Faith and worship
Seeing the Prophet ﷺ in a dream
In short
The authentic hadith says the devil cannot take the Prophet’s ﷺ form. Ibn Sirin asked dreamers to describe what they had seen, and interpreters say that seeing him in a fine form reflects the good state of the dreamer’s religion.
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.
In the Sunnah
“Whoever sees me in a dream will see me when awake — or: it is as if he saw me awake — for Satan does not take my form.” Al-Bukhari adds Ibn Sirin’s clarification: this holds “if he sees him in his [true] form”. (al-Bukhari 6993 and Muslim 2266)
Al-Nawawi explains that such a vision is true, but that it establishes no ruling; if the Prophet ﷺ commands in it something already recommended, doing it is recommended, because it is established independently. (al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim 1/115)
أما إذا رأى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يأمره بفعل ما هو مندوب إليه أو ينهاه عن منهي عنه أو يرشده إلى فعل مصلحة فلا خلاف في استحباب العمل على وفقه لأن ذلك ليس حكما بمجرد المنام بل تقرر من أصل ذلك الشيء
But if he sees the Prophet ﷺ command him to do something recommended, forbid him something forbidden or guide him to something beneficial, there is no disagreement that acting on it is recommended: this is not a ruling drawn from the dream alone, but something already established in its own right.
What the interpretation books say
al-Nabulusi — Taʿṭīr al-Anām fī Taʿbīr al-Manām
ومن هؤلاء ابن سيرين رحمه الله تعالى فإنه صح عنه أنه كان إذا قصت عليه رؤياه قال للرائي صف لي الذي رأيته فإن وصف له صفة لم يعرفها قال لم تره
Among [the scholars who required this] was Ibn Sirin — may Allah have mercy on him —: it is established that when someone told him of such a dream, he would say to the dreamer: “Describe to me the one you saw.” If the description did not match what he knew, he would say: “You did not see him.”
وقال ابن أبي حمرة رؤياه في صورة حسنة حسن في دين الرائي ومع شين أو نقص في بعض بدنه خلل في دين الرائي
Ibn Abi Jamra said: seeing him in a fine form indicates soundness in the dreamer’s religion; seeing him with a blemish or a lack indicates a flaw in the dreamer’s religion.
وإن رأى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وقد أعطاه شيئا من متاع الدنيا أو من طعام أو شراب فهو خير يناله بقدر ما أعطاه
If he sees the Prophet ﷺ give him some worldly good, food or drink, it is good he will obtain, in proportion to what he was given.
Muntakhab al-Kalām fī Tafsīr al-Aḥlām (attributed to Ibn Sirin)
Attribution to Ibn Sirin rejected: why
وطوبى لمن يراه في منامه فإنه إن رآه مديون قضى الله دينه وإن رآه مريض شفاه الله وإن رآه محارب نصره الله وإن رآه مسرور حج البيت وإن رؤي في أرض جدبة أخضبت أو في موضع قد فشا فيه الظلم بدل الظلم عدلا أو في موضع مخوف أمن أهله هذا إذا رآه على هيئته
Blessed is he who sees him in his sleep: if a debtor sees him, Allah settles his debt; if a sick man, Allah heals him; if a fighter, Allah grants him victory; if a joyful man, he performs the pilgrimage. If he is seen in a barren land, it turns green; in a place where injustice has spread, it gives way to justice; in a place of fear, its people are safe. This is if he is seen in his [true] form.
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)
If this dream upset you: what the Sunnah asks
The Prophet ﷺ taught that an unpleasant dream comes from Satan, and that it does not harm the one who does the following. (al-Bukhari 7045 · al-Bukhari 3292)
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)
Related symbols
- QuranReciting the Quran in a dream is honour, joy and victory. Interpreters look at the meaning of the passage: a verse of mercy is mercy, a warning is a call to amend oneself. Al-Fatiha, al-Falaq and an-Nas are protections.
- Kaaba, MeccaSeeing the Kaaba announces good coming or evil going away, and looking at it, safety. Setting out for Hajj in its season announces, in the Muntakhab, healing, a settled debt and safety; entering Mecca, repentance.
- MosqueFor al-Nabulusi the mosque stands for a scholar who gathers people for good; building a mosque announces goodness, the Sunna and family ties, and seeing one’s house become a mosque, piety and honour.
All the symbols in the dictionary