of Allaah,
What are glad tidings?” He replied, “The dream of a Muslim. It
is one of the parts of prophethood.”
(Tirmidhi-with an authentic chain of narration)
Anas ibn Maalik mentioned that Allah’s Messenger (Sal) said,
“A good dream of a righteous man is one of forty-six parts of
prophethood.”
(Bukhari)
Abu Hurayrah(Rali) narrated that the prophet(Sal) said,
“When the end of time approaches, the dream of a believer can hardly be false. The dream of a believer is one of forty-six parts of prophecy and whatever is from prophecy cannot be false.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
From these hadiths it could be understood that a good dream from a righteous man is one of forty six parts of prophethood. Some of the revelations were revealed through dreams.
Aisha(Rali) said,
“Divine revelation began to come to Allah’s
Messenger (Sal) in the form of righteous (saalihah) dreams
during his sleep. Whenever he had a dream, it would come true
(clearly) like day break.”
(Bukhari)
This means that although prophecy was completed with the prophet(Sal), Allah(Swt) will send glad tidings through good dreams.
Telling Your Dreams to Others
Abu Said al Khudri(Rali) narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“If anyone of you has a dream that he likes, then it is from
Allah. He should thank Allah for it and narrate it to
others.”
(Bukhari)
From the above hadith it is clear that you can narrate a good dream to others but this should be only to those whom he or she loves.
Abu Qatadah (Rali) narrated, the prophet(Sal) said,
“Good dreams are from Allah, so if any one of you sees that
which he likes, he should not disclose it to anyone but whom he
loves.”
(Muslim)
The reason for not telling everyone about your dream is because a person of jealousy could do more harm and to the person who has seen the dream and even jealousy could cause evil eye that could in return harm the Muslim who has seen a good dream. Prophet Jacob(PBUH) advised his son Joseph (PBUH) as follows,
"When Joseph said to his father, "O my father, indeed I have seen [in a dream] eleven stars and the sun and the moon; I saw them prostrating to me.
He said, "O my son, do not relate your vision to your brothers or they will contrive against you a plan. Indeed Satan, to man, is an open enemy."
(Al-Quran-12:4-5)
Abu Hurayrah (Rali) narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“Don’t relate your dreams except to scholars and confidants.”
(Tirmidhi-Authenticated in Sahih Sunan at Tirmidhi)
Anas ibn Maalik (Rali) that the prophet(Sal) said,
“Indeed, dreams occur according to how they are interpreted. It
is like a man who raises his leg and waits for when to put it
down. So if any of you has a dream, don’t relate it except to a
confidant or a scholar.”
(Al-Hakim-Graded Sahih by Albani in Silsilat ul Hadith as Saheehah)
These two hadiths also gives us a very important point and that is that we should not tell our good dreams to everyone except someone who is is very close and loving towards you or a person who is knowledgeful. As for narrating bad dreams, the prophet(Sal) forbade telling it to anyone.
Jabir (Rali) narrated, A Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah (Sal) and said,
“I dreamt that my head was cut off and I was chasing it.” The Messenger of Allaah (Sal) rebuked him and said: “Do not tell anyone how the Shaytaan is messing about with you in your dreams.”
(Muslim)
Abu Salamah said: I used to see dreams which caused me to
shiver, but I didn’t cover myself with a cloak. [This continued to happen] until I met Abo Qataadah and told him about it. He
quoted Allah’s Messenger (Sal) as saying :
“A (good) dream
comes from Allah and a (bad) dream from the devil. So
when one of you sees a dream which he does not like, he should spit on his left side three times and seek refuge with Allah from its evil; then it will not harm him.”
(Muslim)
In another hadith narrated by Abu Qatadah(Rali),the prophet(Sal) said,
“Good dreams come from Allah, and (bad) dreams come from Shaytan. Whoever sees something that he dislikes, let him spit to his left three times and seek refuge with Allah from the Shaytan, for it will not harm him.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Jabir(Rali)narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“If any one of you sees a dream that he dislikes, let him spit to his left three times, and seek refuge with Allah from the Shaytan three times, and turn over from the side on which he was sleeping.”
(Muslim)
Abu Hurayrah(Rali) narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“Dreams are of three types: glad tidings from Allah, what is on a person’s mind, and frightening dreams from the Shaytaan. If any of you sees a dream that he likes, let him tell others of it if he wishes, but if he sees something that he dislikes, he should not tell anyone about it, and he should get up and pray.”
(Ibn Majah-Graded Sahih by Albani in Sahih Ibn Majah)
Seeing The Porphet(Sal) In a Dream and Refuting Those Who Deny It
Seeing the prophet(Sal) in a dream is established in the Sunnah that the devil cannot come as the prophet(Sal) or take his form in a dream.
Abu Hurayrah(Rali) narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“Whoever has seen me in a dream, has in fact seen me, for
Satan does not appear in my form.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Narrated Abu Qatada(Rali),
The Prophet (Sal) said, "Whoever sees me (in a dream) then he indeed has seen the truth .
(Bukhari)
Abu Qatadah narrated (Rali),
The prophet(Sal) said,
“The good dream is from Allah and the bad dream is from Satan. Whoever sees something he dislikes, let him blow to his left side three times and seek refuge from Satan. Verily, it will not harm him and Satan cannot appear in my form.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Narrated Abu Huraira (Rali),
I heard the Prophet (Sal) saying, "Whoever sees me in a dream will see me in his wakefulness, and Satan cannot imitate me in shape."
(Bukhari)
It is clear from the above and many other hadiths that satan cannot claim or com in the for of the prophet(Sal) but still some Muslims who are deviant and follow the Muhtazili rationalist ideology have rejected this truth by arguing that the hadith "“Whoever has seen me in a dream, has in fact seen me" cannot be understood as it is. rather , it has to be understood with the below hadith and they quote the hadith in which the prophet(Sal) said,
"Whoever sees me in a dream will see me in his wakefulness, and Satan cannot imitate me in shape."
(Bukhari)
Now, this hadith of seeing him in his wakefulness, these Muhtazili deviants argue falsely that what is meant by the hadith that seeing prophet(Sal) in a dream means that seeing him when he was alive during the time of the Sahaba. They argue that you must understand the hadith of seeing the prophet(Sal) in a dream was valid only when he was alive. This argument is a false and absurd argument which is used by those who reject the hadiths and use logic to understand it.
My Answer
This false argument of these people is answered in hadith of the prophet(Sal) himself. This is what the messenger(Sal) meant by his statement" "Whoever sees me in a dream will see me in his wakefulness". Let's see this hadith.
Abu Hurayrah(Rali) narrated,
I heard Allah's Messenger (Sal) as saying,
"He who saw me in a dream would soon see me in the state of wakefulness, or as if he saw me in a state of wakefulness, for the satan does not appear in my form."
(Sahih Muslim)
From this hadith in Sahih Muslim it is clear that what is meant from the hadith""Whoever sees me in a dream will see me in his wakefulness" means that if anyone sees the prophet(Sal) in a dream, it is as if he has seeing him while he was awake and that means that the dream of seeing the prophet(Sal) is very true and that satan cannot come in a dream in the form of prophet(Sal).
The other argument put forward by some Muslims is that what is meant by the hadith of seeing the prophet(Sal) means that seeing the prophet(Sal) in his true form and they try to give a false interpretation that satan can take another form and come in a dream and claim that he his the prophet(Sal). This argument is once again a false argument because no where in a hadith did the prophet(Sal) say that satan can come and in another form other that the prophet(Sal) and claim that he his the prophet(Sal). The prophet(Sal) clearly said,
"Satan cannot imitate me in shape."
(Bukhari)
Abu Qatada reported Allah's Messenger (Sal) as saying:
"He who saw me in dream in fact saw the truth (what is true)."
(Sahih Muslim)
It is clear that satan cannot imitate the prophet(Sal) and arguing that satan can still take some other form and come in a dream like the prophet(Sal) is a false argument because nowhere in an authentic hadith did the prophet(Sal) say that satan can take some other form and claim that he is the prophet(Sal) in a dream. Some Sahaba like Ibn Abbas(Rali) used to ask the person who claimed to have seeing the prophet(Sal)in a dream to describe the dream to him. When Yazeed ibn Farisee said that he had seeing the prophet(Sal) in a dream,Ibn Abbas(Ral) said to him,
"Can you describe to us the person that you saw?” Yazeed replied, “Yes. I saw a man of medium height, of light brown complexion, with a nice laugh, black
eyes, a nicely rounded face. His beard filled from here to here
[from one cheek to the other] and almost filled his neck.”
Ibn Abbas said,
“If you saw him while you were awake you
wouldn’t have been able to describe him better!"
(Musnad Ahmed-Graded Sahih in Al-Fath-ul-Rabbanee)
Some try to argue that if a person claims to have seen the prophet(Sal) in a dream, then you should ask him to give a description of whom he saw. this argument is based only on the above opinion of Ibn Abbas(Rali) and there is no established hadith from the prophet(Sal) stating so.
The next argument is the argument that some people can claim and even lie that they had seen the prophet(Sal) and some could even claim of trying to legitimize certain innovations in the pretext of seeing the prophet(Sal). My answer to this argument is, in Islam, it is forbidden fabricate dreams which are false. Ibn Umar(Rali) narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“Indeed, the worst lie is that of a person who falsely claims to
have a dream."
(Muslim)
Ibn Abbas(Rali) narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“Whoever claims to have a dream which he did not have, will be
ordered to tie two barley grains together - which he will never
be able to do"
(Muslim)
The most truest dream that will come true are from those who are the most truthful in speech. Abu Hurayrah(Rali) narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“Those of you with the truest dreams will be those who are most
truthful in speech.”
(Muslim)
How To Interpret Dreams With Evidence
Interpreting dreams in Islam is something in which a person needs to have a good knowledge on the various elements of the dreams. You cannot be fully accurate when interpreting a dream. There are hits and misses no matter how knowledgeful you could be in interpreting a dream. Ibn Abbas(Rali) narrated,
a person came to Allah’s Messenger(Sal) and said,
"O Messenger of Allah, while I was sleeping
during the night, I dreamt that there was a cloud from which
butter and honey were trickling, and I also saw people collecting
varying amounts of it in the palms of their hands. I also saw a
rope hanging between the earth and the sky and I saw you catch
hold of it and ascend into the sky. Then two persons after you
caught hold of it and ascended, one after the other. When a third
person caught hold of the rope, it broke, then it was rejoined and
he also ascended. Abu Bakr said, “O Messenger of Allah,
may my father be sacrificed for you. By Allah, allow me to
interpret it.” Allah’s Messenger (Sal) said, “Interpret it.” Abu
Bakr said, “The cloud signifies the canopy of Islam and the
butter and honey which trickled from it represents the sweetness
and softness of the Qur’aan. As for what people caught of it in
their palms, it refers to those who read and learn a lot of the
Qur’aan, and those who read and learn only a small portion.
The rope between the sky and the earth represents the truth
which you stood for and by which Allah will raise you (into
Heaven). Then two persons after you will take hold of it and
ascend with the help of it. Another person will take hold of it
and it will break; then it will be rejoined for him and he will
ascend with its help. O Messenger of Allah, may my father be
taken as a ransom for you, was I correct or incorrect?” Allah’s
Messenger (Sal) replied, “You have interpreted a part of it
correctly and you have erred in interpreting a part of it.” He
then insisted, “O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, you must tell
me the part in which I was incorrect.” He replied saying, “Don’t
take an oath [saying: by Allah].”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
In this hadith, even the leading companion,Abu Bakr(Rali)'s interpretation of the dream was not full correct. Below are some of the elements any one can take as a way to interpret a hadith.
Seeing a person or a loved one in a dream
Seeing a dead person in a dream in a good position could mean that that person is in a good place. The evidence for this is in the below hadith,
"When the Prophet (Sal) made hijrah to Madeenah, Tufayl ibn 'Amr came as well, along with a man from his tribe. This man became ill when he first reached Madeenah and his illness became so severe that he took a knife and slit his wrist (over the top, or possibly near the knuckles), and the blood spilled out until he died. Tufayl then saw him in a dream, in a good vision, except that his hands were wrapped up.
So he asked him, "What has your Lord done with you?"
He replied, "He has forgiven me because of my hijrah to His Prophet (Sal).
The he asked, "Why are your hands wrapped up?"
He said, "It was said to me: We shall not fix something you have corrupted yourself!" So Tufayl relayed this to the Messenger of Allaah (Sal), so he said
"O Allaah! And forgive his hands (too)!"
(Sahih Muslim)
In this hadith, it shows that if a person comes in a dreams and says that he is forgiven or is in a good state, then it means that he or she is in a good state. Seeing a dead person in a good state is a good state and a glad tiding from Allah. The prophet(Sal) said,
“When one of you sees a dream he likes, it is from Allah so let him praise Allah for it and speak about it. When one of you sees something else he dislikes, it is from Satan so let him seek refuge from its evil and not mention it to anyone. It will not harm him.”
(Bukhari)
Good dreams are indeed glad tidings from Allah(Swt). Abud-Dardaa(Rali) was asked about the verse {لَهُمُ
الْبشُْرَى فيِ الْحَياَةِ الدُّنْياَ} “Glad tidings are for them in the life (Al-Quran-10:64)
of this world” and he replied that only one other person had asked him about it since he asked Allaah’s Messenger (ρ) about
it. Allah’s Messenger (ρ) said,
“No one besides you has asked me about it since it was
revealed. It is the good dream which a Muslim sees or which is
seen about him.”
(Tirmidhi-Graded Sahih in Sahih Sunan at Tirmidhi)
It should be noted that seeing a loved one or a dead person in a bad state that causes grief and sadness for the person who has seen it is a dream from satan and do not tell it to anyone. The prophet(Sal) said,
"When one of you sees a dream which he does not like, he should spit on his left side three times and seek refuge with Allah from
its evil; then it will not harm him.”
(Muslim)
Rope
Seeing a rope in a dream could mean the rope of Allah which is the religion of Islam. Allah(Awt) says in the Quran,
“Hold on firmly to the rope of Allah and do not become divided.”
(Al-Quran-3:103)
Clothes Such as "Shirts'
The symbolism of shirts is explained in the below hadiths as religion.
The prophet(Sal) said,
“While I was sleeping, people were displayed before me wearing shirts, some of which only covered their chests and some which covered below that.
Then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab was shown to me and he was
wearing a shirt [so long that] he was dragging [it behind him].”
When the people asked the Prophet (ρ) how he interpreted it, he
replied, “It [refers to] the religion.”
(Bukhari)
Seeing a Black Woman In a Dream
The prophet(Sal) said,
Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar related that the Prophet (ρ) said, “I
[dreamt that I] saw a black woman with untidy hair going out of
Madeenah and settling at Mahya‘ah. I interpreted it as the
epidemic of Madeenah being transferred to Mahya‘ah, namely,
al-Juhfah."
(Bukhari)
In this hadith it means that seeing a black woman in a dream could mean an epidemic or sickness.
Bangles
Abu Hurayrah(Rali) narrated that the prophet(Sal) said,
“While sleeping, I saw two gold bangles on my hands. This disturbed me, but I was inspired to blow on them, so I blew on them and they flew
away.I interpreted the (two bangles) as the two great liars
who would appear after me, and one of them is al-‘Ansee from
San‘aa and the other, Musaylimah, from Yamaamah
(Muslim)
According to this hadith, bangles could symbolize the coming of a liar or corruption makers.
Seeing Cows in a dream
Seeing cows in a dream could symbolize the Muslims.
The prophet(Sal) said,
“I saw in a dream that I was migrating from Makkah to a land where there
were date palm trees. I thought that it might be the land of al-
Yamaamah or Hajar, but it turned out to be Yathrib And I
saw cows [being slaughtered] there - and what is with Allah
is better. Eventually the cows proved to symbolise the believers
[who were killed] on the day [of the battle] of Uhud, and the
good [which I saw in the dream] was the good and the reward
of truth which Allah bestowed upon us after the Badr
(Bukhari)
Seeing cows could mean many things like a reward Allah(wt) has bestowed as explained in this hadith. The explanation of seeing cows was explained by Joseph(PBUH) and this was how he explained as mentioned in the Quran.
“O Joseph, man of truth! Explain to us [the dream of] seven
fat cows whom seven lean ones were devouring, and of seven
green ears of corn and of [seven] dry ones, that I may return
to the people and inform them.” [Joseph] said: For seven
consecutive years you should sow as usual and what you
reap, you should leave [in storage], except a little which you
may eat. Then seven hard [years] will come after that which
will devour what you previously stored, except a little which
you [specially] guarded. Then a year will come after that in
which people will have abundant water, and in which they
will press [grapes and olives].”
(Al-Quran-12:46-9)
Seeing The Kabah In a Dream
Aisha(Rali) narrated,the messenger of Allah laughed while
sleeping. When he awoke, she said to him, “O Messenger of
Allah, what did you laugh about?” He replied, “Indeed, some
people of my Ummah will attack the Ka‘bah [in order to kill] a
person from the tribe of Quraysh and he will seek protection
in the House. When they reach a plain south of Madeenah
the earth will sink and swallow them up. Their origins will be
varied and Allaah will resurrect them according to their
intentions.” I asked, “O Messenger of Allah, how will Allah
resurrect them according to their intentions when their origins are varied?”
He replied, “The path united them. Some of them
will come with definite designs, others will be travelers and
others will be forced to come, but they will all be destroyed in
one [stroke], and they will all be resurrected in different
states"
(Muslim)
Seeing Keys In a Dream
Keys could mean eloquence in speech and treasures.
Abu Hurayrah(Rali) narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“While I was
sleeping last night, I was given the keys to eloquent speech,
support by the awe [that was cast into the hearts of my
enemies], and the key to the treasures of the earth were brought
and put in my hand.” Aboo Hurayrah added: The Messenger of
Allaah (ρ) left [this world] and now you people are transporting
those treasures amongst yourselves"
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Seeing a Palace In a Dream
Seeing a palace in a dream symbolizes something positive. Abu Hurayrah(Rali) narrated,
“While I was sleeping, I saw
myself in Paradise. Suddenly I saw a woman performing
ablution beside a palace. I asked, “Who does this palace
belong to?” (The angels) replied, “It belongs to ‘Umar ibn al-
Khattaab.” Then I remembered ‘Umar’s sense of honor and
went back hurriedly.” On hearing that, ‘Umar started crying and
said, “Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O
Messenger of Allaah! My sense of honor could never be
offended by you?”
(Bukhari)
Seeing a Sword In a Dream
A sword could symbolize a past defeat or hardship and a victory or conquest. This could change according to the situation of the dream.
Abu Moosa(Rali) narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“I dreamt that I waved a sword and it broke in the middle. That symbolized the
casualties the believers suffered during the battle of Uhud.
Then I waved the sword again, and it became better than it had
ever been before. That symbolized the Conquest (of Makkah)
and the gathering of the believers which Allah brought
about.”
(Bukhari)
These are the few symbolic explanation mentioned in the Quran and the authentic hadiths on interpreting dreams. There are many more and you can search them in the Quran or the books of hadiths for them. There is nothing wrong in making mistakes when interpreting dreams. If you happen to have seeing a dream, then the simple way to interpret it is by focusing of the main things you saw that are symbolic like for an example, the Kabah and search for the verses and hadiths mentioning the kabah and you can InshaAllah get a rough understanding on what was meant on the dream you saw.
C.J.Ahmed
Dreams are a form of sensations or images that occur on a person when he/she is sleeping. The fascination about dreams and interpreting them have become a common trend among Muslims and non-Muslims alike. According to the Oxford dictionary, the definition for a dream is as follows,
"To experience a series of images, events and feelings in your mind while you are asleep"
The merriam-webster dictionary defines a dream as follows,
"A series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep"
Now, Islam gives a deep explanation of what kind of dreams a person sees. The prophet(Sal) said,
“Dreams are of three types: a dream from Allah, a dream which causes distress and which comes from the Shaytan, and a dream which comes from what a person thinks about when he is awake, and he sees it when he is asleep.”
(Bukhari,Muslim and others)
From this dream it is clear that a dream has three types.
1.Dreams from Allah
2.Dreams that are by Shaytan
3. And dreams which a person sees by thinking at things when he was awake which are meaningless dreams.
From these let me explain the dreams from Allah(Swt0 and the dreams from Shaytan.
Explaining Good Dreams and Bad Dreams
Dreams that you see that makes you happy are good dreams that are from Allah and the dreams that brings fear or that is desliked by the seer is a bad dream that is from Shaytan.
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (Rali) reported,
The Prophet(Sal) said,
“When one of you sees a dream he likes, it is from Allah so let him praise Allah for it and speak about it. When one of you sees something else he dislikes, it is from Satan so let him seek refuge from its evil and not mention it to anyone. It will not harm him.”
(Bukhari)
Abu Qatada reported Allah's Messenger (Sal) as saying,
"A good vision is from Allah and a bad dream (hulm) is from the satan; so if one of you sees anything (in a dream which he dislikes, he should spit on his left side thrice and seek refuge with Allah from its evil, and then it will never harm him. Abu Salama said: I used to see dreams weighing more heavily upon me than a mountain; but since I heard this hadith I don't care for it (its burden)."
(Muslim)
Narrated by Jabir (Rali) that the Prophet (Sal) said,
“If any one of you sees a dream that he dislikes, let him spit to his left three times, and seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan three times, and turn over from the side on which he was sleeping.”
(Muslim)
Aboo Hurayrah narrated,
I heard Allah’s Messenger (Sal) as
saying, “Nothing is left of the prophethood except glad tidings.”
They asked, “What are glad tidings?” He replied, “Good
dreams.”
(Bukhari)
Anas ibn Maalik related that Allaah’s Messenger (Sal) said,
“Indeed messengership and prophethood have ended, so there
will be no messenger nor prophet after me.” He [Anas] said:
The people found it difficult to bear, so the Prophet (ρ) said,
“Except glad tidings.” They asked, “O Messenger of Allaah,
What are glad tidings?” He replied, “The dream of a Muslim. It
is one of the parts of prophethood.”
(Tirmidhi-with an authentic chain of narration)
Anas ibn Maalik mentioned that Allah’s Messenger (Sal) said,
“A good dream of a righteous man is one of forty-six parts of
prophethood.”
(Bukhari)
Abu Hurayrah(Rali) narrated that the prophet(Sal) said,
“When the end of time approaches, the dream of a believer can hardly be false. The dream of a believer is one of forty-six parts of prophecy and whatever is from prophecy cannot be false.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
From these hadiths it could be understood that a good dream from a righteous man is one of forty six parts of prophethood. Some of the revelations were revealed through dreams.
Aisha(Rali) said,
“Divine revelation began to come to Allah’s
Messenger (Sal) in the form of righteous (saalihah) dreams
during his sleep. Whenever he had a dream, it would come true
(clearly) like day break.”
(Bukhari)
This means that although prophecy was completed with the prophet(Sal), Allah(Swt) will send glad tidings through good dreams.
Telling Your Dreams to Others
Abu Said al Khudri(Rali) narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“If anyone of you has a dream that he likes, then it is from
Allah. He should thank Allah for it and narrate it to
others.”
(Bukhari)
From the above hadith it is clear that you can narrate a good dream to others but this should be only to those whom he or she loves.
Abu Qatadah (Rali) narrated, the prophet(Sal) said,
“Good dreams are from Allah, so if any one of you sees that
which he likes, he should not disclose it to anyone but whom he
loves.”
(Muslim)
The reason for not telling everyone about your dream is because a person of jealousy could do more harm and to the person who has seen the dream and even jealousy could cause evil eye that could in return harm the Muslim who has seen a good dream. Prophet Jacob(PBUH) advised his son Joseph (PBUH) as follows,
"When Joseph said to his father, "O my father, indeed I have seen [in a dream] eleven stars and the sun and the moon; I saw them prostrating to me.
He said, "O my son, do not relate your vision to your brothers or they will contrive against you a plan. Indeed Satan, to man, is an open enemy."
(Al-Quran-12:4-5)
Abu Hurayrah (Rali) narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“Don’t relate your dreams except to scholars and confidants.”
(Tirmidhi-Authenticated in Sahih Sunan at Tirmidhi)
Anas ibn Maalik (Rali) that the prophet(Sal) said,
“Indeed, dreams occur according to how they are interpreted. It
is like a man who raises his leg and waits for when to put it
down. So if any of you has a dream, don’t relate it except to a
confidant or a scholar.”
(Al-Hakim-Graded Sahih by Albani in Silsilat ul Hadith as Saheehah)
These two hadiths also gives us a very important point and that is that we should not tell our good dreams to everyone except someone who is is very close and loving towards you or a person who is knowledgeful. As for narrating bad dreams, the prophet(Sal) forbade telling it to anyone.
Jabir (Rali) narrated, A Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah (Sal) and said,
“I dreamt that my head was cut off and I was chasing it.” The Messenger of Allaah (Sal) rebuked him and said: “Do not tell anyone how the Shaytaan is messing about with you in your dreams.”
(Muslim)
Abu Salamah said: I used to see dreams which caused me to
shiver, but I didn’t cover myself with a cloak. [This continued to happen] until I met Abo Qataadah and told him about it. He
quoted Allah’s Messenger (Sal) as saying :
“A (good) dream
comes from Allah and a (bad) dream from the devil. So
when one of you sees a dream which he does not like, he should spit on his left side three times and seek refuge with Allah from its evil; then it will not harm him.”
(Muslim)
In another hadith narrated by Abu Qatadah(Rali),the prophet(Sal) said,
“Good dreams come from Allah, and (bad) dreams come from Shaytan. Whoever sees something that he dislikes, let him spit to his left three times and seek refuge with Allah from the Shaytan, for it will not harm him.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Jabir(Rali)narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“If any one of you sees a dream that he dislikes, let him spit to his left three times, and seek refuge with Allah from the Shaytan three times, and turn over from the side on which he was sleeping.”
(Muslim)
Abu Hurayrah(Rali) narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“Dreams are of three types: glad tidings from Allah, what is on a person’s mind, and frightening dreams from the Shaytaan. If any of you sees a dream that he likes, let him tell others of it if he wishes, but if he sees something that he dislikes, he should not tell anyone about it, and he should get up and pray.”
(Ibn Majah-Graded Sahih by Albani in Sahih Ibn Majah)
Seeing The Porphet(Sal) In a Dream and Refuting Those Who Deny It
Seeing the prophet(Sal) in a dream is established in the Sunnah that the devil cannot come as the prophet(Sal) or take his form in a dream.
Abu Hurayrah(Rali) narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“Whoever has seen me in a dream, has in fact seen me, for
Satan does not appear in my form.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Narrated Abu Qatada(Rali),
The Prophet (Sal) said, "Whoever sees me (in a dream) then he indeed has seen the truth .
(Bukhari)
Abu Qatadah narrated (Rali),
The prophet(Sal) said,
“The good dream is from Allah and the bad dream is from Satan. Whoever sees something he dislikes, let him blow to his left side three times and seek refuge from Satan. Verily, it will not harm him and Satan cannot appear in my form.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Narrated Abu Huraira (Rali),
I heard the Prophet (Sal) saying, "Whoever sees me in a dream will see me in his wakefulness, and Satan cannot imitate me in shape."
(Bukhari)
It is clear from the above and many other hadiths that satan cannot claim or com in the for of the prophet(Sal) but still some Muslims who are deviant and follow the Muhtazili rationalist ideology have rejected this truth by arguing that the hadith "“Whoever has seen me in a dream, has in fact seen me" cannot be understood as it is. rather , it has to be understood with the below hadith and they quote the hadith in which the prophet(Sal) said,
"Whoever sees me in a dream will see me in his wakefulness, and Satan cannot imitate me in shape."
(Bukhari)
Now, this hadith of seeing him in his wakefulness, these Muhtazili deviants argue falsely that what is meant by the hadith that seeing prophet(Sal) in a dream means that seeing him when he was alive during the time of the Sahaba. They argue that you must understand the hadith of seeing the prophet(Sal) in a dream was valid only when he was alive. This argument is a false and absurd argument which is used by those who reject the hadiths and use logic to understand it.
My Answer
This false argument of these people is answered in hadith of the prophet(Sal) himself. This is what the messenger(Sal) meant by his statement" "Whoever sees me in a dream will see me in his wakefulness". Let's see this hadith.
Abu Hurayrah(Rali) narrated,
I heard Allah's Messenger (Sal) as saying,
"He who saw me in a dream would soon see me in the state of wakefulness, or as if he saw me in a state of wakefulness, for the satan does not appear in my form."
(Sahih Muslim)
From this hadith in Sahih Muslim it is clear that what is meant from the hadith""Whoever sees me in a dream will see me in his wakefulness" means that if anyone sees the prophet(Sal) in a dream, it is as if he has seeing him while he was awake and that means that the dream of seeing the prophet(Sal) is very true and that satan cannot come in a dream in the form of prophet(Sal).
The other argument put forward by some Muslims is that what is meant by the hadith of seeing the prophet(Sal) means that seeing the prophet(Sal) in his true form and they try to give a false interpretation that satan can take another form and come in a dream and claim that he his the prophet(Sal). This argument is once again a false argument because no where in a hadith did the prophet(Sal) say that satan can come and in another form other that the prophet(Sal) and claim that he his the prophet(Sal). The prophet(Sal) clearly said,
"Satan cannot imitate me in shape."
(Bukhari)
Abu Qatada reported Allah's Messenger (Sal) as saying:
"He who saw me in dream in fact saw the truth (what is true)."
(Sahih Muslim)
It is clear that satan cannot imitate the prophet(Sal) and arguing that satan can still take some other form and come in a dream like the prophet(Sal) is a false argument because nowhere in an authentic hadith did the prophet(Sal) say that satan can take some other form and claim that he is the prophet(Sal) in a dream. Some Sahaba like Ibn Abbas(Rali) used to ask the person who claimed to have seeing the prophet(Sal)in a dream to describe the dream to him. When Yazeed ibn Farisee said that he had seeing the prophet(Sal) in a dream,Ibn Abbas(Ral) said to him,
"Can you describe to us the person that you saw?” Yazeed replied, “Yes. I saw a man of medium height, of light brown complexion, with a nice laugh, black
eyes, a nicely rounded face. His beard filled from here to here
[from one cheek to the other] and almost filled his neck.”
Ibn Abbas said,
“If you saw him while you were awake you
wouldn’t have been able to describe him better!"
(Musnad Ahmed-Graded Sahih in Al-Fath-ul-Rabbanee)
Some try to argue that if a person claims to have seen the prophet(Sal) in a dream, then you should ask him to give a description of whom he saw. this argument is based only on the above opinion of Ibn Abbas(Rali) and there is no established hadith from the prophet(Sal) stating so.
The next argument is the argument that some people can claim and even lie that they had seen the prophet(Sal) and some could even claim of trying to legitimize certain innovations in the pretext of seeing the prophet(Sal). My answer to this argument is, in Islam, it is forbidden fabricate dreams which are false. Ibn Umar(Rali) narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“Indeed, the worst lie is that of a person who falsely claims to
have a dream."
(Muslim)
Ibn Abbas(Rali) narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“Whoever claims to have a dream which he did not have, will be
ordered to tie two barley grains together - which he will never
be able to do"
(Muslim)
The most truest dream that will come true are from those who are the most truthful in speech. Abu Hurayrah(Rali) narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“Those of you with the truest dreams will be those who are most
truthful in speech.”
(Muslim)
How To Interpret Dreams With Evidence
Interpreting dreams in Islam is something in which a person needs to have a good knowledge on the various elements of the dreams. You cannot be fully accurate when interpreting a dream. There are hits and misses no matter how knowledgeful you could be in interpreting a dream. Ibn Abbas(Rali) narrated,
a person came to Allah’s Messenger(Sal) and said,
"O Messenger of Allah, while I was sleeping
during the night, I dreamt that there was a cloud from which
butter and honey were trickling, and I also saw people collecting
varying amounts of it in the palms of their hands. I also saw a
rope hanging between the earth and the sky and I saw you catch
hold of it and ascend into the sky. Then two persons after you
caught hold of it and ascended, one after the other. When a third
person caught hold of the rope, it broke, then it was rejoined and
he also ascended. Abu Bakr said, “O Messenger of Allah,
may my father be sacrificed for you. By Allah, allow me to
interpret it.” Allah’s Messenger (Sal) said, “Interpret it.” Abu
Bakr said, “The cloud signifies the canopy of Islam and the
butter and honey which trickled from it represents the sweetness
and softness of the Qur’aan. As for what people caught of it in
their palms, it refers to those who read and learn a lot of the
Qur’aan, and those who read and learn only a small portion.
The rope between the sky and the earth represents the truth
which you stood for and by which Allah will raise you (into
Heaven). Then two persons after you will take hold of it and
ascend with the help of it. Another person will take hold of it
and it will break; then it will be rejoined for him and he will
ascend with its help. O Messenger of Allah, may my father be
taken as a ransom for you, was I correct or incorrect?” Allah’s
Messenger (Sal) replied, “You have interpreted a part of it
correctly and you have erred in interpreting a part of it.” He
then insisted, “O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, you must tell
me the part in which I was incorrect.” He replied saying, “Don’t
take an oath [saying: by Allah].”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
In this hadith, even the leading companion,Abu Bakr(Rali)'s interpretation of the dream was not full correct. Below are some of the elements any one can take as a way to interpret a hadith.
Seeing a person or a loved one in a dream
Seeing a dead person in a dream in a good position could mean that that person is in a good place. The evidence for this is in the below hadith,
"When the Prophet (Sal) made hijrah to Madeenah, Tufayl ibn 'Amr came as well, along with a man from his tribe. This man became ill when he first reached Madeenah and his illness became so severe that he took a knife and slit his wrist (over the top, or possibly near the knuckles), and the blood spilled out until he died. Tufayl then saw him in a dream, in a good vision, except that his hands were wrapped up.
So he asked him, "What has your Lord done with you?"
He replied, "He has forgiven me because of my hijrah to His Prophet (Sal).
The he asked, "Why are your hands wrapped up?"
He said, "It was said to me: We shall not fix something you have corrupted yourself!" So Tufayl relayed this to the Messenger of Allaah (Sal), so he said
"O Allaah! And forgive his hands (too)!"
(Sahih Muslim)
In this hadith, it shows that if a person comes in a dreams and says that he is forgiven or is in a good state, then it means that he or she is in a good state. Seeing a dead person in a good state is a good state and a glad tiding from Allah. The prophet(Sal) said,
“When one of you sees a dream he likes, it is from Allah so let him praise Allah for it and speak about it. When one of you sees something else he dislikes, it is from Satan so let him seek refuge from its evil and not mention it to anyone. It will not harm him.”
(Bukhari)
Good dreams are indeed glad tidings from Allah(Swt). Abud-Dardaa(Rali) was asked about the verse {لَهُمُ
الْبشُْرَى فيِ الْحَياَةِ الدُّنْياَ} “Glad tidings are for them in the life (Al-Quran-10:64)
of this world” and he replied that only one other person had asked him about it since he asked Allaah’s Messenger (ρ) about
it. Allah’s Messenger (ρ) said,
“No one besides you has asked me about it since it was
revealed. It is the good dream which a Muslim sees or which is
seen about him.”
(Tirmidhi-Graded Sahih in Sahih Sunan at Tirmidhi)
It should be noted that seeing a loved one or a dead person in a bad state that causes grief and sadness for the person who has seen it is a dream from satan and do not tell it to anyone. The prophet(Sal) said,
"When one of you sees a dream which he does not like, he should spit on his left side three times and seek refuge with Allah from
its evil; then it will not harm him.”
(Muslim)
Rope
Seeing a rope in a dream could mean the rope of Allah which is the religion of Islam. Allah(Awt) says in the Quran,
“Hold on firmly to the rope of Allah and do not become divided.”
(Al-Quran-3:103)
Clothes Such as "Shirts'
The symbolism of shirts is explained in the below hadiths as religion.
The prophet(Sal) said,
“While I was sleeping, people were displayed before me wearing shirts, some of which only covered their chests and some which covered below that.
Then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab was shown to me and he was
wearing a shirt [so long that] he was dragging [it behind him].”
When the people asked the Prophet (ρ) how he interpreted it, he
replied, “It [refers to] the religion.”
(Bukhari)
Seeing a Black Woman In a Dream
The prophet(Sal) said,
Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar related that the Prophet (ρ) said, “I
[dreamt that I] saw a black woman with untidy hair going out of
Madeenah and settling at Mahya‘ah. I interpreted it as the
epidemic of Madeenah being transferred to Mahya‘ah, namely,
al-Juhfah."
(Bukhari)
In this hadith it means that seeing a black woman in a dream could mean an epidemic or sickness.
Bangles
Abu Hurayrah(Rali) narrated that the prophet(Sal) said,
“While sleeping, I saw two gold bangles on my hands. This disturbed me, but I was inspired to blow on them, so I blew on them and they flew
away.I interpreted the (two bangles) as the two great liars
who would appear after me, and one of them is al-‘Ansee from
San‘aa and the other, Musaylimah, from Yamaamah
(Muslim)
According to this hadith, bangles could symbolize the coming of a liar or corruption makers.
Seeing Cows in a dream
Seeing cows in a dream could symbolize the Muslims.
The prophet(Sal) said,
“I saw in a dream that I was migrating from Makkah to a land where there
were date palm trees. I thought that it might be the land of al-
Yamaamah or Hajar, but it turned out to be Yathrib And I
saw cows [being slaughtered] there - and what is with Allah
is better. Eventually the cows proved to symbolise the believers
[who were killed] on the day [of the battle] of Uhud, and the
good [which I saw in the dream] was the good and the reward
of truth which Allah bestowed upon us after the Badr
(Bukhari)
Seeing cows could mean many things like a reward Allah(wt) has bestowed as explained in this hadith. The explanation of seeing cows was explained by Joseph(PBUH) and this was how he explained as mentioned in the Quran.
“O Joseph, man of truth! Explain to us [the dream of] seven
fat cows whom seven lean ones were devouring, and of seven
green ears of corn and of [seven] dry ones, that I may return
to the people and inform them.” [Joseph] said: For seven
consecutive years you should sow as usual and what you
reap, you should leave [in storage], except a little which you
may eat. Then seven hard [years] will come after that which
will devour what you previously stored, except a little which
you [specially] guarded. Then a year will come after that in
which people will have abundant water, and in which they
will press [grapes and olives].”
(Al-Quran-12:46-9)
Seeing The Kabah In a Dream
Aisha(Rali) narrated,the messenger of Allah laughed while
sleeping. When he awoke, she said to him, “O Messenger of
Allah, what did you laugh about?” He replied, “Indeed, some
people of my Ummah will attack the Ka‘bah [in order to kill] a
person from the tribe of Quraysh and he will seek protection
in the House. When they reach a plain south of Madeenah
the earth will sink and swallow them up. Their origins will be
varied and Allaah will resurrect them according to their
intentions.” I asked, “O Messenger of Allah, how will Allah
resurrect them according to their intentions when their origins are varied?”
He replied, “The path united them. Some of them
will come with definite designs, others will be travelers and
others will be forced to come, but they will all be destroyed in
one [stroke], and they will all be resurrected in different
states"
(Muslim)
Seeing Keys In a Dream
Keys could mean eloquence in speech and treasures.
Abu Hurayrah(Rali) narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“While I was
sleeping last night, I was given the keys to eloquent speech,
support by the awe [that was cast into the hearts of my
enemies], and the key to the treasures of the earth were brought
and put in my hand.” Aboo Hurayrah added: The Messenger of
Allaah (ρ) left [this world] and now you people are transporting
those treasures amongst yourselves"
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Seeing a Palace In a Dream
Seeing a palace in a dream symbolizes something positive. Abu Hurayrah(Rali) narrated,
“While I was sleeping, I saw
myself in Paradise. Suddenly I saw a woman performing
ablution beside a palace. I asked, “Who does this palace
belong to?” (The angels) replied, “It belongs to ‘Umar ibn al-
Khattaab.” Then I remembered ‘Umar’s sense of honor and
went back hurriedly.” On hearing that, ‘Umar started crying and
said, “Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O
Messenger of Allaah! My sense of honor could never be
offended by you?”
(Bukhari)
Seeing a Sword In a Dream
A sword could symbolize a past defeat or hardship and a victory or conquest. This could change according to the situation of the dream.
Abu Moosa(Rali) narrated,
The prophet(Sal) said,
“I dreamt that I waved a sword and it broke in the middle. That symbolized the
casualties the believers suffered during the battle of Uhud.
Then I waved the sword again, and it became better than it had
ever been before. That symbolized the Conquest (of Makkah)
and the gathering of the believers which Allah brought
about.”
(Bukhari)
These are the few symbolic explanation mentioned in the Quran and the authentic hadiths on interpreting dreams. There are many more and you can search them in the Quran or the books of hadiths for them. There is nothing wrong in making mistakes when interpreting dreams. If you happen to have seeing a dream, then the simple way to interpret it is by focusing of the main things you saw that are symbolic like for an example, the Kabah and search for the verses and hadiths mentioning the kabah and you can InshaAllah get a rough understanding on what was meant on the dream you saw.
C.J.Ahmed