The Reality of Dreams in Shari‘ah
Source: Fatawa Ameenpuri — Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri
❖ Question
Do dreams have a real existence?
❖ Answer
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
Yes, dreams have a reality. They are created by Allah ﷻ, and this is the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah.
◈ Scholarly Opinion
- Hafiz Ibn al-Mulaqqin (804 AH) رحمه الله stated:
*”The position of Ahl al-Sunnah regarding the reality of dreams, as narrated by al-Mazari, is that Allah ﷻ creates thoughts in the heart of a sleeping person just as He creates them in the heart of one who is awake. Allah ﷻ does what He wills; neither sleep nor wakefulness hinders Him. When He creates these perceptions, He makes them signs of other matters that will be attached to them later.
So, for example, when Allah ﷻ creates in the heart of a sleeping person the perception of flying, while in reality he is not flying — then at most, he is perceiving things contrary to their actual form. That perception then becomes a sign of something else, just as Allah ﷻ has made clouds a sign of impending rain. All of this is the creation of Allah ﷻ.”*
(al-Tawdih 32/138)
◈ Conclusion
- Dreams are a real creation of Allah ﷻ.
- They are perceptions placed in the heart by Allah, sometimes as signs of future events or other realities.
- This is the established belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
