Dreams are very significant in Islam and can reveal many things about one’s future. They are considered a form of communication that can convey guidance, self-reflection, and even prediction of the future. Though dreams are significant and should not be taken too lightly, this doesn’t mean that the dreamer should be overly involved in their interpretation.
Many scholars believe that some dreams should be interpreted and some should be left alone. This blog will discuss the interpretation of true dreams and the dreams of significant figures of Islam in the light of the Quran and Hadiths.
Types Of Dreams
Islam classifies dreams into three kinds. Each kind is significant and has a specific effect on a person. In a hadith, the Prophet PBUH told the believers that:
“Dreams fall into three categories: the first is the righteous dream, offering good news from Allah; the second includes frightening dreams caused by Shaytan; and the third involves dreams that reflect the person’s own life experiences.”
From this hadith, we can deduce that dreams have three types: Rahmani (dreams from Allah), which are good and bring contentment and happiness to a person, and Shaytani (dreams from the devil), which bring distress and unpleasantness to the dreamer.
“When someone has a distressing dream, they should get up, spit lightly, and keep it to themselves. The Prophet PBUH mentioned liking fetters in a dream but disliking an iron collar, explaining that fetters symbolize strength in one’s faith.”
And Nafsani (psychological dreams that come from a person’s thoughts or life experiences). These dreams are sometimes the different thoughts and experiences that we have throughout the day jumbled up into one big dream.
Note: The spitting mentioned in the hadith is a soft and dry form of spitting in which no saliva is ejected from the mouth.
Which Dreams Are True?
According to Ibn Hajar, there are two kinds of dreams—true dreams and false dreams- that warn the dreamer.
True Dreams
These types of dreams are experienced by prophets and righteous individuals who follow them. While they can occur to others, it is quite rare, as exemplified by the dream of the non-believing king that was interpreted by Yusuf (peace be upon him). True dreams are those that manifest in real life exactly as they were dreamt.
It is also worth noting that in a hadith, the Prophet PBUH said that the sincerity and the truthfulness of the dream are closely related to the honesty and the truthfulness of the dream. Therefore, if one wants to have a true dream, he should become truthful. [Riyad as-Salihin 838]
Another hadith states that at the end of times, most dreams will be true because the effects of prophethood will be so far away; therefore, believers will be given good news through dreams, which will help them remain steadfast in their religion.
What One Should Do To Have True Dreams
Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah said: “In the end times, the dreams of a believer will almost always come true, and those who are the most truthful in their dreams will also be the most truthful in their speech.” [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2291]
Anyone wishing to experience profound dreams should focus on speaking truthfully, consuming halal food, following the teachings of shari’ah, steering clear of what Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) have prohibited, and going to sleep in a state of purity while facing the Qiblah and remembering Allah until his eyelids start to droop. By doing all of this, one is likely to have true dreams.
Times When Dreams Are Most True
The most genuine dreams occur during suhoor, just before dawn, as this is when Allah descends, and mercy and forgiveness are near. At this time, the devils are silent, in contrast to the period right after sunset when they and their forces are active.
What To Do When One Has True Dreams
Ibn Hajar summarized the key points about positive dreams in three main ways:
- A person should express gratitude to Allah for the favorable dream.
- They should feel joy about it.
- They should share the dream with loved ones while avoiding discussing it with those they dislike.
How To Deal With Bad Dreams
“When someone has a distressing dream, they should get up, spit lightly, and keep it to themselves. The Prophet PBUH mentioned liking fetters in a dream but disliking an iron collar, explaining that fetters symbolize strength in one’s faith.”
Apart from spitting, there are many other things that a dreamer can do if he encounters a bad dream.
- Seek protection from Allah against the harm of the dream.
- Seek refuge from the evil of Shaytan.
- Spit lightly to their left three times upon waking.
- Avoid sharing the dream with anyone.
- Turn over from the side they were lying on.
- Get up and pray two-rakah
Some Things To Remember
- Share dreams only with a trusted, sincere person or a knowledgeable scholar for interpretation.
- Islamic dream interpretation is not definitive, and outcomes may differ from the interpretation.
- Seeing the Prophet in a dream is a true dream, as Shaytan cannot imitate the Prophet’s form.
- Long or endless dreams, such as being chased without end, are often considered meaningless.
- Avoid making major life decisions based solely on a dream’s interpretation.
- The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) forbade adding to or subtracting from a dream when recounting it for interpretation.
- Altering a dream in any way is considered a serious sin as it can corrupt the meaning.
- The same symbol in a dream can have different meanings for different individuals, depending on the person’s context in Islamic dream interpretation.
- Repeated dreams or multiple people having the same dream signify a true vision.
- According to Islamic dream interpretation, dreams that are glad tidings from Allah usually take time to occur, while warnings happen swiftly.
- True dreams are typically short and clear.