261. Dreams

By  Asma Bint Shameem

It’s not just anybody’s job to interpret dreams. 

Rather, interpreting dreams is a specialized science, only known and practiced by those who have that knowledge. 

And I’m not one of them. 

Al-Baaji said: 
“No one should interpret dreams except one who is good at doing so. If a person has no knowledge of that or does not do it well, then he should refrain from doing that.”                         

Maalik was asked about a man who interpreted dreams for everyone. 

He said:
“Is he playing with Prophethood?”

It was said to him: 

“Should he interpret it in a good way even though he thinks it signifies something bad, because of the saying: The dream is according to how it is interpreted?”

He said: 

“No; dreams are one of the parts of Prophethood; is he playing with something that is one of the matters of Prophethood?”

(Al-Muntaqa Sharh al-Muwatta’, 7/276)

Dreams can be of three kinds 

1. The good dream- that’s from Allaah 

2. The bad dream - the nightmares, the ones you worry about- that’s from the Shaytaan 

3. The thoughts that we’ve been thinking about - that’s from the person’s own subconscious mind. 

So for example, if we’ve been cooking all day and preparing for a special dinner, we might dream about it too 

Or a student studying hard might dream of himself taking an exam etc. 

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

“Good dreams come from Allaah and bad dreams come from the Shaytaan.” 

(al-Bukhaari, Muslim)

What to do when you see bad dreams?

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

A)”If any one of you sees a bad dream which makes him afraid, let him spit drily to his left and seek refuge with Allaah from its evil, then it will not harm him.” (al-Bukhaari, Muslim)

B) “If any one of you sees a dream that he dislikes, let him spit drily to his left three time, and seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan three times, and change the side on which he was sleeping.” (Muslim)

C) “If any one of you sees something that he dislikes (in a dream), let him get up and pray, and not tell people about it.’” (Muslim)

So if you see a bad dream, you should do the following:

1. Know that this dream is from the Shaytaan, so don’t pay any attention to it. 

2. Spit drily to your left side three times. 

3. Say Aa’oodhu Billaahi min ash-Shaytaanir-Rajeem 

or you can say

أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللهِ التَّامَّاتِ مِنْ غَضَبِهِ وَعِقَابِهِ، وَشَرِّ عِبَادِهِ، وَمِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَأَنْ يَحْضُرُونِ

 ‘A’oothu bikalimaatil-laahit-taammaati min ghadhabihi wa ‘iqaabihi, wa sharri ‘ibaadihi, wa min hamazaatish-shayaateeni wa ‘an yahdhuroon.

“I seek refuge in the Perfect Words of Allah from His anger and His punishment, from the evil of His slaves and from the taunts of devils and from their presence.” (at-Tirmidhi -hasan by al-Albaani)

4. Ask Allaah to protect you from the evil of this dream.

5. Don’t tell anyone about it.

6. Turn over from the side on which you were sleeping.

7. If you can, then get up and pray. 

If you do this then In shaa’ Allaah this bad dream will not harm you or affect you in any way. 

And Allaah knows best.