Download PDF: Introduction to the Science of Dream Interpretation.pdf
The science of dream interpretation is in conformity with the beliefs of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama’ah, for, the one dreaming, observes the angelic domain, and with the aid of proper knowledge of this science, future events that are to occur can be perceived.
This science, in Arabic, is known as Ta’beer Al-Ru’ya. Ta’beer means interpretation and Al-Ru’ya means whatever transpires in one’s dream.
Qaadi Abu Bakr Ibn Al-‘Arabi, who is from amongst the greatest scholars of Maaliki school of thought, states:
“Dreams are the forecasts where Allah Almighty manifests the real details in one’s heart through the medium of an angel or a devil.”
(Madaarij Al-Nubuwwah)
Hazrat Shah Abdul Azeez Muhaddith Dehlawi – may Allah shower mercy on him – states:
“Knowledge is of two types; open and secret. The open knowledge is known to everyone but the secret knowledge is gained through the degree of luminous perfection one has within one’s inner self. Access to its portal is gained through the medium of heavenly angels.”
True dreams are exclusive to the Prophets and the saints of Allah Almighty, and also to the true believers through their blessings.
Dreams are not to be discussed with just about anyone but they should be revealed to someone pious and profound in knowledge. One must never interpret dreams based on one’s own interpretations, for the interpretation, in fact, has an impact.
The Prophets’ interpretations as well as their dreams are the considered as Wahy (The divine revelation from Allah) as the interpretation of Hazrat Ya’qoob (Jacob, in the Quran) – peace be upon him – was also through Wahy.
(Tafseer Rooh Al-Bayaan)
The scary dreams are sometimes caused by devil which none should bother about but rather get up and recite:
اِعُوْذُ بِاللہِ مِنَ الشَّیْطٰنِ الرَّجِیْمِ
thrice then blow and spit towards your left. This kind of dreams are not reliable, for sometimes, they are caused by the stomach acid which disturbs the brain as a result of which this kind of dreams are seen. Especially the pregnant women and the ones going through their menstrual cycle often watch scary and dreadful dreams the entire night, which have no basis. The treatment for them is to take a bottle of any sweet oil, recite Aayat Al-Kursi 7 times followed by 4 Quls thrice then blow into the bottle and keep, when it’s bedtime, put two drops in each ear.”
(Sham’e Shabistaane Raza)
Dreams of the saints and practicing Sunni scholars are true, and sometimes they come in the form of (Ilhaam) divine indication from Allah.
Imam Ibn Seereen – may Allah be pleased with him – stated, “It’s of vital importance for the one conducting dream interpretation to be an ‘Aalim who is pious, adorned with morals and ethics and aware of the principles of interpretation from the Hadeeth, for Allah Almighty guides such people in the right direction, and will reveal the secrets of divine wisdom upon him.”
Note: Only the (evil) philosophers reject the dreams and its interpretation whom Allamah Abdul Ghani Naablusi – may Allah shower mercy on him – refers to as Mulhids (the corrupt people).
(Khawabon ki Ta’beer by Allamah Faiz Ahmed Owaisi Rahimahullah)
Observe What Quran States In This Regard
Allah Almighty states concerning the Prophet Hazrat Yusuf – peace be upon him:
وَلِنُعَلِّمَہٗ مِنۡ تَاۡوِیۡلِ الۡاَحَادِیۡثِ
And in order that We may teach him to draw conclusions of the dialogs.
(Yusuf 12, Verse 21)
The commentators (Mufassiroon) of the Quran have mentioned that the objective of the verse is “dream interpretation”. Hazrat Yusuf – peace be upon him – was indeed an expert in this faculty. Hence, when he was in prison, two men narrated their dreams to him and he interpreted their dreams. Allah Almighty thus states:
یٰصٰحِبَیِ السِّجْنِ اَمَّاۤ اَحَدُکُمَا فَیَسْقِیۡ رَبَّہٗ خَمْرًا ۚ وَ اَمَّا الۡاٰخَرُ فَیُصْلَبُ فَتَاۡکُلُ الطَّیۡرُ مِنۡ رَّاۡسِہٖ ؕ
‘O my two fellow prisoners! as for one of you he will serve wine for drink to his lord (King), and as for the other, he will be crucified, and the birds will eat of his head.
(Yusuf 12, Verse 41)
Hazrat Ibn Mas’ood – may Allah be pleased with him – commented, “The two prisoners said after listening to the interpretation, ‘we did not watch any dream; we were just ridiculing.” Hazrat Yusuf – peace be upon him – told them, “Whatever I have said will definitely occur whether you have dreamt about it or not, it cannot be put off.”
It also discloses that the tongues of the Prophets and Awliya are the keys of Allah’s kingdom.
رَبِّ قَدْ اٰتَیۡتَنِیۡ مِنَ الْمُلْکِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِیۡ مِنۡ تَاۡوِیۡلِ الۡاَحَادِیۡثِ
‘O my Lord! Verily You have bestowed on me a Kingdom and taught me to draw conclusion of some dialogs.
(Yusuf 12, Verse 101)
The dream of Hazrat Ibraheem – peace be upon him – and its interpretation is also mentioned in the Quran:
فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَہُ السَّعْیَ قَالَ یٰبُنَیَّ اِنِّیۡۤ اَرٰی فِی الْمَنَامِ اَنِّیۡۤ اَذْبَحُکَ فَانۡظُرْ مَاذَا تَرٰی ؕ قَالَ یٰۤاَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ۫ سَتَجِدُنِیۡۤ اِنۡ شَآءَ اللہُ مِنَ الصّٰبِرِیۡنَ ﴿۱۰۲﴾
Then when he became able to work with him, he said, ‘O my son, I have dreamt that I am slaughtering you, now look you, what is your opinion’. He said, ‘O my father, do as you are commanded, Allah willing, it is near that you will find me patient.’
فَلَمَّاۤ اَسْلَمَا وَ تَلَّہٗ لِلْجَبِیۡنِ ﴿۱۰۳﴾ۚ
Then when they both submitted to My command and the father laid down his son on forehead.
وَنٰدَیۡنٰہُ اَنْ یّٰۤاِبْرٰہِیۡمُ ﴿۱۰۴﴾ۙ
We called to him, O Ibrahim,
قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّءۡیَا ۚ اِنَّا کَذٰلِکَ نَجْزِی الْمُحْسِنِیۡنَ ﴿۱۰۵﴾
Undoubtedly, you have fulfilled the vision; thus, We recompense the righteous.
(Al-Saaffaat 37, Verse 102-105)
لَقَدْ صَدَقَ اللہُ رَسُوۡلَہُ الرُّءۡیَا بِالْحَقِّ ۚ لَتَدْخُلُنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ اِنۡ شَآءَ اللہُ اٰمِنِیۡنَ ۙ مُحَلِّقِیۡنَ رُءُوۡسَکُمْ وَ مُقَصِّرِیۡنَ ۙ لَا تَخَافُوۡنَ ؕ فَعَلِمَ مَا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوۡا فَجَعَلَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ ذٰلِکَ فَتْحًا قَرِیۡبًا ﴿۲۷﴾
Undoubtedly, Allah has proved true the true vision of His messenger. You shall, no doubt, enter the sacred mosque, if Allah pleases, in security, having your heads Shaven or having your hair cut short without any fear. But He knew what you knew not and appointed before that a near victory.
(Al-Fat’h 48, Verse 27)
Reason behind the revelation (Sabab Al-Nuzool) of the verse (Al-Fat’h 48, Verse 27):
Prior to the holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – intending to leave for Hudaibiyah, He saw in a dream that He entered Makkah Mukarramah with His Companions. The Companions shaved their heads while some just had their hair trimmed. When He related this dream to the Companions they became happy and thought they would enter the Makkah Mukaramah the same year. The Muslims returned after the treaty of Hudaibiyah and still did not get to enter Makah Mukarramah within that year. The hypocrites made fun of them and said by way of passing remarks, “What about the dream?” Allah Almighty then revealed this verse in order to endorse the truthfulness of the dream and that it will definitely be realized. Hence, the next year, Muslims victoriously entered Makkah Mukarramah with great honour.
اِذْ یُرِیۡکَہُمُ اللہُ فِیۡ مَنَامِکَ قَلِیۡلًا ؕ وَلَوْ اَرٰىکَہُمْ کَثِیۡرًا لَّفَشِلْتُمْ وَلَتَنٰزَعْتُمْ فِی الۡاَمْرِ وَلٰکِنَّ اللہَ سَلَّمَ ؕ اِنَّہٗ عَلِیۡمٌۢ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُوۡرِ ﴿۴۳﴾
When (O’ Beloved Prophet) Allah showed the infidels few, to you in your dream. And (O’ Muslims) if He had shown them numerous then, certainly you would have shown timidity and would have quarrelled about the matter, but Allah saved you, Undoubtedly, He knows the thoughts in the breasts.
وَ اِذْ یُرِیۡکُمُوۡہُمْ اِذِ الْتَقَیۡتُمْ فِیۡۤ اَعْیُنِکُمْ قَلِیۡلًا وَّیُقَلِّلُکُمْ فِیۡۤ اَعْیُنِہِمْ لِیَقْضِیَ اللہُ اَمْرًا کَانَ مَفْعُوۡلًا
And when at the time of encounter, the infidels were shown to you as few, and made you appear few in their eyes, so that Allah might fulfil the work which is to be done.
(Al-Anfaal 8, Verse 43-44)
It was at the occasion of the Battle of Badr when the number of the infidels shown to the Messenger of Allah – may Allah send blessings and peace upon him – in his dream was less, and when he mentioned it to His Companions they became courageous and they did not consider themselves as a weak opponent, for their hearts were already filled with motivation and bravery. Dreams of Prophets are true, and He was only shown the number of the infidels who were going to remain on infidelity and die in this state, and as a matter of fact, such kind of infidels were really less in quantity. Since, the army of the opposition was far larger in number but most of them were the ones who were blessed with Islamic faith in their lifetime, so the interpretation of the dream was based on the weakness of their kuffaars’ group. It was for this reason that Allah Almighty revealed their weakness by making the Muslims victorious in the battle, so much so, that Hazrat Ibn Mas’ood – may Allah be pleased with him – states, “They appeared to be so less in our vision that when I asked the guy next to me, ‘do you think they are about 70 in number’ ‘I think so’ he replied, but they were a thousand, in fact.”
These were the examples of the dreams of the Ambiya and their condition, as proven by the holy Quran – peace be upon them all. Now, let us observe the status of the dreams and interpretations of saints and the true believers:
لَہُمُ الْبُشْرٰی فِی الْحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنْیَا وَفِی الۡاٰخِرَۃِ ؕ لَا تَبْدِیۡلَ لِکَلِمٰتِ اللہِ ؕ ذٰلِکَ ہُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِیۡمُ ﴿ؕ۶۴﴾
For them are glad tidings in the life of the world and in the Hereafter. The words of Allah are not changed. That indeed is the supreme triumph.
(Yunus 10, Verse 64)
The objective of these glad tidings are either the ones that are given in the Quran to the pious Muslims at several occasions or they are the good dreams that a believer sees; as it is mentioned in various Ahadeeth that the heart and soul of a saint are always engaged in the remembrance of Allah, therefore at the time of dreaming, only Allah’s recognition is manifest, and nothing else. Hence, when a saint watches a dream it’s true and it’s a glad tiding from Allah Almighty in his favour. Some Mufassireen have interpreted this glad tiding as “to have good repute in the world”.
It’s mentioned in the Hadeeth of Sahih Muslim:
6891 – حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى التَّمِيمِىُّ وَأَبُو الرَّبِيعِ وَأَبُو كَامِلٍ فُضَيْلُ بْنُ حُسَيْنٍ – وَاللَّفْظُ لِيَحْيَى – قَالَ يَحْيَى أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرَانِ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ عَنْ أَبِى عِمْرَانَ الْجَوْنِىِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ عَنْ أَبِى ذَرٍّ قَالَ قِيلَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- أَرَأَيْتَ الرَّجُلَ يَعْمَلُ الْعَمَلَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَيَحْمَدُهُ النَّاسُ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ تِلْكَ عَاجِلُ بُشْرَى الْمُؤْمِنِ
Hazrat Yahya Ibn Yahya Al-Tameemi, Abu Al-Rabee’ Abu Kaamil Fudail Ibn Husain narrated the Hadeeth to us – the words are of Yahya – He, said, “Hammaad Ibn Zaid informed us”, while the other two said, “He narrated the Hadeeth to us”, from Abu ‘Imraan Al-Jauniy, from ‘Abdullah Ibn Al-Saamit, from Abu Dhar, who said, “A query was presented before Allah’s Messenger – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him –: “What do state about the one you see who does good and people praise him on it?” “That is the early glad tiding for a believer.”
(Sahih Muslim, Hadeeth No. 6891)
The scholars have commented that this early glad tiding is an evidence of Allah’s pleasure and His affection, and that He has put his love in people’s hearts, as it is mentioned in the Hadeeth that such person is appreciated on earth. Hazrat ‘Ata – may Allah be pleased with him – states, “The glad tiding in the world is when the angels give glad tidings at the time of death and the glad tiding in the hereafter is the one given to him after his soul gets captured i.e. Allah is pleased with him.”
(Khwaabon ki Ta’beer)
Ahadeeth related to dreams and its interpretations
6563 مَنْ لَّمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِالرُّؤيَا الصَّادِقَةُ فَإنَّهٗ لَمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِاللهِ وَرَسُوْلِهٖ (الديلمى عن عبد الرحمن بن عائذ)
Allah’s Messenger – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – states:
“One who does not believe in true dreams then he indeed does not believe in Allah and His Messenger.”
(Dailami narrated the Hadeeth from Abdur Rahmaan Ibn ‘Aaidh, Majma’ Al-Zawaa’id, Jaame’ Al-Ahadeeth of Imam Suyooti Hadeeth No. 6563, Ta’teer Al-Anaam)
The Holy Messenger and His Most Beloved Companion Discussing a True Dream (may Allah send peace and blessings upon them):
Imam Abdul Ghani Al-Nablusi – may Allah shower mercy on him – narrates a Hadeeth that Allah’s Messenger said to Hazrat Abu Bakr Al-Siddeeq, – may Allah send blessings and peace upon them – “I saw you and myself on the same level then I preceded two and a half steps ahead of you.” Hazrat Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – said, “Allah Almighty will call you by Him two and a half years prior to me, and I will be alive after you for this duration of time.”
It happened exactly as mentioned.
(Ta’teer Al-Anaam)
Dreams and Their Interpretations Are Proven From Sunnah:
أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَة قَالَ : سَمِعْت رَسُول اللَّه صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُول لَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْ النُّبُوَّة إِلَّا الْمُبَشِّرَات قَالُوا : وَمَا الْمُبَشِّرَات ؟ قَالَ : الرُّؤْيَا الصَّالِحَة
Imam Abu Hurairah – may Allah be pleased with him – said:
I heard the Messenger of Allah – may Allah send blessings and peace upon him – stating, “Nothing remains of the Prophethood but the glad tidings.” The Companions asked, “What are the glad tidings?” “They are the true dreams.”
(Sahih Bukhari Hadeeth No. 6589 and many other Hadeeth collections contain this Hadeeth)
A Factual Reality regarding True Dreams:
الرُّؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةُ جُزْءٌ مِنْ سِتَّةٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ جُزْءًا مِنَ النُّبُوَّةِ
The Prophet – may Allah send blessings and peace upon him – stated:
“True dreams are the 46th portion of Prophethood.”
(Bukhari, Muslim Hadeeth No. 6049)
The Sunnah Analogy of Good and Bad Dreams:
الرُّؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةُ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَالرُّؤْيَا السَّوْءُ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ فَمَنْ رَأَى رُؤْيَا فَكَرِهَ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا فَلْيَنْفِثْ عَنْ يَسَارِهِ وَلْيَتَعَوَّذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ لاَ تَضُرُّهُ وَلاَ يُخْبِرْ بِهَا أَحَدًا فَإِنْ رَأَى رُؤْيَا حَسَنَةً فَلْيُبْشِرْ وَلاَ يُخْبِرْ إِلاَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّ
The Messenger of Allah – may Allah send blessings and peace upon him – stated:
“Good dreams are from Allah and the bad ones from devil. Whoso watches a dream and dislikes something about it then he should spit towards his left thrice and seek refuge in Allah from devil, it will not harm him, and do not mention it to anyone. If someone sees a good dream then he should pass on the good news but only to the loved ones.”
(Sahih Bukhari, Muslim Hadeeth No. 6039)
Something For Us To Preserve In Our Hearts:
مَنْ رَآنِى فِى الْمَنَامِ فَقَدْ رَآنِى فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لاَ يَتَمَثَّلُ بِى
The Messenger of Allah – may Allah send blessings and peace upon him – stated:
“One who sees me in dream he has indeed seen me, for the devil cannot appear in my image.”
(Sahih Bukhari, Muslim Hadeeth No. 6056)
The Horrible Consequences of One Relating One’s Bad Dreams:
الرُّؤْيَا عَلَى رِجْلِ طَائِرٌ مَا لَمْ یَحْدُثْ فَإِذَا حَدَثَ وَقَعَتْ
The Messenger of Allah – may Allah send blessings and peace upon him – stated:
“One’s dreams are not effective unless one discusses it, so when he discusses it, it takes effect.”
(Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood)
To Whom Should You Narrate Your Dreams?
The Messenger of Allah stated in the Hadeeth of Tirmidhi:
لا يُحِدِّثُ إِلا حَبِيبًا ، أَوْ لَبِيبًا
“Do not reveal your dreams but to a friend or ‘Aalim”
And in the narration of Abu Dawood Hadeeth No. 5022:
وَلاَ يَقُصُّهَا إِلاَّ عَلَى وَادٍّ أَوْ ذِى رَأْىٍ
“Do not discuss your dream but with a friend or someone wise.”
Imam Raazi – may Allah shower mercy upon him – a great Imam, Muslim philosopher and scientist on this subject:
The Faculty of Perception:
Humans have two types of perceptive faculties:
A. The formulary perceptive faculty
B. The detailed perceptive faculty
The formulary perceptive faculty is the brain power or intellect.
The detailed perceptive faculty consists of two major divisions:
i. Apparent senses
ii. Concealed senses
The apparent senses are 5:
1. Hearing
2. Vision
3. Smell
4. Taste
5. Touch
The concealed senses are also 5:
1. Common Sense
Def. This sense processes the information received by the apparent senses.
The proof of the existence this sense is that, for example, we have the ability to recognize the person talking behind the wall just by listening to his voice, while the ears can only hear and they do not have the ability to see, and in this case, the image of the person talking behind the wall appears in the mind, why? Because the person who is talking behind the wall is the one we already know and our eyes have seen him in the past. Therefore, when we heard the voice of that individual behind the wall, although the eyes did not see, but when the ears heard his voice and the common sense processed the information, it matched with the image it had received from the past.
2. The Picturing Sense:
Def. The sense that preserves the images of things only is called the picturing sense.
For example, an artist thinks of an image and which is not present before him, hence the eyes cannot capture it but it is being recreated by the picturing sense.
3. The Sense of Imagination:
Def. It’s the sense which governs and manipulates the images that are preserved in the picturing sense, and then brings about a totally different conclusion by manipulating them.
For example, when one imagines an object half of which is the body of an animal while the other half is a bird. It’s the product of this very sense.
4. Hallucination:
Def. This sense percepts things beyond feelings.
5. Memory:
Def. This works as a treasurer for No. 1, 2 and 4.
One should bear in mind that the soul works as a carrier for all the senses. The soul is a kind of vapor which is nurtured by the nutrients processed from very delicate portions of the foods consumed and runs through the veins and muscles, which enables the body parts to be active by providing them their strength. The senses remain operational for as long as the soul keeps on running through the exterior stature of the body and when it conceals itself in the body’s interior then the senses come into a standby mode and this is what we call sleep, which is caused due to two reasons; one is that when the soul is suppressed or its passages are blocked. Its suppression occurs when the senses are tired of working, and that is when the soul goes into relaxed mode and the organs busy themselves in extracting nutrients from the foods inside the body so that the soul gets its nutritious feed. Its passages get blocked due to some obstructions; for example, when someone drinks alcohol its vapors go upwards from the stomach and affect the brain cells and thus causing a blockage for the senses and obstructing them from moving, and as a result of this, the soul faces difficulty in movement through its passages. Sometimes, even excessive eating also causes sleep, that happens due to the blockage caused but in alcohol, this property is found in excess, and thus causing the senses to come into standby mode and then later causing one to fall asleep.
(We can now move forward after having the pre-requisites of this discussion understood)
The Reality of Dream:
It depends on the following three things:
1. As it has been mentioned that the common sense processes the information received by the apparent senses and thus appearing in the form of an image.
2. The human soul is capable of communicating with the angels and being able to gains awareness of the knowledge of unseen through this medium.
3. The news which the soul receives, “The Sense of Imagination” formulates it into an imaginary event.
There could be four reasons due to which dreams are seen:
1. The first is when the human soul communicates with the angels, and through this medium it gains awareness of the unseen knowledge by the divine guidance of Allah then the news which the soul receives, “The Sense of Imagination” formulates it into an imaginary event, and then it is processed and assessed by the “Common Sense” and watched as a dream.
2. The pictures that are preserved in “The Picturing Sense” are brought forward and processed by the “Common Sense” in state of sleep, for when in the state of wakefulness, the “Common Sense” is active in processing the information received by the apparent senses, but since it’s idle in sleep, it engages in processing the information preserved in “The Picturing Sense” then it forms a dream.
3. “The Sense of Imagination” remains active throughout the whole time when the person is awake imagining things it longs for or it’s sad due to the loss of something then all these events are processed by the “Common Sense” in the state of sleep and appear as a dream.
4. The temperament of the soul changes in the state of sleep and affect its reasoning; for example, if it’s temperament is hot it’s translated into a dream as rainfall or flood, and if it’s dehydrated it formulates it as if one is flying in the air. When one’s melancholic temperament overcomes one may see darkness etc. in the dream. Allah knows best.
Dreams That Are Worth Interpreting:
Only the dreams that follow under the description No. 1 are worth interpreting, the rest are the products of one’s imagination.
(Jaame’ Al-‘Uloom also known as Hadaa’iq Al-Anwaar p. 183)
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MUSJIDUL HAQ
Introduction to the Science of Dream Interpretation
Download PDF: Introduction to the Science of Dream Interpretation.pdf
The science of dream interpretation is in conformity with the beliefs of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama’ah, for, the one dreaming, observes the angelic domain, and with the aid of proper knowledge of this science, future events that are to occur can be perceived.
This science, in Arabic, is known as Ta’beer Al-Ru’ya. Ta’beer means interpretation and Al-Ru’ya means whatever transpires in one’s dream.
Qaadi Abu Bakr Ibn Al-‘Arabi, who is from amongst the greatest scholars of Maaliki school of thought, states:
“Dreams are the forecasts where Allah Almighty manifests the real details in one’s heart through the medium of an angel or a devil.”
(Madaarij Al-Nubuwwah)
Hazrat Shah Abdul Azeez Muhaddith Dehlawi – may Allah shower mercy on him – states:
“Knowledge is of two types; open and secret. The open knowledge is known to everyone but the secret knowledge is gained through the degree of luminous perfection one has within one’s inner self. Access to its portal is gained through the medium of heavenly angels.”
True dreams are exclusive to the Prophets and the saints of Allah Almighty, and also to the true believers through their blessings.
Dreams are not to be discussed with just about anyone but they should be revealed to someone pious and profound in knowledge. One must never interpret dreams based on one’s own interpretations, for the interpretation, in fact, has an impact.
The Prophets’ interpretations as well as their dreams are the considered as Wahy (The divine revelation from Allah) as the interpretation of Hazrat Ya’qoob (Jacob, in the Quran) – peace be upon him – was also through Wahy.
(Tafseer Rooh Al-Bayaan)
The scary dreams are sometimes caused by devil which none should bother about but rather get up and recite:
اِعُوْذُ بِاللہِ مِنَ الشَّیْطٰنِ الرَّجِیْمِ
thrice then blow and spit towards your left. This kind of dreams are not reliable, for sometimes, they are caused by the stomach acid which disturbs the brain as a result of which this kind of dreams are seen. Especially the pregnant women and the ones going through their menstrual cycle often watch scary and dreadful dreams the entire night, which have no basis. The treatment for them is to take a bottle of any sweet oil, recite Aayat Al-Kursi 7 times followed by 4 Quls thrice then blow into the bottle and keep, when it’s bedtime, put two drops in each ear.”
(Sham’e Shabistaane Raza)
Dreams of the saints and practicing Sunni scholars are true, and sometimes they come in the form of (Ilhaam) divine indication from Allah.
Imam Ibn Seereen – may Allah be pleased with him – stated, “It’s of vital importance for the one conducting dream interpretation to be an ‘Aalim who is pious, adorned with morals and ethics and aware of the principles of interpretation from the Hadeeth, for Allah Almighty guides such people in the right direction, and will reveal the secrets of divine wisdom upon him.”
Note: Only the (evil) philosophers reject the dreams and its interpretation whom Allamah Abdul Ghani Naablusi – may Allah shower mercy on him – refers to as Mulhids (the corrupt people).
(Khawabon ki Ta’beer by Allamah Faiz Ahmed Owaisi Rahimahullah)
Observe What Quran States In This Regard
Allah Almighty states concerning the Prophet Hazrat Yusuf – peace be upon him:
وَلِنُعَلِّمَہٗ مِنۡ تَاۡوِیۡلِ الۡاَحَادِیۡثِ
And in order that We may teach him to draw conclusions of the dialogs.
(Yusuf 12, Verse 21)
The commentators (Mufassiroon) of the Quran have mentioned that the objective of the verse is “dream interpretation”. Hazrat Yusuf – peace be upon him – was indeed an expert in this faculty. Hence, when he was in prison, two men narrated their dreams to him and he interpreted their dreams. Allah Almighty thus states:
یٰصٰحِبَیِ السِّجْنِ اَمَّاۤ اَحَدُکُمَا فَیَسْقِیۡ رَبَّہٗ خَمْرًا ۚ وَ اَمَّا الۡاٰخَرُ فَیُصْلَبُ فَتَاۡکُلُ الطَّیۡرُ مِنۡ رَّاۡسِہٖ ؕ
‘O my two fellow prisoners! as for one of you he will serve wine for drink to his lord (King), and as for the other, he will be crucified, and the birds will eat of his head.
(Yusuf 12, Verse 41)
Hazrat Ibn Mas’ood – may Allah be pleased with him – commented, “The two prisoners said after listening to the interpretation, ‘we did not watch any dream; we were just ridiculing.” Hazrat Yusuf – peace be upon him – told them, “Whatever I have said will definitely occur whether you have dreamt about it or not, it cannot be put off.”
It also discloses that the tongues of the Prophets and Awliya are the keys of Allah’s kingdom.
رَبِّ قَدْ اٰتَیۡتَنِیۡ مِنَ الْمُلْکِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِیۡ مِنۡ تَاۡوِیۡلِ الۡاَحَادِیۡثِ
‘O my Lord! Verily You have bestowed on me a Kingdom and taught me to draw conclusion of some dialogs.
(Yusuf 12, Verse 101)
The dream of Hazrat Ibraheem – peace be upon him – and its interpretation is also mentioned in the Quran:
فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَہُ السَّعْیَ قَالَ یٰبُنَیَّ اِنِّیۡۤ اَرٰی فِی الْمَنَامِ اَنِّیۡۤ اَذْبَحُکَ فَانۡظُرْ مَاذَا تَرٰی ؕ قَالَ یٰۤاَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ۫ سَتَجِدُنِیۡۤ اِنۡ شَآءَ اللہُ مِنَ الصّٰبِرِیۡنَ ﴿۱۰۲﴾
Then when he became able to work with him, he said, ‘O my son, I have dreamt that I am slaughtering you, now look you, what is your opinion’. He said, ‘O my father, do as you are commanded, Allah willing, it is near that you will find me patient.’
فَلَمَّاۤ اَسْلَمَا وَ تَلَّہٗ لِلْجَبِیۡنِ ﴿۱۰۳﴾ۚ
Then when they both submitted to My command and the father laid down his son on forehead.
وَنٰدَیۡنٰہُ اَنْ یّٰۤاِبْرٰہِیۡمُ ﴿۱۰۴﴾ۙ
We called to him, O Ibrahim,
قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّءۡیَا ۚ اِنَّا کَذٰلِکَ نَجْزِی الْمُحْسِنِیۡنَ ﴿۱۰۵﴾
Undoubtedly, you have fulfilled the vision; thus, We recompense the righteous.
(Al-Saaffaat 37, Verse 102-105)
لَقَدْ صَدَقَ اللہُ رَسُوۡلَہُ الرُّءۡیَا بِالْحَقِّ ۚ لَتَدْخُلُنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ اِنۡ شَآءَ اللہُ اٰمِنِیۡنَ ۙ مُحَلِّقِیۡنَ رُءُوۡسَکُمْ وَ مُقَصِّرِیۡنَ ۙ لَا تَخَافُوۡنَ ؕ فَعَلِمَ مَا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوۡا فَجَعَلَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ ذٰلِکَ فَتْحًا قَرِیۡبًا ﴿۲۷﴾
Undoubtedly, Allah has proved true the true vision of His messenger. You shall, no doubt, enter the sacred mosque, if Allah pleases, in security, having your heads Shaven or having your hair cut short without any fear. But He knew what you knew not and appointed before that a near victory.
(Al-Fat’h 48, Verse 27)
Reason behind the revelation (Sabab Al-Nuzool) of the verse (Al-Fat’h 48, Verse 27):
Prior to the holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – intending to leave for Hudaibiyah, He saw in a dream that He entered Makkah Mukarramah with His Companions. The Companions shaved their heads while some just had their hair trimmed. When He related this dream to the Companions they became happy and thought they would enter the Makkah Mukaramah the same year. The Muslims returned after the treaty of Hudaibiyah and still did not get to enter Makah Mukarramah within that year. The hypocrites made fun of them and said by way of passing remarks, “What about the dream?” Allah Almighty then revealed this verse in order to endorse the truthfulness of the dream and that it will definitely be realized. Hence, the next year, Muslims victoriously entered Makkah Mukarramah with great honour.
اِذْ یُرِیۡکَہُمُ اللہُ فِیۡ مَنَامِکَ قَلِیۡلًا ؕ وَلَوْ اَرٰىکَہُمْ کَثِیۡرًا لَّفَشِلْتُمْ وَلَتَنٰزَعْتُمْ فِی الۡاَمْرِ وَلٰکِنَّ اللہَ سَلَّمَ ؕ اِنَّہٗ عَلِیۡمٌۢ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُوۡرِ ﴿۴۳﴾
When (O’ Beloved Prophet) Allah showed the infidels few, to you in your dream. And (O’ Muslims) if He had shown them numerous then, certainly you would have shown timidity and would have quarrelled about the matter, but Allah saved you, Undoubtedly, He knows the thoughts in the breasts.
وَ اِذْ یُرِیۡکُمُوۡہُمْ اِذِ الْتَقَیۡتُمْ فِیۡۤ اَعْیُنِکُمْ قَلِیۡلًا وَّیُقَلِّلُکُمْ فِیۡۤ اَعْیُنِہِمْ لِیَقْضِیَ اللہُ اَمْرًا کَانَ مَفْعُوۡلًا
And when at the time of encounter, the infidels were shown to you as few, and made you appear few in their eyes, so that Allah might fulfil the work which is to be done.
(Al-Anfaal 8, Verse 43-44)
It was at the occasion of the Battle of Badr when the number of the infidels shown to the Messenger of Allah – may Allah send blessings and peace upon him – in his dream was less, and when he mentioned it to His Companions they became courageous and they did not consider themselves as a weak opponent, for their hearts were already filled with motivation and bravery. Dreams of Prophets are true, and He was only shown the number of the infidels who were going to remain on infidelity and die in this state, and as a matter of fact, such kind of infidels were really less in quantity. Since, the army of the opposition was far larger in number but most of them were the ones who were blessed with Islamic faith in their lifetime, so the interpretation of the dream was based on the weakness of their kuffaars’ group. It was for this reason that Allah Almighty revealed their weakness by making the Muslims victorious in the battle, so much so, that Hazrat Ibn Mas’ood – may Allah be pleased with him – states, “They appeared to be so less in our vision that when I asked the guy next to me, ‘do you think they are about 70 in number’ ‘I think so’ he replied, but they were a thousand, in fact.”
These were the examples of the dreams of the Ambiya and their condition, as proven by the holy Quran – peace be upon them all. Now, let us observe the status of the dreams and interpretations of saints and the true believers:
لَہُمُ الْبُشْرٰی فِی الْحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنْیَا وَفِی الۡاٰخِرَۃِ ؕ لَا تَبْدِیۡلَ لِکَلِمٰتِ اللہِ ؕ ذٰلِکَ ہُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِیۡمُ ﴿ؕ۶۴﴾
For them are glad tidings in the life of the world and in the Hereafter. The words of Allah are not changed. That indeed is the supreme triumph.
(Yunus 10, Verse 64)
The objective of these glad tidings are either the ones that are given in the Quran to the pious Muslims at several occasions or they are the good dreams that a believer sees; as it is mentioned in various Ahadeeth that the heart and soul of a saint are always engaged in the remembrance of Allah, therefore at the time of dreaming, only Allah’s recognition is manifest, and nothing else. Hence, when a saint watches a dream it’s true and it’s a glad tiding from Allah Almighty in his favour. Some Mufassireen have interpreted this glad tiding as “to have good repute in the world”.
It’s mentioned in the Hadeeth of Sahih Muslim:
6891 – حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى التَّمِيمِىُّ وَأَبُو الرَّبِيعِ وَأَبُو كَامِلٍ فُضَيْلُ بْنُ حُسَيْنٍ – وَاللَّفْظُ لِيَحْيَى – قَالَ يَحْيَى أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرَانِ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ عَنْ أَبِى عِمْرَانَ الْجَوْنِىِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ عَنْ أَبِى ذَرٍّ قَالَ قِيلَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- أَرَأَيْتَ الرَّجُلَ يَعْمَلُ الْعَمَلَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَيَحْمَدُهُ النَّاسُ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ تِلْكَ عَاجِلُ بُشْرَى الْمُؤْمِنِ
Hazrat Yahya Ibn Yahya Al-Tameemi, Abu Al-Rabee’ Abu Kaamil Fudail Ibn Husain narrated the Hadeeth to us – the words are of Yahya – He, said, “Hammaad Ibn Zaid informed us”, while the other two said, “He narrated the Hadeeth to us”, from Abu ‘Imraan Al-Jauniy, from ‘Abdullah Ibn Al-Saamit, from Abu Dhar, who said, “A query was presented before Allah’s Messenger – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him –: “What do state about the one you see who does good and people praise him on it?” “That is the early glad tiding for a believer.”
(Sahih Muslim, Hadeeth No. 6891)
The scholars have commented that this early glad tiding is an evidence of Allah’s pleasure and His affection, and that He has put his love in people’s hearts, as it is mentioned in the Hadeeth that such person is appreciated on earth. Hazrat ‘Ata – may Allah be pleased with him – states, “The glad tiding in the world is when the angels give glad tidings at the time of death and the glad tiding in the hereafter is the one given to him after his soul gets captured i.e. Allah is pleased with him.”
(Khwaabon ki Ta’beer)
Ahadeeth related to dreams and its interpretations
6563 مَنْ لَّمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِالرُّؤيَا الصَّادِقَةُ فَإنَّهٗ لَمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِاللهِ وَرَسُوْلِهٖ (الديلمى عن عبد الرحمن بن عائذ)
Allah’s Messenger – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – states:
“One who does not believe in true dreams then he indeed does not believe in Allah and His Messenger.”
(Dailami narrated the Hadeeth from Abdur Rahmaan Ibn ‘Aaidh, Majma’ Al-Zawaa’id, Jaame’ Al-Ahadeeth of Imam Suyooti Hadeeth No. 6563, Ta’teer Al-Anaam)
The Holy Messenger and His Most Beloved Companion Discussing a True Dream (may Allah send peace and blessings upon them):
Imam Abdul Ghani Al-Nablusi – may Allah shower mercy on him – narrates a Hadeeth that Allah’s Messenger said to Hazrat Abu Bakr Al-Siddeeq, – may Allah send blessings and peace upon them – “I saw you and myself on the same level then I preceded two and a half steps ahead of you.” Hazrat Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – said, “Allah Almighty will call you by Him two and a half years prior to me, and I will be alive after you for this duration of time.”
It happened exactly as mentioned.
(Ta’teer Al-Anaam)
Dreams and Their Interpretations Are Proven From Sunnah:
أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَة قَالَ : سَمِعْت رَسُول اللَّه صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُول لَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْ النُّبُوَّة إِلَّا الْمُبَشِّرَات قَالُوا : وَمَا الْمُبَشِّرَات ؟ قَالَ : الرُّؤْيَا الصَّالِحَة
Imam Abu Hurairah – may Allah be pleased with him – said:
I heard the Messenger of Allah – may Allah send blessings and peace upon him – stating, “Nothing remains of the Prophethood but the glad tidings.” The Companions asked, “What are the glad tidings?” “They are the true dreams.”
(Sahih Bukhari Hadeeth No. 6589 and many other Hadeeth collections contain this Hadeeth)
A Factual Reality regarding True Dreams:
الرُّؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةُ جُزْءٌ مِنْ سِتَّةٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ جُزْءًا مِنَ النُّبُوَّةِ
The Prophet – may Allah send blessings and peace upon him – stated:
“True dreams are the 46th portion of Prophethood.”
(Bukhari, Muslim Hadeeth No. 6049)
The Sunnah Analogy of Good and Bad Dreams:
الرُّؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةُ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَالرُّؤْيَا السَّوْءُ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ فَمَنْ رَأَى رُؤْيَا فَكَرِهَ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا فَلْيَنْفِثْ عَنْ يَسَارِهِ وَلْيَتَعَوَّذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ لاَ تَضُرُّهُ وَلاَ يُخْبِرْ بِهَا أَحَدًا فَإِنْ رَأَى رُؤْيَا حَسَنَةً فَلْيُبْشِرْ وَلاَ يُخْبِرْ إِلاَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّ
The Messenger of Allah – may Allah send blessings and peace upon him – stated:
“Good dreams are from Allah and the bad ones from devil. Whoso watches a dream and dislikes something about it then he should spit towards his left thrice and seek refuge in Allah from devil, it will not harm him, and do not mention it to anyone. If someone sees a good dream then he should pass on the good news but only to the loved ones.”
(Sahih Bukhari, Muslim Hadeeth No. 6039)
Something For Us To Preserve In Our Hearts:
مَنْ رَآنِى فِى الْمَنَامِ فَقَدْ رَآنِى فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لاَ يَتَمَثَّلُ بِى
The Messenger of Allah – may Allah send blessings and peace upon him – stated:
“One who sees me in dream he has indeed seen me, for the devil cannot appear in my image.”
(Sahih Bukhari, Muslim Hadeeth No. 6056)
The Horrible Consequences of One Relating One’s Bad Dreams:
الرُّؤْيَا عَلَى رِجْلِ طَائِرٌ مَا لَمْ یَحْدُثْ فَإِذَا حَدَثَ وَقَعَتْ
The Messenger of Allah – may Allah send blessings and peace upon him – stated:
“One’s dreams are not effective unless one discusses it, so when he discusses it, it takes effect.”
(Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood)
To Whom Should You Narrate Your Dreams?
The Messenger of Allah stated in the Hadeeth of Tirmidhi:
لا يُحِدِّثُ إِلا حَبِيبًا ، أَوْ لَبِيبًا
“Do not reveal your dreams but to a friend or ‘Aalim”
And in the narration of Abu Dawood Hadeeth No. 5022:
وَلاَ يَقُصُّهَا إِلاَّ عَلَى وَادٍّ أَوْ ذِى رَأْىٍ
“Do not discuss your dream but with a friend or someone wise.”
Imam Raazi – may Allah shower mercy upon him – a great Imam, Muslim philosopher and scientist on this subject:
The Faculty of Perception:
Humans have two types of perceptive faculties:
A. The formulary perceptive faculty
B. The detailed perceptive faculty
The formulary perceptive faculty is the brain power or intellect.
The detailed perceptive faculty consists of two major divisions:
i. Apparent senses
ii. Concealed senses
The apparent senses are 5:
1. Hearing
2. Vision
3. Smell
4. Taste
5. Touch
The concealed senses are also 5:
1. Common Sense
Def. This sense processes the information received by the apparent senses.
The proof of the existence this sense is that, for example, we have the ability to recognize the person talking behind the wall just by listening to his voice, while the ears can only hear and they do not have the ability to see, and in this case, the image of the person talking behind the wall appears in the mind, why? Because the person who is talking behind the wall is the one we already know and our eyes have seen him in the past. Therefore, when we heard the voice of that individual behind the wall, although the eyes did not see, but when the ears heard his voice and the common sense processed the information, it matched with the image it had received from the past.
2. The Picturing Sense:
Def. The sense that preserves the images of things only is called the picturing sense.
For example, an artist thinks of an image and which is not present before him, hence the eyes cannot capture it but it is being recreated by the picturing sense.
3. The Sense of Imagination:
Def. It’s the sense which governs and manipulates the images that are preserved in the picturing sense, and then brings about a totally different conclusion by manipulating them.
For example, when one imagines an object half of which is the body of an animal while the other half is a bird. It’s the product of this very sense.
4. Hallucination:
Def. This sense percepts things beyond feelings.
5. Memory:
Def. This works as a treasurer for No. 1, 2 and 4.
One should bear in mind that the soul works as a carrier for all the senses. The soul is a kind of vapor which is nurtured by the nutrients processed from very delicate portions of the foods consumed and runs through the veins and muscles, which enables the body parts to be active by providing them their strength. The senses remain operational for as long as the soul keeps on running through the exterior stature of the body and when it conceals itself in the body’s interior then the senses come into a standby mode and this is what we call sleep, which is caused due to two reasons; one is that when the soul is suppressed or its passages are blocked. Its suppression occurs when the senses are tired of working, and that is when the soul goes into relaxed mode and the organs busy themselves in extracting nutrients from the foods inside the body so that the soul gets its nutritious feed. Its passages get blocked due to some obstructions; for example, when someone drinks alcohol its vapors go upwards from the stomach and affect the brain cells and thus causing a blockage for the senses and obstructing them from moving, and as a result of this, the soul faces difficulty in movement through its passages. Sometimes, even excessive eating also causes sleep, that happens due to the blockage caused but in alcohol, this property is found in excess, and thus causing the senses to come into standby mode and then later causing one to fall asleep.
(We can now move forward after having the pre-requisites of this discussion understood)
The Reality of Dream:
It depends on the following three things:
1. As it has been mentioned that the common sense processes the information received by the apparent senses and thus appearing in the form of an image.
2. The human soul is capable of communicating with the angels and being able to gains awareness of the knowledge of unseen through this medium.
3. The news which the soul receives, “The Sense of Imagination” formulates it into an imaginary event.
There could be four reasons due to which dreams are seen:
1. The first is when the human soul communicates with the angels, and through this medium it gains awareness of the unseen knowledge by the divine guidance of Allah then the news which the soul receives, “The Sense of Imagination” formulates it into an imaginary event, and then it is processed and assessed by the “Common Sense” and watched as a dream.
2. The pictures that are preserved in “The Picturing Sense” are brought forward and processed by the “Common Sense” in state of sleep, for when in the state of wakefulness, the “Common Sense” is active in processing the information received by the apparent senses, but since it’s idle in sleep, it engages in processing the information preserved in “The Picturing Sense” then it forms a dream.
3. “The Sense of Imagination” remains active throughout the whole time when the person is awake imagining things it longs for or it’s sad due to the loss of something then all these events are processed by the “Common Sense” in the state of sleep and appear as a dream.
4. The temperament of the soul changes in the state of sleep and affect its reasoning; for example, if it’s temperament is hot it’s translated into a dream as rainfall or flood, and if it’s dehydrated it formulates it as if one is flying in the air. When one’s melancholic temperament overcomes one may see darkness etc. in the dream. Allah knows best.
Dreams That Are Worth Interpreting:
Only the dreams that follow under the description No. 1 are worth interpreting, the rest are the products of one’s imagination.
(Jaame’ Al-‘Uloom also known as Hadaa’iq Al-Anwaar p. 183)
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