Question:
Are dreams of pious people a form of reminder from Allah for himself and people around him and can the dreams be categorized as the premonition of a Mukmin?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
A true dream is one of the great honors and gifts from Allah SWT. In a hadith from Ibn Abbas R.Anhuma, the Prophet PBUH said:
لَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْ مُبَشِّرَاتِ النُّبُوَّةِ إِلاَّ الرُّؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةُ يَرَاهَا الْمُسْلِمُ أَوْ تُرَى لَهُ
“There remained nothing that gives good tidings from prophethood except a true dream which a Muslim has himself or which another Muslim has for him.”
Sahih Muslim (1102)
Allah SWT states in the Quran:
لَهُمُ الْبُشْرَىٰ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا
“For them are good tidings in the worldly life and in the Hereafter.”
Surah Yunus (64)
Ibn Kathir in Tafsir al-Quran al-‘Azhim (2/515), when commenting on this verse mentioned the opinion and a hadith from ‘Ubadah bin al-Samit RA, he asked the Prophet PBUH about the verse, then the Prophet PBUH answered:
هِيَ الرُّؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةُ يَرَاهَا الْمُؤْمِنُ أَوْ تُرَى لَهُ
“It is a good dream that a mukmin has for himself or another mukmin has for him.”
Types of Dreams
There are several types of dreams experienced by a Muslim. This is explained in a hadith by ‘Auf bin Malik, the Prophet PBUH said:
إِنَّ الرُّؤْيَا ثَلاَثٌ : مِنْهَا أَهَاوِيلُ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ لِيَحْزُنَ بِهَا ابْنَ آدَمَ ، وَمِنْهَا مَا يَهُمُّ بِهِ الرَّجُلُ فِي يَقَظَتِهِ ، فَيَرَاهُ فِي مَنَامِهِ ، وَمِنْهَا جُزْءٌ مِنْ سِتَّةٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ جُزْءًا مِنَ النُّبُوَّةِ
“There three types of dreams: Dreams in which the Shaitan frightens someone. Dreams about something that has happened to the man himself. Dreams are a portion among the forty-six portions of Prophethood.”
Sunan Ibn Majah (3907)
From the above narrations, dreams that are experienced by humans are divided into three:
- Dreams that are a form of harassment from shaytan to frighten him.
- Dreams that are from what has been taught of or experienced originally by someone when he is awake. And when he sleeps, he dreams about it.
- Dreams that are from one of the forty-six portions of prophethood.
The first and second types of dreams do not have any meanings. While, for the third type of dream, it will be discussed further to answer the question asked.
Mukmin’s Dreams is One of the Signs of Prophethood
From Abu Hurairah RA, the Prophet PBUH said:
إِذَا اقْتَرَبَ الزَّمَانُ لَمْ تَكَدْ تَكْذِبُ رُؤْيَا الْمُؤْمِنِ وَرُؤْيَا الْمُؤْمِنِ جُزْءٌ مِنْ سِتَّةٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ جُزْءًا مِنْ النُّبُوَّةِ
"In the end of time, the dreams of a believer will hardly ever fail to come true and dreams are a portion among the forty-six portions of Prophethood."
Sahih al-Bukhari (7017)
From Anas bin Malik RA, the Prophet PBUH said:
الرُّؤْيَا الْحَسَنَةُ مِنْ الرَّجُلِ الصَّالِحِ جُزْءٌ مِنْ سِتَّةٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ جُزْءًا مِنْ النُّبُوَّةِ
"The (good) dream of a faithful believer is a part of the forty-six parts of prophetism."
Sahih al-Bukhari (6988)
Ibnu Battal said, there are two types of dreams:
- First, clear dreams that becomes a reality, such as someone dreams of giving someone dates, and during the day he gives someone dates. Dreams like this do not need any interpretation.
- Second, dreams that comes in the form of symbols. To understand this type of dream, one must consult with someone that has deep knowledge and experience in interpreting dreams, for the symbols are sometimes intricate and complicated. (Refer: Fath al-Bari, 19/451).
From Ibn Abbas R.Anhuma, the Prophet PBUH said:
لَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْ مُبَشِّرَاتِ النُّبُوَّةِ إِلاَّ الرُّؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةُ يَرَاهَا الْمُسْلِمُ أَوْ تُرَى لَهُ
“There remained nothing that gives good tidings from prophethood except a true dream which a Muslim has himself or which another Muslim has for him.”
Sahih Muslim (1102)
Ibnu Hajr in Fath al-Bari (19/461), when commenting on this hadith includes another hadith by Abu Ya’la from Anas bin Malik RA:
إِنَّ الرِّسَالَة وَالنُّبُوَّة قَدْ اِنْقَطَعَتْ وَلَا نَبِيّ وَلَا رَسُول بَعْدِي وَلَكِنْ بَقِيَتْ الْمُبَشِّرَات قَالُوا: وَمَا الْمُبَشِّرَات؟ قَالَ : رُؤْيَا الْمُسْلِمِينَ جُزْء مِنْ أَجْزَاء النُّبُوَّة
“Indeed, revelation and prophethood will end. There will be no more prophets and no more Messengers after me, but the al-Mubassyiraat will remain.’ The companions asked: ‘What is the al-Mubassyiraat?’ The Prophet PBUH answered: ‘the dream of a mukmin is a part of the parts of prophetism’.”
Ibn al-Tiin said: “The meaning of the hadith is the revelation will end with my death (the Prophet Muhammad PBUH). And nothing will remain from what is known from it, as to what will happen, except in dreams”. (Refer: Fath al-Bari, 19/461)
Conclusion
From the Quranic and prophetic evidences above, true dreams from pious people that is in line with the set attributes and traits, can be a form of good tidings and reminders. This has been explained above.
However, what should be emphasized is that true dreams do not come to just anyone. It is a gift from Allah SWT to pious people that uphold the religion and have a clean heart. From Abu Hurairah RA, the Prophet PBUH said:
وَأَصْدَقُكُمْ رُؤْيَا أَصْدَقُكُمْ حَدِيثًا
“The ones who see the truest dreams will be the ones who are truest in speech.”
Sahih Muslim (6042)
Clearly, only people with special attributes, such as piety, steadfast in religion and holding his tongue from anything that is sinful, will be blessed with true dreams. Imam al-Qurtubi said:
الْمُسْلِم الصَّادِق الصَّالِح هُوَ الَّذِي يُنَاسِب حَالُهُ حَالَ الْأَنْبِيَاء فَأُكْرِمَ بِنَوْعٍ مِمَّا أُكْرِمَ بِهِ الْأَنْبِيَاء وَهُوَ الِاطِّلَاع عَلَى الْغَيْب
“An honest and pious Muslim are similar to prophets. Due to that, they are gifted with one of the portions of prophethood, which is being able to see the unseen world.” (Refer Fath al-Baribi Syarh Sahih al-Bukhari, 19/451)
Furthermore, we are asked to not arbitrarily interprets what someone’s dream means. Imam Malik was once asked: “Can someone just interprets someone else’s dreams as he like?” He answered: “Does he want to mess around with prophetism? Dreams are a part of prophethood. Thus, it cannot be messed with!”
Our Opinion
Based on the above discussion, in our opinion, for a person who has a good dream, then the first thing he should do is to pray to Allah SWT and if it is an unpleasant dream then he should also pray to Allah SWT and ask for His protection. Similarly, the dreams that involve the universal ummah like the coming of a disaster, it is better to hide his knowledge of this and pray for forgiveness and protection from Allah. He should advice others to repent to Allah SWT and teach the people and community any knowledge that he possesses. This is the best way.
We are very worried that the public would misinterpret dreams and it will become a fitnah. Similarly, sometimes understanding leads to considering dreams as divine tasyri ' or which must be obeyed other than the Quran and Sunnah. In this regard, the scholars of Usul Fiqh has answered this issue with the ruling that dreams are not included as the source for Syarak.
Finally, let us always pray to Allah SWT in order to avoid the disruption and deceit of the shaytan.
Wallahua'lam.