Interpretation of Dreams

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

It was narrated from Jabir that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘If one of you has a disturbing dream, he should not tell people about Satan’s tampering with him in his sleep.’

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It was narrated from Abu Razin that he heard the Prophet ﷺ say: ‘A dream hangs by a bird’s leg until it is interpreted; when it is interpreted, it comes to pass.’ He said: ‘A dream is one of the forty-six parts of prophethood.’ The narrator said, ‘I think he also said: “It should be recounted only to someone who loves you or a person of sound judgment.”’

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It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Interpret dreams according to their names, and express them through their corresponding designations; a dream belongs to the first interpreter.’

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It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Whoever fabricates a false dream will be tasked with tying two grains of barley together and will be punished for it.’

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It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘As the time draws near, a believer’s dream will scarcely prove false. Those whose dreams are truest are the most truthful in speech. A Muslim’s dream is one of the forty-six parts of prophethood.’

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It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that, on his return from Uhud, a man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: ‘Messenger of Allah, I dreamed of a cloud canopy dripping clarified butter and honey. People were gathering from it, some taking much and some little. I also saw a cord reaching up to the sky. I saw you take hold of it and rise with it; then a man after you took hold and rose with it, then another man after him did the same. Then another man took hold, but it broke beneath him; afterward it was joined for him, and he rose with it.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘Messenger of Allah, let me interpret it.’ He replied, ‘Interpret it.’ Abu Bakr said: ‘The canopy is Islam. The honey and clarified butter dripping from it are the Qur’an, its sweetness and gentleness. The people gathering from it are those who take much or little of the Qur’an. The cord reaching up to the sky is the truth you follow: you took hold of it and rose with it; then a man after you will take hold of it and rise with it, then another, then another, whose cord will break, but it will be joined for him and he will rise with it.’ He said, ‘You got some of it right and some of it wrong.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘I adjure you, Messenger of Allah, to tell me what I got right and what I got wrong.’ The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Do not adjure me, Abu Bakr.’

Another chain reports Ibn ‘Abbas saying that Abu Hurayrah used to relate that a man came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: ‘Messenger of Allah, I saw a canopy between heaven and earth dripping clarified butter and honey,’ then he recounted a similar report.

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Ibn ‘Umar said: ‘I was a young, unmarried man during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and I used to spend the night in the mosque. Whenever one of us saw a dream, he would tell it to the Prophet ﷺ. I said, “O Allah, if there is any good for me with You, show me a dream that the Prophet ﷺ can interpret for me.” I went to sleep and saw two angels come to me and take me away. Another angel met them and said, “Do not be afraid.” They took me to the Fire, which was folded in upon itself like a well, and there were people in it, some of whom I recognized. They then took me to the right. In the morning I told Hafsah, who said she had related the dream to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He said, “ ‘Abdullah is a righteous man; if only he would pray more during the night.”’ Ibn ‘Umar thereafter prayed frequently during the night.

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Kharashah ibn al-Hurr said: ‘I came to Madinah and sat with some elders in the Prophet’s mosque. An old man leaning on his staff came, and the people said, “Whoever would like to see a man from among the people of Paradise, let him look at this one.” He stood behind a pillar and prayed two units. I went to him and said, “Some of the people said such-and-such about you.” He replied, “Praise be to Allah. Paradise belongs to Allah; He admits whomever He wills. During the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I had a dream: a man came to me and said, ‘Come along.’ I went with him, and he led me along a vast road. A road to my left was shown to me, and I wanted to take it, but he said, ‘You are not among its people.’ Then a road to my right was shown to me, and I followed it until I reached a slippery mountain. He took my hand and propelled me up it, and suddenly I was at its summit, unable to steady myself or keep my footing. There was an iron post at its summit with a gold ring. He took my hand and propelled me until I grasped the handhold. He asked, ‘Have you got a firm hold?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ Then he struck the post with his foot, and I held tightly to the handhold. I told the dream to the Prophet ﷺ, who said, ‘You have seen something good. The vast road is the place of gathering. The road shown to your left is the path of the people of the Fire, but you are not among them. The road shown to your right is the path of the people of Paradise. The slippery mountain is the station of the martyrs, and the handhold you grasped is the handhold of Islam. Hold firmly to it until you die.’ I hope to be among the people of Paradise.” It was ‘Abdullah ibn Salam.’

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It was narrated from Abu Musa that the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘In a dream, I saw myself emigrating from Makkah to a land of date palms. I thought it might be Yamamah or Hajar, but it was Madinah, Yathrib. In this same dream, I saw myself brandishing a sword, and its middle broke; this represented what befell the believers on the day of Uhud. Then I brandished it again, and it became better than it had ever been; this represented the victory Allah granted and the believers gathering together. I also saw cattle—and by Allah, that is good. They represented the group of believers on the day of Uhud, while the good that came afterward and the reward of truthfulness were what Allah granted us on the day of Badr.’

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It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘I saw two gold bracelets on my hands, so I blew on them. I interpreted them as these two liars: Musaylimah and al-‘Ansi.’

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It was narrated that Qabus said: ‘Umm al-Fadl said, “Messenger of Allah, I dreamed that one of your limbs was in my house.” He said, “You have seen something good. Fatimah will give birth to a boy, and you will nurse him.” Fatimah gave birth to Husayn—or Hasan—and Umm al-Fadl nursed him with the milk of Qutham. She said, “I brought him to the Prophet ﷺ and placed him in his lap. He urinated, so I struck his shoulder.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “You have hurt my son. May Allah have mercy on you.”’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, regarding a dream of the Prophet ﷺ, that he said: ‘I saw a dark-complexioned woman with disheveled hair leave Madinah and stop at al-Mahya‘ah, which is al-Juhfah. I interpreted her as an epidemic in Madinah that was transferred to al-Juhfah.’

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It was narrated from Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah that two men from Bali came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and embraced Islam together. One of them strove harder than the other; he went on a military expedition and was martyred. The other lived for a year after him, then died. Talhah said: ‘I dreamed that I was at the gate of Paradise when I saw the two of them. Someone came out of Paradise and admitted the one who had died later. Then he came out and admitted the one who had been martyred. He returned to me and said, “Go back; your time has not yet come.”’ In the morning Talhah told people about it, and they were amazed. Word of it reached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and they told him the story. He said, ‘What is it that amazes you?’ They said, ‘Messenger of Allah, this man strove harder, then was martyred, yet this other man entered Paradise before him.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Did he not live for a year after him?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘And did he not reach Ramadan and fast it, and perform so many prayers during that year?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The difference between them is greater than the distance between heaven and earth.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘I dislike seeing a collar in a dream, but I like seeing fetters. Fetters signify steadfastness in religion.’