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    Description: What Islam says about dreams and dreaming. By Aisha Stacey (© 2013 IslamReligion.com)Published on 18 Mar 2013 - Last modified on 18 Mar 2013 Viewed: 526 (daily average: 357) - Rating: - Rated by: 1 Printed: 3 - Emailed: 0 - Commented on: 0 Category: Articles > Beliefs of Islam > The Six Pillars of Faith and Other Islamic Beliefs |
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Merriam Webster online Dictionary defines a dream as a series of thoughts,
images, or emotions occurring during sleep. Dreams and musing over their
meanings and interpretations enrich our lives. Dreams put us in touch with our
deepest emotions; they enchant us and frighten us; they contain our most secret
wishes and fears. This is not a passing fad or a new age trend. Dreams have
been with humankind for countless generations and will no doubt be with us until
the end of days.
Dreams most often portray events
which are impossible or unlikely in physical reality, and are outside the
control of the dreamer. Many people report strong emotions while dreaming, and
frightening or upsetting dreams are referred to as nightmares.
The history of dreams and their
interpretations leads us back to ancient Egypt and it is said that the first
written record of dream interpretation dates back to 1350 BCE. Originally in
Egypt dreams were thought to be part of the supernatural world. They were
thought to be messages sent during the night perhaps as an early warning device
for disaster or good fortune. For Muslims this is not surprising. Chapter 11
of the Quran entitled Joseph begins with a dream, and ends with the dream’s
interpretation. At the time of Prophet Joseph, dreams and dream interpretation
were very important, and this is clear throughout the story of Joseph. Prophet
Joseph is able to interpret dreams and Prophet Jacob (Joseph’s father), the
companions of the prison and the King of Egypt all experience dreams.
We know that in ancient Egypt
dreams were predominantly interpreted by the priest and that in the early Greek
and roman eras dreams were thought of in a religious context, and it was not
until the Hellenistic era of Aristotle that dreams were thought to have the
ability to heal. Dream interpreters aided doctors making their diagnosis.
There are many superstitions and beliefs that are associated with dreams. For
some Chinese, dreaming is an actual place that the soul visits every night and
for this reason many people are wary of alarm clocks fearing that the soul will
be awakened and not able to return to its body. Some Native American tribes and
Mexican civilizations share the same understanding of a dream dimension.
During the Middle Ages in
Judeo-Christian societies dreams were thought of as evil, temptations from
Satan. Moving into the 19th century dreams were dismissed as
symptoms of anxiety, that is, until Sigmund Freud reintroduced the notion of
dreams having significance. In the Muslim world however dreams were thought of
a little differently. In Pre-Islamic Arabic poetry there are frequent
descriptions of shamanic dream visions of such things as ritual death and
rebirth. The role of the shaman (a person who claims to have access to and
influence in the world of the supernatural) included dream interpreter and
poet, so it is little wonder that Prophet Muhammad frequently repeated that he
was not a poet. The advent of Islam cleared up many misconceptions and
incorrect practices that existed in Arab society not the least of which was the
pervading attitude to dreams and their interpretation.
Islam says that dreams can be
meaningful but the scholars have warned that not all dreams should be considered
as such. Renowned Islamic scholar Ibn Sirin, an expert on dream interpretation
mentions in his classical book on the subject that dream interpretation is a
difficult science and that scholars treat it with the upmost care. Prophet
Muhammad taught us about dreams, also with the upmost care, and he mentions
dreams and dreaming often.
“Indeed the worst of lies is
that of a person who falsely claims to have dream.” [1]
“True dreams are from Allah,
and bad dreams are from Shaitan (Satan).” [2]
“Those of you with the
truest dreams will be those who are most truthful in speech.”[3]
“If anyone of you has a
dream that he likes then it is from Allah. He should thank Allah for it and
narrate it to others.”[4]
It is from Prophet Muhammad that
we learn that dreams are of three types, known in Arabic as, Rahmani
(from God), Nafsani (from the self) and Shaytani (from Satan). He
said, “Dreams are of three types: a dream from God; a dream which causes
distress and which comes from Satan; and a dream which comes from what a person
thinks about when he is awake, and he sees it when he is asleep.”[5] Prophet Muhammad continues to
teach us about the significance of dreams quite pragmatically.
“If any one of you sees a
dream that he dislikes, let him spit to his left three times[6], and seek refuge with
God from Satan three times, and turn over from the side on which he was
sleeping.”[7]
The importance of a dream is
usually in direct proportion to the impression it makes on the dreamer. Most
dreams happen under normal circumstances and have no real value or need for
interpretation. They derive from our worldly experiences and activities, a
person spoken about, a book read or TV program watched. Other dreams are
fantasies or illusions, playful and harmless. And then there are the dreams
that are prophetic, dreams that appear to predict the future. These dreams
cannot be readily understood unless a person has the necessary skills or
knowledge.
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