Dreaming of Islam

In Islam, dreams hold a privileged place. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) taught that the true vision (Ru'ya Saliha) is one of the forty-six parts of prophethood. He encouraged his companions to share their dreams and provided their interpretation. Great scholars such as Ibn Sirin and Al-Nabulsi dedicated entire works to this science.

According to prophetic tradition, there are three types of dreams: 1) The true vision (Ru'ya) that comes from Allah and often contains a message or glad tidings. 2) The disturbing dream (Hulum) that comes from Shaytan and aims to frighten or sadden the sleeper. 3) The dream of the soul (Hadith al-Nafs) that reflects daily thoughts, concerns, and desires.

According to the hadiths, after a bad dream it is recommended to: lightly spit three times to your left, seek refuge with Allah against Shaytan (say A'udhu billahi min ash-Shaytan ir-rajim), change your sleeping position, and not tell anyone about the dream. The Prophet taught that by doing this, the dream will cause no harm.

Muhammad Ibn Sirin (653–729) was a Muslim scholar from Basra, considered the father of dream interpretation in Islam. His work 'Tafsir al-Ahlam al-Kabir' (The Great Book of Dream Interpretation) remains the foremost reference in this field. He based his interpretations on the Quran, the hadiths, and a deep knowledge of the Arabic language and its metaphors.