495. Seeing The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi Wa Sallam In A dream

By Asma bint Shameem

*QUESTION*

Is it possible for a person to see the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam in his dream?

*ANSWER*

If a person is *“claiming”* he saw the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam in a dream there are two possibilities

1.He’s lying

2.He’s telling the truth

*Possibility #1: He’s lying*.

If he’s lying, then that’s a VERY SERIOUS SIN.

In fact that’s one of the major sins in Islaam and the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam gave such a person a *severe warning*.

The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said: “Verily, the WORST of LIES are for a man to claim... that *he saw a dream he did not see, or to say the Messenger of Allaah said what he did not.*” (al-Bukhaari)

And he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said: “Whoever attributes words to me that I did not say, let him take his place in HELL.” (Muslim)

Unfortunately, many people don’t realize the SEVERITY of this SIN and they take this matter very lightly.

They lie about seeing the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam in their dream, for whatever reason, without even thinking twice about it.

May Allaah save us.

*Possibility #2: He’s not lying*..

If a person sees someone that he thinks is the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam in his dream, it is very much possible that it is so.

That’s because the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said: “Whoever sees me in a dream will see me when he is awake; the Shaytaan cannot imitate me.” (al-Bukhaari, 6592; Muslim, 2266).

*HOWEVER*, the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam can only be TRULY seen in a dream IF it fulfills TWO conditions:

*a) First condition*

The person that they saw in the dream MUST MATCH the description of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam AS he was in his life.

The ulama say that means “seeing the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam as he was described by the Sahaabah.”

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said: “The phrase “[the Shaytaan] cannot” indicates that although Allaah gave him (Shaytaan) the ability to appear in any form he wants, He does not allow him to appear in the (true) form of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam.” (Fath al-Baari, 12/386)

So when a person sees someone that he thinks is the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam, that means that the description of the person that he saw MUST MATCH the description of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam.

And he MUST physically look like the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam, as he was described by the Sahaabah in the authentic ahaadeeth

That’s because the Shaytaan *”MAY”* appear in someone’s dream and CLAIM that he is the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam *although he’s not*.

And the person is deceived, thinking that he saw the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam, although he only saw the Shaytaan.

That is why when anyone came claiming that they saw the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam in a dream, the Salaf would first ask them to *DESCRIBE “who” they saw.*

If the description of the person they saw in their dream matched the description of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam, then they would accept that.

Otherwise they would say “you did NOT see the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam.”

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said: “If a man told Muhammad (meaning Ibn Sireen) that he had seen the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam [in a dream], he would say,

*“Describe to me the one whom you saw.”*

If he gave a description that he did not recognize, he would say, “You did not see him.”

Al-Haakim narrated via ‘Aasim ibn Kulayb (who said), my father told me:

I said to Ibn ‘Abbaas, “I saw the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam in a dream.”

He said, “Describe him to me.”

He said, “I mentioned al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali and said that he looked like him.”

He said, “You did indeed see him.”

(Fath al-Baari, 12/383, 384)

So the person seen should MATCH the description of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam.

If the man in the dream is clean shaven, or wearing a suit and tie, or an extremely old man with all gray hair, or someone who’s bald, etc., then that’s NOT the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam.

That’s the Shaytaan *pretending* to be the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam.

*b) Second Condition*

Even if the person MATCHES the description of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam, then whatever is being said in the dream MUST also be *according to the Sharee’ah*.

The person in the dream CAN NOT be saying or promoting anything that’s NOT PROVEN from the Qur’aan or authentic Sunnah.

If he’s ADDING a NEW way of worship, dhikr, duaa etc then that’s NOT the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam. Rather, it’s the Shaytaan.

So if a person sees someone in his dream, telling him he does not have to pray anymore or that he can deal with interest or alcohol, or other forbidden things, then that’s NOT the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam.

Or if the person in the dream is telling him to say a certain duaa or dhikr a specific number of times, or in a certain manner, or at a specific time or telling him to read a Surah of the Qur’aan “X” number of times, for any problem or issue, then that’s NOT the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam.

Basically if the dream is informing him of ANY NEW way to worship Allaah that’s NOT proven from the authentic practice or teachings of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam, then that’s NOT the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam who’s telling him that.

Rather it’s the SHAYTAAN.

The Deen is *complete*.

It was completed 1400 years ago when the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam passed away.

NO ONE can make “changes” to the religion after that.

No one can *add* anything to it.

No one can *delete* anything from it.

Whatever the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam needed to teach us, has *already* been taught.

The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam is NOT going to come in someone’s dream and inform him of some special dhikr to be said or some duaa to be read or some Surah to be recited that he didn’t tell his Sahaabah in his lifetime.

There can NEVER be some “special” or “secret” dhikr or duaa or ibaadah that was “left undisclosed” by the Prophet

Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam and that needs to be taught now after 1400 years have passed, to someone, no MATTER WHO the person is.

Allaah says: “This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as your religion...” (Surah al-Maa’idah:3)

The scholars said: “It is possible for the Shaytaan to come to a person in his sleep and claim to be the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam, if he comes in a form OTHER THAN the way in which Allaah formed the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam, at all stages of his life.

If a person sees the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam and he tells him something that goes *against* the apparent meaning of the Qur’aan or Sunnah, or tells him of some matter concerning which there has to be proof, he should NOT act upon it, because what one sees in a dream is NOT BINDING; what is binding is the FACTS that one learns when AWAKE. You should note that the dreams of the Prophets are wahy (revelation), but seeing the Prophets in a dream is not wahy – according to scholarly consensus.” (Islamqa Fatwa # 23367, 47782)

Let us OPEN our eyes and *understand*.

We cannot be so gullible and just blindly follow and believe everything we hear.

May Allaah guide us and enable us to truly follow the teachings of Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam.

And Allaah knows best.