The unseen
Dreaming of the Day of Judgment in Islam
Did this dream upset you?Seek Allah’s protection, blow lightly three times to your left, turn onto your other side, pray if you can, and tell no one: “it will not harm you”.Details and sources
Seek Allah’s protection, three times
Against the evil of this dream and against Satan. The wording given by al-Nawawi: “aʿūdhu billāhi mina sh-shayṭāni wa min sharrihā” — I seek refuge with Allah from Satan and from the evil of this dream. (al-Bukhari 7044 · Muslim 2262 · al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim 15/18)
Blow lightly three times to your left
The narrations say “blow” (nafth), “spit lightly” (tafl) or “spit” (basq): a light breath, to drive Satan away. (Muslim 2261 · al-Bukhari 7044 · Muslim 2262)
Turn over onto your other side
Change the side you were sleeping on. (Muslim 2262)
Get up and pray
If you can; al-Nawawi recommends two units of prayer (rakʿa). (Muslim 2263 · al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim 15/18)
Tell no one about it
Neither recount it nor seek to have it interpreted. A Bedouin dreamt that his head was cut off; the Prophet ﷺ told him: “Do not tell of how Satan toys with you in your sleep.” (al-Bukhari 7045 · Muslim 2263 · Muslim 2268 · al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim 15/18)
“It will not harm him”: that is the promise of the hadith. Al-Nawawi adds that doing only some of these acts is enough, by Allah’s leave. (al-Bukhari 7045 · al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim 15/18)
In short
For al-Nabulusi, the Day of Judgment is a warning against sin and a sign of justice for the oppressed; it may also herald safety from enemies. The Muntakhab attributed to Ibn Sirin sees it as the establishment of justice according to whether the people of the place are unjust or oppressed.
A summary of the passages quoted below. These are authors’ interpretations, not a prediction: a dream is understood through the dreamer and all its details.
What the interpretation books say
al-Nabulusi — Taʿṭīr al-Anām fī Taʿbīr al-Manām
هي في المنام نذير وتحذير لمن رآها من معصية هم بها والقيامة عدل وإنصاف المظلوم من الظالم.
The Day of Judgment in a dream is a warning and caution against a sin that the one who sees it intended to commit; the Day of Judgment is justice and redress for the oppressed against the oppressor.
أن القيامة قامت فإنه ينجو من شر أعدائه أو تكون فتنة في الناس في ذلك البلد أو الموضع الذي رؤيت فيه.
[Whoever sees] the Day of Judgment come to pass escapes the evil of his enemies, or discord arises among the people of the country or place where it was seen.
Muntakhab al-Kalām fī Tafsīr al-Aḥlām (attributed to Ibn Sirin)
Attribution to Ibn Sirin rejected: why
ومن رأى أن القيامة قامت فإن عدل الله يبسط على الموضع الذي رآها قامت فيه فإن كان أهل ذلك الموضع ظالمين انتقم منهم وإن كانوا مظلومين نصروا وانصرم الأمر بينهم لأن يوم القيامة يوم الفصل والعدل
[Whoever sees] the Day of Judgment come to pass will see Allah’s justice established in the place where he saw it come to pass: if the inhabitants of that place are unjust, they will be punished; if they are oppressed, they will be helped and their dispute will end, for the Day of Judgment is the day of decision and justice.
Keep in mind
- An interpretation is a human effort: Abu Bakr himself was partly wrong before the Prophet ﷺ. (al-Bukhari 7046 and Muslim 2269)
- Appearances deceive: an unpleasant-looking dream may be interpreted as good, and vice versa. (al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim 15/18)
- A dream is not a fatwa: make no serious decision on its strength alone. (al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim 1/115)
Related symbols
- GraveFor al-Nabulusi, a grave may symbolize a prison, a distant journey, estrangement, or spouses; digging or building a grave may signify building a house, while filling one in signifies a long life and lasting health. The Muntakhab attributed to Ibn Sirin associates rain on graves with mercy for their occupants and digging one’s own grave with building a house.
- ParadiseFor al-Nabulusi, entering Paradise signifies joy and security in both abodes; being prevented from entering may indicate an obstacle to pilgrimage, fighting, or repentance. The Muntakhab attributed to Ibn Sirin associates entering Paradise, in a dream of a flourishing garden, with martyrdom.
- The dead, deathSeeing a deceased person looking happy is, for both books, a good sign for him; seeing him alive announces relief. Dreaming of one’s own death has varied meanings: a journey, poverty, repentance or even marriage.
All the symbols in the dictionary