Dreams (part 2 of 2): Dream Interpretation |
    Description: The obscurity of dream interpretation in the religion of Islam. By Aisha Stacey (© 2013 IslamReligion.com)Published on 25 Mar 2013 - Last modified on 25 Mar 2013 Viewed: 757 (daily average: 216) - Rating: - Rated by: 2 Printed: 15 - Emailed: 0 - Commented on: 0 Category: Articles > Beliefs of Islam > The Six Pillars of Faith and Other Islamic Beliefs |
 In
his book about dream interpretation Ibn Qutaybah says, “There is nothing in
which people deal with from the different sciences that is more obscure,
delicate, exalted, noble, difficult and problematic than dreams because they are
a type of revelation and type of Prophethood.”
These are wise words and reflect
the position of many Islamic scholars, that dreams should be interpreted by
someone qualified. There are a number of problems and stumbling blocks inherent
in the practice of interpreting dreams. For instance, a dream could be seen by
a person but it could be for someone else.
From among the companions of
Prophet Muhammad someone saw a dream for Abu Jahl[1] that he became a Muslims and
pledged allegiance to Prophet. This never happened, this dream was for his son,
Ikrimah who at a later date converted to Islam and pledged allegiance to the
Prophet. In another example a dream was seen about Usayd bin Abil Aas becoming
the governor of Mecca, this did not happen however his son ‘Attab did become the
governor of Mecca.
Symbols in dreams could also be a
stumbling block to the correct interpretation of dreams. Symbols in dreams
might mean different things for different people. For example, a dream about a
cat could evoke happy childhood memories or it could symbolise fear and pain for
a person who had been attacked and scratched by a feral cat.
It is enough to recognise a dream
as being good, bad or of no consequence.
a) Dreams are sometimes
described as true, good or from God. What is meant by true is
that they come true. What is meant by good is that they bring good news
or draw attention to some mistakes that one is not aware of. What is meant by
their being from God is that they happen by His grace and mercy or as
warning, as glad tidings from Him, or as guidance from Him. Prophet Muhammad,
may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said, “If anyone of you has a
dream that he likes then it is from God. He should thank God for it and narrate
it to others.”[2]
b) Bad dreams as those
that cause grief or distress to the dreamer. These dreams are from Satan. What
is meant by causing grief is that they make one sad and cause distress.
What is meant by them being from Satan is that they are instilled
by him in an effort to cause fear or because of his toying with the sleeper.
“Secret counsels (conspiracies) are
only from Satan, in order that he may cause grief to the believers. But he
cannot harm them in the least, except as God permits...” (Quran 58:10)
Satan is eager to embrace
anything that causes distress, it matters not whether the person is awake or
asleep, and Satan is an enemy to humankind.
“Surely, Satan is an enemy to you, so
take (treat) him as an enemy...” (Quran 35:6)
Thus if one sees a bad dream,
sometimes referred to as a nightmare, that causes fear, distress or unease he or
she should do the following:
Firstly acknowledge that this
dream is from Satan who wants only to cause grief therefore pay no heed to the
dream. Secondly seek refuge with God from the accursed Satan and the evil of
the dream and spit dryly to his left three times. A person should not divulge
the details of a bad dream unless in a sincere effort to get advice from a
suitably qualified person. In almost all cases distressing dreams should be
ignored and dismissed. Turning over to the other side of the bed or getting up
to pray to units of prayer are also effective ways of breaking the feeling of
helplessness sometimes associated with bad dreams.
c) There are some dreams
that do not fall in either of the above two categories. These dreams are called
confused dreams and they stem from what one is thinking about, and from events
and fears stored in the memory and the subconscious, which are then replayed
during sleep. There is no interpretation of such dreams.
A clear rule about dreams is that
lying about a dream is a very serious matter. Prophet Muhammad warned us that
“The worst lie is that a person claims to have seen a dream which he has not
seen.”[3] Perhaps a person is so anxious to
have a good dream he feels compelled to make one up. This is not an acceptable
practice, honesty is a value highly prized in Islam. “Those of you with the
truest dreams will be those who are most truthful in speech”.[4]
The dreams of the Prophets are
revelation and the dreams of people other than the Prophets must be looked at in
the light of revelation (Quran and authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad).
But what about dreaming about the Prophets, particularly Prophet Muhammad? If
Prophet Muhammad appears in a dream and looks as he is described in authentic
traditions, we can be sure that this is a true dream and a dream of glad
tidings. Prophet Muhammad said, “Whoever sees me (in a dream) then he indeed
has seen the truth, as Satan cannot appear in my shape.”[5]
And what does Islam say about
seeing God in a dream? Some scholars including Sheikh Ibn Taymiyah assert that
it is possible to see God Himself in dreams, however he stresses that what a
person sees in his dream is not what God looks like. There is nothing
comparable to God therefore our minds are not capable of forming a true
image.
“...There is nothing like Him, and He
is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer”. (Quran 42:11)
Dreams do hold some significance
in the way of life that is Islam however we must be careful not to rely too much
on them or believe that they are filled with hidden messages and symbols. The
great majority of dreams are a product of active, healthy mind and are not
prophetic in anyway. It is also incorrect to assume that the prayer for
guidance (Istikarah) should be answered with a dream. In conclusion we
are able to sum up dream interpretation with the words of Ibn Sireen, the most
well-known Islamic dream interpreter. On a day when asked about 100 or more
different dreams, he said in answer to all the questions, “Fear God and do good
whilst you are awake, and whatever you see in your sleep will not harm you”.
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