➊ Dreams are of three types
◈ Good dream:
This is glad tidings from Allah, the Exalted, and it is one part out of forty-six parts of prophethood.
◈ Bad dream:
This comes from Satan. Through it he tries to grieve the person and to occupy him with idle amusement during sleep.
◈ Mental imaginings:
The thoughts and ideas a person has during the day appear in sleep. His daily routines are also included in this. For example, if a person usually eats at a certain time and he falls asleep at that time, he will dream that he is eating, or if he eats more than he needs, he will dream that he is vomiting.
Apart from the dreams mentioned above, all other dreams are merely “tales.” They cannot be interpreted, nor do they meet the principles of interpretation.
➋ When seeing a good dream, four things should be kept in mind:
➊ Thank Allah, the Exalted.
➋ Consider it a mirror of glad tidings.
➌ Keep it limited to your friends.
➍ Interpret it in the best manner, or have it interpreted, because dreams come true according to their interpretation.
➌ If the dream is not good, the one who sees it must keep seven things in mind; by acting upon them, that person will, Allah willing, be protected from its harm:
➊ Seek refuge from its evil.
➋ Recite «أعود بالله من الشيطن الرجيم» three times.
➌ Blow (dam) three times to the left side.
➍ Turn over from the side on which you were lying when you saw this dream.
➎ Begin offering voluntary (nafl) prayers.
➏ Do not narrate it in front of anyone.
➐ Do not interpret it yourself either.
The evidence for the above instructions is found in the following hadiths:
Hazrat Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
“When any of you sees a pleasing dream, it is from Allah, so thank Allah for it and narrate it (to friends and loved ones). If someone sees something disliked in a dream, it is from Satan. Seek refuge in Allah from its evil and recite «أعود بالله من الشيطن الرجيم», and do not tell anyone about it; by doing so it will not harm him.”
Hazrat Abu Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that whenever he saw a dream he would fall ill. One day he heard this from Hazrat Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him):
“I used to fall ill after seeing a dream. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say that a good dream is from Allah. When you see something pleasing in a dream, narrate it only to those whom you love. And when you see something disliked, seek refuge in Allah from its evil, recite «أعود بالله من الشيطن الرجيم», blow three times, and do not tell it to anyone. By doing so, this dream will not cause you any harm.”
The wording of the second narration in Muslim is:
“If someone sees a good dream, he should consider it glad tidings and not tell anyone except those he likes.”
Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
When you see a disliked dream, blow three times to your left side and recite «أعود بالله من الشيطن الرجيم» three times. And turn over from the side on which you are lying.”
Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him) has also narrated on the authority of Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) the following words:
“When you see something disliked in a dream, get up and begin praying, and do not tell it to anyone.”
➍ Method of interpreting a dream
For the interpretation of a dream, the following methods should be adopted:
➊ Whatever element in the dream is prominent and fundamental, for example:
If something indicates glad tidings or worry, or worldly or otherworldly benefit, then keep that in view and set aside the other elements.
➋ Take that important element as the basis for interpreting the dream in light of the Holy Quran, the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ, analogy, resemblance, correspondence of names, or linguistic meaning.
Examples of interpreting through the Quran:
➊ The interpretation of a rope is made in light of the words of Allah Ta’ala:
«وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ»
as a covenant and pledge.
➋ The interpretation of a ship or sea vessel is made in light of:
«فَأَنجَيْنَاهُ وَأَصْحَابَ السَّفِينَةِ»
as deliverance (salvation).
➌ From the trunks:
«كَأَنَّهُمْ خُشُبٌ مُّسَنَّدَةٌ»
in view of which “hypocrisy” is meant.
➍ «فَهِيَ كَالْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً»
In light of this, the interpretation of stones is made with severity and harshness.
➎ The interpretation of a suckling infant is made with enmity in light of:
«فَالْتَقَطَهُ آلُ فِرْعَوْنَ لِيَكُونَ لَهُمْ عَدُوًّا وَحَزَنًا»
➏ By ashes, an unacceptable deed is meant, because the words of Allah Ta’ala are:
«مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ ۖ أَعْمَالُهُمْ كَرَمَادٍ اشْتَدَّتْ بِهِ الرِّيحُ»
“The example of those who disbelieve in their Lord is that their deeds are like ashes upon which the wind blows violently.”
➐ The interpretation of water is made with “trial.” Allah Ta’ala says:
«لَأَسْقَيْنَاهُم مَّاءً غَدَقًا»
«لِّنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ»
➑ Eating raw meat is interpreted as “backbiting.” The words of Allah are: «أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا»
“Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother?”
➒ Drowsiness is taken to mean “peace and tranquility,” in light of this statement of Allah Ta’ala:
«يُغَشِّيكُمُ النُّعَاسَ أَمَنَةً مِّنْهُ»
➓ Holding vegetables, melon, garlic, lentils and onions in the hand is interpreted in light of the following words of Allah, that such a person will obtain inferior things in exchange for the best and finest wealth he possesses, knowledge, and his life partner.
«فَادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنبِتُ الْأَرْضُ مِن بَقْلِهَا وَقِثَّائِهَا وَفُومِهَا وَعَدَسِهَا وَبَصَلِهَا ۖ قَالَ أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ الَّذِي هُوَ أَدْنَىٰ بِالَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ»
“Ask your Lord on our behalf to bring forth for us from what the earth grows: its herbs, its cucumbers, its garlic, its lentils and its onions. (Musa, peace be upon him) said: Would you exchange what is better for what is inferior?”
⓫ A good tree is interpreted as “the testimony of Tawhid,” and a bad tree is interpreted as “shirk and innovation,” because Allah Ta’ala says:
«كَلِمَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ»
⓬ A garden refers to deeds, and its burning indicates the loss of deeds. The words of Allah Ta’ala are:
«فَأَصَابَهَا إِعْصَارٌ فِيهِ نَارٌ فَاحْتَرَقَتْ»
“A whirlwind struck it and it was burned.”
⓭ An egg is interpreted as “a woman,” because Allah Ta’ala says:
«كَأَنَّهُنَّ بَيْضٌ مَّكْنُونٌ»
“As if they were hidden eggs, well-guarded.”
⓭ The interpretation of clothing is also the same, because Allah Ta’ala says:
«هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ»
“They are a garment for you.”
⓮ Light is interpreted as “guidance,” and darkness as “misguidance.” As the words of Allah Ta’ala are:
«وَيُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ»
“Allah brings them out of darkness into light.”
Examples of interpreting dreams through the Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ:
❀ Crow: interpret as “a wicked and immoral person,” because the Prophet ﷺ called the crow a fasiq (wicked).
❀ Female mouse: interpret as “a wicked woman.” The Prophet ﷺ called the mouse a fasiq.
❀ Ribs and glass vessels may also be interpreted as women, because the Prophet ﷺ said that woman was created from a rib.
❀ Similarly, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“O Anjasha! Slow down; be gentle with these glass vessels.”
(Both of these ahadith have been narrated by Bukhari and Muslim.)
❀ A shirt is interpreted as adherence to the religion. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“I looked at the people presented before me, and some of them had shirts reaching to the chest, and some had shirts that were shorter than that. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was brought before me, and he was wearing a shirt so long that it was dragging on the ground.” The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) asked, “O Messenger of Allah! How did you interpret it?” He ﷺ said: “(It refers to) the religion.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
❀ The Prophet ﷺ interpreted “milk” as “knowledge.”
Thus, in light of the Hadith of the Night Journey (Isra), it may be interpreted as the natural disposition of Islam (fitrat al-Islam).
❀ A black, disheveled-haired woman is interpreted as “a plague.” The Prophet ﷺ said:
“I saw in a dream a black woman with disheveled hair who left Madinah and went to al-Juhfah. I interpreted this as: the plague has left Madinah and moved there.” [Bukhari]
❀ Rain is interpreted as guidance and knowledge, because the Prophet ﷺ said:
“The example of the knowledge and guidance with which Allah has sent me is like rain.” [Bukhari, Muslim]
❀ The straight path is interpreted as “Islam.” Its protective walls on the right and left are the limits of Allah, and the doors set in those walls are the things Allah has made unlawful.
As in the narration of Hadrat Ibn Sam’an (may Allah be pleased with him):
“Allah has presented the Straight Path as an example: on both sides of it are two walls. In these walls are open doors, and curtains hang over those doors. At the entrance of the path is a caller calling out.” [Ahmad, Tirmidhi]
❀ A house is interpreted as “Paradise.” A dining spread is interpreted as “Islam,” and the one who invites to it is Muhammad ﷺ. Whoever accepts the invitation and enters the house, for the one who sees such a dream there is good news of Paradise. As in the hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari:
“Some angels came to the Prophet ﷺ while he was asleep. The angels said: The example of this man is like that of a person who built a house, set a dining spread in it, and sent a caller to the people. Whoever accepted the caller’s invitation entered the house and ate from the spread, and whoever did not accept the invitation neither entered the house nor ate from the spread.”
❀ Camels are interpreted as “honour,” sheep as “blessing,” and horses as “goodness and well-being.” In the Sunan Ibn Majah there is a hadith:
“Camels are a source of honour for their owners, sheep are a source of blessing, and goodness has been placed in the foreheads of horses until the Day of Resurrection.”
❀ A dog that licks its vomit is interpreted as a person who takes back a gift he has given.
As the hadith states:
“The one who takes back a gift is like a dog that vomits and then licks it up.”
An orange (malta) is interpreted as “a righteous believer who recites the Qur’an,” a date as “a believer who does not recite the Qur’an,” and colocynth (indrayan) as “a hypocrite who does not recite the Qur’an.”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“The believer who recites the Qur’an is like an orange (malta), whose taste is good and whose fragrance is pleasant. The believer who does not recite the Qur’an is like a date: it has no fragrance, but its taste is sweet. The hypocrite who recites the Qur’an is like the sweet basil (niyazbo): it has fragrance, but its taste is bitter. The hypocrite who does not recite the Qur’an is like the colocynth (indrayan): it has no fragrance and its taste is sour.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
❀ Oppression is interpreted as “darkness,” and darkness is interpreted as “oppression.” Likewise, miserliness is interpreted as “bloodshed.” The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Beware of oppression, for oppression will be in the form of darkness on the Day of Resurrection. Beware of miserliness, for miserliness destroyed those before you. It led them to shed blood and to consider unlawful things lawful.” [Muslim]
❀ The date palm is interpreted as “a Muslim.” Once the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Tell me of a tree whose leaves do not fall? The example of that tree is like a believer.” Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: People began naming the various trees of the jungle. It came to my heart that it was the date palm. Eventually the Companions said: “O Messenger of Allah! You tell us which tree it is.” He ﷺ said: “It is the date palm tree.”
The perfume seller is interpreted as “a good friend,” and the one who operates a furnace as “a bad friend,” as in the hadith in Bukhari and Muslim:
“The example of a good and a bad friend……”
Interpretation by the meaning of a word, or by analogy and comparison:
❀ Fire is interpreted as “strife and corruption,” because just as fire destroys everything, strife and corruption also bring ruin and destruction.
❀ Stars are interpreted as scholars, because through them the people of the earth receive guidance.
❀ Iron and weapons are interpreted as “strength, victory and triumph.”
❀ A bad smell is interpreted as the opposite of a fragrance.
❀ By a snake is meant an “enemy or an innovator (mubtadi’).”
❀ Going out through a narrow door means “attaining ease and deliverance.”
❀ Travelling from one place to another is interpreted as moving “from one state to another state.”
❀ Passing away (death) is interpreted as “repentance and turning back to Allah.”
❀ Farming and cultivation are interpreted as “deeds.”
❀ A dog is interpreted as a “weak but very loud-barking enemy.”
❀ By a lion is meant a “tyrannical person who gains dominance.”
❀ By a fox is meant a “cunning, deceitful schemer who evades the truth.”
❀ A desirable increase in any part of the body is taken to mean “good,” and every undesirable increase is taken to mean “grief and pain.”
❀ Ascending to any height is considered desirable, and falling down from a height is considered undesirable.
