Interpreting Dreams Through Names and Linguistic Derivation:
If in a dream:
◈ A person named “Rashid” appears, its interpretation is “guidance and right direction.”
◈ A person named “Salim” appears, its interpretation is “safety”
◈ and “Sa’id” means “happiness and good fortune,”
◈ “Manafi'” means “benefit and gain,”
◈ “Uqbah” means “a good outcome,”
◈ “Rafi'” means “elevation and height,”
◈ “Ahmad” means “praise and commendation,”
◈ and “Salih” means “goodness and capability.”
It is narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“I saw in a dream that we were sitting in the house of Uqbah bin Rafi’ (may Allah be pleased with him), and we had sent for dates from Ibn Tab. I interpreted this to mean that we would attain elevation and height in the world, that our end in the Hereafter would be better, and that our religious condition would be better.”
Imam al-Manawi (may Allah have mercy on him), while explaining the verses of Ibn al-Wardi (may Allah have mercy on him), says:
“If a sick person sees in a dream that someone named Salim, Saleem, Salamah, Sulayman, Salm, Salman, Naja, or Naji has come to visit him, its interpretation is that the sick person is about to recover from his illness. If he sees himself leaving his home while traveling, leaving the city, or relocating from one place to another, or sees some travelers journeying, its interpretation is that he will soon die due to the current illness. Understand the rest according to the same principle.”
If interpretation cannot be reached in the light of the three indications mentioned above, refer to the authoritative books on the science of dream interpretation. We also present to you a brief dictionary that contains difficult dreams together with their most accurate interpretations. Most of its material has been taken from the book of Imam al-Nabulsi, because he compiled it with many works on dream interpretation before him.
(C): After determining the various indications derived from a dream and fixing the indication or key point according to an established rule, connect their links with one another, so that a clear conclusion can be drawn from them.
Let us look at a few examples for clarification. Note that the examples are being related on the authority of the master of dream interpretation, Imam Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him).
Example No. 1:
Hajjaj bin Yusuf saw this dream:
“Two maidens (houris) descended from the sky; he seized one, and the other returned.”
When Imam Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him) was informed of his dream, he said:
“It refers to two trials: one will come during his lifetime, and the other after his death. And so it happened. The trial of Ibn al-Ash’ath occurred during his lifetime, and the trial of Ibn al-Muhallab after his death.”
This dream had two basic points:
➊ The descent of two houris.
➋ Hajjaj seizing one and the other departing.
For the first matter, Imam Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him) took a principle of dream interpretation in the light of the noble hadith: “Seeing a woman in a dream is a sign of trial.”
Because the blessed saying of the Prophet ﷺ is: “After me, no trial will be more harmful to men than women.”
Then, keeping in view the second matter, “seizing the houri,” he established a connection between the two and drew a clear conclusion. Therefore, things happened exactly as he interpreted.
Example No. 2:
A man came to Imam Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him) and said: “In a dream I saw my fiancée, and she is dark-skinned and short.” He said:
“Her dark color refers to her wealth and property, and her short stature refers to her lifespan. Therefore, before long she died, and her inheritance passed to that man.”
For the first matter (dark color), Imam Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him) took a rule from the language: if someone has a great deal of wealth, the Arabs say, as an idiom, “he has black color” (i.e., he is wealthy). For the second, he established a basis through comparison and analogy, likening the tallness and shortness of the human body to lifespan. After that, he drew a clear and evident conclusion from these two matters.
Example No. 3:
Abdullah bin Muslim (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he used to sit in the gathering of Imam Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him), but he left it and began sitting with the followers of the Ibadiyya sect. He saw in a dream that some people were carrying the bier of the Prophet ﷺ, and he was with them. He related this dream to Imam Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him), and he said:
“You have adopted the company of people who want to end the teachings of the Prophet ﷺ.”
This dream has two basic matters:
➊ The bier of the Prophet ﷺ.
➋ Some people carrying it away to bury it.
Imam Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him) interpreted the first matter as the truth that came through Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. From the second matter he took the meaning of the end of the truth. Then, combining the two, he derived the interpretation mentioned above.
Example 4:
A man related to Imam Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him) the following dream:
“I saw myself wearing a golden crown.”
The Imam said:
“Fear Allah. Your father is travelling alone, his eyesight has gone, and he wishes you would come to him.”
The man put his hand into his bag and took out a letter sent by his father. In it, his father had written that his eyesight had gone, that he was alone in a foreign land, and that he asked him to come to him.
This dream contains three basic elements:
➊ Head.
➋ Crown.
➌ Gold.
Imam Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him) derived a principle and rule with the help of the linguistic meanings and derivations of these three things. By “head” he meant the leader, and a father is the leader of a person. A crown is the distinctive dress of non-Arabs, and the land of non-Arabs is a foreign land for the Arabs. Gold is called «ذهب» in Arabic, and this word also means “to perish.” By it he meant the loss of eyesight. Combining these three things, he derived a remarkable matter that exactly matched the actual event.
A noteworthy point is that just as the Imam interpreted this dream, the event also happened in exactly that way. One reason for this is that a dream will come to pass in the form of whatever interpretation is given to it.
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Dreams come to pass as they are interpreted. Their example is like a person who has raised his foot and is waiting to put it down. When any of you sees a dream, he should not relate it to anyone except a well-wisher or a person of knowledge.”
Abu Razin al-Uqaili (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“Before it is interpreted, a dream is like something hanging on a bird’s foot. When it is interpreted, it comes to pass.”
It is extremely important to note that, wherever possible, dreams should be interpreted in terms of good tidings. Otherwise, it is better to refrain from interpreting them.
(D): If a dream gives rise to two contradictory meanings, then the one closer to the words of the dream and its principles and rules should be adopted.
Imam al-Manawi (may Allah have mercy on him), in his commentary on “Al-Alfiyya al-Wardiyya” (the thousand-verse dream book of Imam Ibn al-Wardi, may Allah have mercy on him), wrote in the name of a scholar that:
“The interpreter of a dream should think carefully and penetrate to its full depth. He should establish the connections between matters, set aside the superfluous and keep the essential points in view. After doing all this, he should bring the matter under the principles and rules of the science of interpretation. Then, if different interpretations of the dream emerge, the one most suited to the circumstances and in accordance with analogy and opinion should be stated.”
(H): At times the interpretation of a dream relates to the dreamer’s brother, friend, relative, or some related person. This happens when the contents of the dream have no connection at all with you and cannot apply to you, but are more suitable for another person. For example: if the interpretation of the dream is “death,” and the person about whom the dream was seen is healthy, but a person related to him is near death, then the interpretation will be more suitable for that other person.
The Prophet (ﷺ) saw in a dream that Abu Jahl was pledging allegiance to him, whereas it meant his son Ikrimah. Therefore, when Ikrimah (may Allah be pleased with him) embraced Islam, the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“This is the interpretation of that dream.”
Similarly, the Prophet (ﷺ) saw in a dream Usaid bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) taking charge of the administration of Makkah, whereas that position was given to Attab ibn Usaid (may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet (ﷺ) had appointed him as the governor of Makkah.
(R): If a dream appears whose interpretation is a hidden fault of a Muslim brother, then keep it concealed and do not mention it. If it ever becomes necessary to mention it, do not name that person, for relating it is backbiting.
(D): The interpretation of a dream varies according to the status and condition of the dreamer. Each person’s dream should be interpreted in accordance with his rank and circumstances.
The same dream may be a cause of mercy for one person and a cause of punishment for another.
A man asked Imam Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him), saying that he had heard himself giving the call to prayer (adhan) in a dream. He said:
“You will perform Hajj.”
Another person related the same dream, and he said:
“Your hand will be cut off for the crime of theft.” When they asked about these two different interpretations, he explained that:
Because I saw the first person in a good state, I interpreted it by the words of Allah the Exalted:
«وَأَذِّن فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ»
“Proclaim the Hajj among the people.”
But because I saw the second person’s condition to be disliked, I interpreted it in the light of the words of Allah the Exalted:
«ثُمَّ أَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ أَيَّتُهَا الْعِيرُ إِنَّكُمْ لَسَارِقُونَ»
“Then a caller called out, ‘O caravan, you are thieves!'”
Imam Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him) used to interpret delivering a speech from a pulpit as attaining rule, but if the dreamer was not worthy of it, he would interpret it as “execution by hanging.”
(H): At times it also happens that a child sees the dream, but its fulfilment is one of his parents. Or the interpretation of a servant’s dream relates to his master, or a wife’s dream relates to her husband or the members of the household.
