The types of dream
Selections from the Book The Prophet Minister Joseph al-Siddiq…
Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi...
Episode (16)
There are authentic Hadiths indicating the types of things a person may see, which can be categorized into three types:
- The bad dream, which is from Satan. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "and a bad dream is from Satan" He also said: "If anyone of you has a bad dream, he should not tell people about how Satan played with him in his dream".
- Self-invented or false dreams, which are a reflection of the psyche's reaction to experiences and situations encountered by the individual. These dreams are derived from the person's internal thoughts and emotions. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "And dreams are of three types: The righteous dream, which is good news from Allah, dreams in which the Satan frightens someone, and dreams about something that has happened to the man himself''.
And the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “When the time draws near, a believer’s vision can hardly be false. The truer one of them is in his speech, the truer he is in his vision. Visions are of three types: Good visions are glad tidings from Allah, a terrifying vision caused by the devil, and the ideas which come from within a man. So when one sees anything he dislikes, he should get up and pray, and should not tell it to the people”. Indeed, this hadith constitutes a significant foundation regarding the topic of dreams, affirming their existence, categorizing them, and guiding us on how to interpret and respond to them.
- Good dreams: Do not tell anyone except those you love, for reasons including: preventing envy and grudges.
- Self-dreams (Desires or Thoughts): One of its signs is that a person thinks about something, then sees in his sleep something related to it, like someone who thinks about buying a car and then falls asleep and sees it. The approach to such dreams should be to disregard them and not dwell on them.
- Terrifying visions: These dreams are often attributed to the whisperings of Satan. It is upon the dreamer to:
Firstly: the individual should seek refuge in Allah from the evil of what they have seen and from the evil of Satan.
Secondly: they should blow to their left side three times.
Thirdly: they should turn to the other side (laying on their opposite side).
Fourthly: they should get up and perform ablution (wudu), then pray whatever Allah wills.
Fifthly: they should not disclose the content of the dream to anyone.
Indeed, whoever adheres to these actions will not be harmed - by the permission of Allah. For those unable to perform all five, they should do what they can, such as turning to the other side, seeking refuge in Allah from its evil and the evil of Satan. The crucial point is not to disclose the dream to anyone, as it is feared that if disclosed, it may have an effect. It is narrated in a hadith from the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, that the vision flutters over a man as long as it is not interpreted , but when it is interpreted, it settles.
Indeed, the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, during his lifetime, along with other reliable sources, should be the basis for guidance, not dreams. Relying on dreams could open a dangerous and unpredictable door to adding or abrogating religious rulings. For Islam has been perfected, and the religion is complete, as Almighty Allah said: {This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion} [Al-Ma'idah: 3].
This is evidenced by what Al-Bukhari narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: ‘’I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying: ‘The good dream’ As his limitation indicates that the Sharia rulings are not taken from the vision, but rather they are indications and notifications of the occurrence of something’’.
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, The Prophet Minister Joseph al-Siddiq, pp. 109-111.
- Sunan al-Tirmidhi, previous reference, (4/536), No. 2278, and said: Its chain of transmission is authentic.
- Al-Bukhari, previous reference, No. 6990.
- Joseph, peace be upon him, Al-Qaradaghi, previous reference, p. 39.
For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:
The Book of The Prophet Minister Joseph al-Siddiq on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi:
