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Dreams and their Interpretations
Shaykh Saud Ash-Shuraym [(Jumaadal Ulaa
23, 1423 (July 19, 2002)]
All praise is
due to Allaah, Lord of all the worlds. May peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon the Messenger, his household and companions.
Fellow Muslims!
Men love to wade into issues of unseen, be they past and future. To deny
this phenomenon amounts to the denial and prevention of reality. The
severity or otherwise of this phenomenon depends on people's closeness to
the light of prophethood and true religion that firmly controls this issue
of which Allaah says,
"He alone is
the All-Knower of the Unseen, and He reveals to none His Unseen; except to
a Messenger (from mankind) whom He has chosen."
(Al-Jinn
72:26-27)
It is no wonder
then that we see in this contemporary age – those who wade into the issues
of unseen and we observe that many weak-minded people would want to know
it, either through superstitious means or by making conjectures, though
the verses of Allaah are being recited to them all the time. Allaah says,
"Say (O
Muhammad): None in the heavens and the earth knows the Unseen except
Allaah, nor can they perceive when they shall be resurrected."
(An-Naml 27:65)
The Prophet's
sayings are also read to these people regarding the Unseen. Among these
sayings is, "There are five things which none knows except Allaah:
'Verily with Allaah is the
knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in
the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows
in what land he will die. Allaah is the All-Knower, All-Aware.'
(Luqmaan 31:34)
"(At-Tirmidhee)
Therefore,
matters of the Unseen should not be waded into except in the light of the
Quraan and the Sunnah. Whatever besides that are mere conjectures if not
illusions.
Islaam in its
very essence is a religion that removes all superstitions. So, belief in
the Unseen should not be regarded as belief in fantasies.
However, there
are some people, who, though they are safe from this superstition, they
fall into another evil, whereby they take their dreams as having strong
connection with their future and you see them happy or sad because of mere
dreams. This phenomenon is not peculiar with common men alone, but many
great men have become affected by their dreams and many a nation has been
preoccupied by the influence of its dream. Prophet Yousuf's dream and the
King of Egypt's are not unknown to us. In both dreams, there had been good
news and warning at the same time.
Brethren in
faith! Dreams have their importance in the life of people before and after
the advent of Islaam; but that importance may differ in the views of
learned and cultured people as a result of the differences in authorities.
The philosophers deny the dreams and attribute them to physical
dispositions that only reflect what is in the mind of the dreamer. Some
psychologists also have similar view, for they regard dreams as a mixture
of moods that settle in one's memory and which is excited by sleep.
In Islaam, the
Muslim scholars have followed the path of Prophethood in line with what is
mentioned in the Quraan and Sunnah. They believe that good and truthful
dreams are true ones from Allaah. Some of these bear good news an some
bear warnings. The Prophet said, "Prophethood is gone, but announcers
remain." The companions said, "What are announcers?" He answered, "Good
dreams that man sees or that are seen for him."
Announcers here
may be that of good news or bad news for Allaah says,
"And give
them tidings of a painful torment."
It is these dreams about which the
Prophet said, "When the end of time nears, the dream of a believer will
always almost come true. The truest among you in dreams is the truest
among you in speech. The dream of a believer is one of 46 parts of
Prophethood." (Al-Bukhaaree & Muslim)
Brethren in
Islaam! Many people have been led to distress as a result of spiritual
vacuum and farness from Allaah and lack of belief in His predecree, that
it is only what He wills that be and that what He wills not shall never
be. Many have depended on dreams and visions in a way that is contrary to
the path of our righteous predecessors. The matter of dreams have become
widespread among people that they seldom talk of other things and the
issue has dominated even satellite channels and Islaamic legal fatwas
so much so that questions pertaining to dreams double those of other
matters of religion. All this is a result of the rampant ignorance as to
the correct stand the Muslim must take as regards dreams in spite of the
fact that the Prophet has left us on a Clear Path. The matter has come to
the extent that if anyone of us has a dream, he will become disturbed and
will not feel secured until he finds one who will interpret the dream for
him. Had everyone of us stand by the guidance of the Prophet, we would not
have plunged ourselves into this deplorable quagmire.
In order to
know the best way to deal with dreams, let us listen to these excellent
etiquettes.
Imaam Muslim
reported that Aboo Salamah said: I used to see dreams that make me sick.
When I met Aboo Qataadah, I told him that and he said, "I heard the
Messenger of Allaah saying: 'A good dream is from Allaah and a bad one is
from Satan, if anyone of you sees what he dislikes, let him spit on to his
left side three times, and let him seek refuge with Allaah from its evil;
for it cannot harm him.'" In another narration, Aboo Salamah said, "I used
to have dreams that seemed heavier on me than a mountain, but as soon as I
heard this hadeeth, I do not worry about them any more."
It becomes
clear here that, not all that man sees in his dream can be interpreted;
for dreams are of three types as explained by the Messenger of Allaah when
he said, "Dreams are of three types: (1) Intimidations from Satan by which
he causes sorrow to man. (2) What man feels concerned of in his
wakefulness and sees in his dreams. (3) A dream that is one of the 46
parts of prophethood." Al-Bagawee said, "This hadeeth explains that not
all that man sees in his dream can be true, though it can be interpreted.
The true dream is the one that comes from Allaah and whatever besides that
are just confused dreams that have no interpretations. Of those confused
dreams is the one reported from a Bedouin Arab who told the Prophet that
he saw in a dream that his head was cut off and was rolling away and that
this made him seriously worried. The Prophet told him, 'Do not tell people
of Satan's toying with you in your dream.'"
On how to treat
this kind of dreams which is prevalent in the case of many people; the
etiquettes taught by the Sunnah are the following:
-
Seeking refuge with Allaah from the harm of this dream and the evil of
Satan.
-
The
dreamer should slightly spit on his left side three times when he wakes
up.
-
He
should not tell it to anybody.
-
He
should perform his obligatory prayers.
-
He
should change the side on which he was sleeping.
-
Some
scholars add that he must recite Aayatul-Kursiy. An-Nawawee said,
"One must combine between all these etiquettes, but if one does only some,
that is enough for him by the permission of Allaah."
As for the
second kind of dreams, it is what man feels in his mind during
wakefulness, like thinking of travel, business, etc. So, when he sleeps,
he sees in his dreams what he was thinking about. Those are also confused
dreams that have no interpretations.
The only remaining dream now is the
true and good one that comes form Allaah and is a good tidings or warning.
It may be very clear and needs no interpretation like the dream of Prophet
Ibraheem when he sees in his dream that he was slaughtering his son. It
can also be hidden with signs that need interpretation like that of
Prophet Yoosuf's prison mates. It is this type that the Prophet forbade to
be narrated to none but a scholar and a truthful person. He said, "Do not
narrate dreams but to a scholar or a truthful person." (At-Tirmidhee)
Whatever
besides this of dreams that relate to establishment of an Islaamic ruling
regarding halaal, haraam, acts of worship or identifying the
Lailatul Qadr like the one shown to the Messenger of Allaah and
about which he was made to forget, or the ones on which are based extended
effects that relate to people's rights, or that cause ill feelings or that
cast doubt on people's uprightness or intentions; all that are confused
dreams that should be totally ignored according to the opinion of majority
of scholars like Ash-Shaatibee, An-Nawawee, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Al-Qayyim
and others.
Ash-Shaatibee
narrated in his book "Al-I'tisaam" that when Khaleefah Al-Mahdee
wanted to kill Shareek bin Abdillaah Al-Qaadee, Shareek asked him, "O
Commander of the faithfuls! Why do you want to kill me while you are
forbidden to kill an innocent soul?" Al-Mahdee replied, "Because, I saw it
in a dream that I was addressing you but you were addressing with your
back against me. So I asked the dream interpreter and he said, 'This man
comes to your court but disagrees with you secretly.'" Shareek then said,
"O Commander of the faithfuls! Your dream is not that of Prophet Yoosuf,
son of Prophet Ya'qoob; and the Muslims' blood should not be shed through
mere dreams." Al-Mahdee then lowered his head and made signal that I
should go."
Ibn 'Asaakir
also reported in his book that someone saw Imaam Ash-Shafi'ee in his dream
and that he told him, "Yoonus bin Abdil A'laa lied against me in a hadeeth
that was not part of my hadeeth and I did not narrate it." Ibn Katheer,
while making a comment on this dream said, "Yoonus bin Abdil A'laa is one
of the most trustworthy men. He should not be discredited by mere dreams."
Adh-Dhahabee
reported from Al-Marroojee that he said, "I made Ibraheem Al-Husary enter
upon Ahmad bin Hanbal and he was a righteous man. Ibraheem told Ahmad: 'I
saw a dream for you which is so and so' and he mentioned Paradise.' Imaam
Ahmad then told him: 'My brother, people used to tell Sahl bin Salaamah
things like this until he went out and shed innocent blood.' Imaam Ahmad
also said, 'Good dreams gladden a believer but do not deceive him.' "
Fellow Muslims!
Having said much on people's excesses in matters relating to dreams, it is
an act of impartiality to speak about those who interpret dreams; for they
shoulder a huge responsibility towards the dreamers. The dream interpreter
should be well-versed in this field and should be able to know its
benefits and harms. He should not turn himself to dream mufti
especially on T.V. screens and in meeting places.
Interpreting
dreams and giving religious verdicts are companions. Ibn Al-Qayyim said,
"The Mufti, the dream interpreter and the physician are equal in that,
they have access to people's secrets which others do not. They must
therefore, conceal what should not be revealed."
Further, the
interpreters should never rush into conclusions while they interpret
dreams. They should consider the risk of that as well as the trial and
ostentation that that it may cause. They should also bear it in mind that,
their situation is more critical than that of the muftis and
scholars.
Ibn Abdil Barr
reported that Hishaam bin Hassaan said, "Ibn Seereen would be asked of
hundreds of dreams, and he could not interpret anything before he say,
'Fear Allaah in your wakefulness, for whatever you see in your dream will
never harm you.' And when he interprets he would say, 'I am only
interpreting on assumption; and assumptions could be correct or wrong.'"
If this is the saying of the leader of dream interpreters in his age and
later generations, what then would one say about those who came after him.
The
interpreters should realise that interpreting dreams on T.V. screens is
dangerous in the light of these factors:
1-
Unrestrained openness in interpreting dreams is a kind of temptation,
especially, when he speaks on Unseen matters which are only known to
Allaah.
2-
His
ability to know the actual condition of the dreamer. Two men came to Ibn
Seereen and each of them said that he saw himself in the dream making
adhaan and asked him of the meaning of that dream. Ibn Seereen
interpreted it for the righteous man of the two that he would perform
Hajj, and for the other man who was not righteous that he would steal.
3-
People's lack of understanding the method of the interpreter which may
easily lead to his being accused of fortunetelling, conjecture or
future-telling.
4-
That
to prevent harm should be given precedence above earning benefits.
As for the
argument of some people that the Prophet used to ask his companions after
Fajr, "Who among you had seen a dream?" This can be replied in the light
of the following points:
1-
That,
it is the Messenger of Allaah and that his interpretation is truth and
flawless.
2-
His
interpretations took place in the mosque in the presence of a number of
Muslim companions who were far less than millions that view it on T.V.
channels today.
3-
It
has not been established that any of his companions or their successors
did that in the mosque as the Prophet used to do, even Aboo Bakr As-Siddeeq
whom the Prophet attested to his knowledge of dream interpreting never did
so.
Therefore, fear
Allaah and be dutiful to him in private and public, that you may prosper.
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