The Book of Dreams

كتاب الرؤيا

Abu Salama reported

I used to see dreams (and was so much perturbed) that I began to quiver and have temperature, but did not cover myself with a mantle. I met Abu Qatada and made a mention of that to him. He said: I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: A good vision comes from Allah and a (bad) dream (hulm) from devil. So when one of you sees a bad dream (hulm) which he does not like, he should spit on his left side thrice and seek refuge with Allah from its evil; then it will not harm him.

This hadith has been reported on the authority of Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters, but it does not contain the words

"I felt disturbed because of that," and there is an addition of these words in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Yunus: "Then spit thrice on the left side when you get up from sleep."

Abu Salama reported

I used to see dreams, but the hadith transmitted on the authority of Laith b. Nu`man, the words of Abu Salama at the concluding part of the hadith are not mentioned. Ibn Rumh has reported in the hadith: "He (one who sleeps) should change the side on which he had been lying before."

Abu Qatada reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

The good vision are from Allah and the evil dreams are from the satan. If one sees a dream which one does not like, one should spit on one's left side and seek the refuge of Allah from the satan; it will not do one any harm, and one should not disclose it to anyone and if one sees a good vision one should feel pleased but should not disclose it to anyone but whom one loves.

Abu Salama reported

I used to see (such horrible dreams) that I fell ill. I saw Abu Qatada who also said: I used to see dreams which made me sick until I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Good dreams are from Allah, so if any one of you sees which he likes he should not disclose it to one but whom he loves, but if he sees something which he does not like he should spit on his left side thrice and seek refuge with Allah from the mischief of the Satan and its mischief (i.e. of the dream), and he should not relate it to anyone, then it would not harm him.

Jabir reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

If anyone sees a dream which he does not like, he should spit on his left side three times, and seek refuge with Allah from the Satan three times, and let him turn over from the side on which he was sleeping.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik through another chain of transmitters.

A hadith like this has been reported on the authority of Nafi` with the same chain of transmitters (and the words are)

"I think Ibn `Umar said: The seventieth part from Prophecy."

Chapter 2: No One Should Speak Of How The Shaitan Toyed With Him In His Sleep

Jabir reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

There came to him (the Holy Prophet) a desert Arab and said: I saw in a dream that I had been beheaded and I had been following it (the severed head). Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) reprimanded him saying: Do not inform about the vain sporting of devil with you during the night.

Jabir reported that a person came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and said

Allah's Messenger, I have seen in the state of sleep as if my head had been cut off. Thereupon Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) laughed and said: When the satan plays with any one of you in the state of sleep, do not mention it to the people; and in the hadith transmitted by Abu Bakr (the words are): "If one of you is played with, and he did not make any mention of the word: "Satan."

Chapter 4: The Dreams Of The Prophet (SAW)

Abdullah b. `Umar reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

I saw in a dream that I was using miswak and two persons contended to get it from me, one being older than the other one. I gave the miswak to the younger one. It was said to me to give that to the older one and I gave it to the older one.

Ibn `Abbas reported that Musailima al-Kadhdhab (the greater liar) (who claimed prophethood after the death of the Holy Prophet) came during the lifetime of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) to Medina and said

If Muhammad assigns his caliphate to me after him I would follow him, and there came along with him a large body of persons of his tribe, and there came to him Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) along with Thabit b. Qais b. Shammas and the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) had a piece of wood in his hand until he came in front of Musailima in the company of his companions and said: If you were to ask even this (wood), I would never give it to you. I am not going to do anything against the will of God in your case, and if you turn away (from what I say) Allah will destroy you. And I find you in the same state which I was shown (in the dream) and here is Thabit and he would answer you on my behalf. He (the Holy Prophet) then went back. Ibn `Abbas said: I asked the (meaning of the) words of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ): "You are the same what I was made to see about you in my dream." and Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: While I was sleeping I saw in my hands two gold bangles. This had a disturbing effect upon me and I was given a suggestion in the sleep that I should blow over them, so I blew over them and they were no more. And I interpreted these (two bangles) as the two great liars who would appear after me and the one amongst them was Al-`Anasi the inhabitant of San`a' and the other one Musailima the inhabitant of Yamama.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

While I was sleeping, the treasures of the earth were presented to me and I was made to wear in my hands two gold bangles. I felt a sort of burden upon me and I was disturbed and it was suggested to me that I should blow over them, so I blew and both of them disappeared. I interpreted them as two great liars who would appear at any time, one is the inhabitant of San`a' and the other is that of Yamama.

Chapter 0

Abu Huraira reported

I love to see fetters but I hate necklace (in a dream), for fetters signifies one's steadfastness in religion, and he also reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: The vision of a believer is forty-sixth part of Prophecy.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira through another chain of transmitters.

Chapter 1: The Words Of The Prophet (SAW): "Whoever Sees Me In A Dream Has Indeed Seen Me."

Abu Huraira reported

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who saw me in a dream would soon see me in the state of wakefulness, or as if he saw me in a state of wakefulness, for the satan does not appear in my form.

Chapter 3: Interpretation Of Dreams

Ibn `Abbas reported that there came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) a person as he was returning from Uhud and he said

Allah's Messenger, I saw in sleep during the night a canopy trickling butter and honey; the rest of the hadith is the same.

Chapter 0

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Qatada, but there is no mention of the words of Abu Salama

"I saw dreams (which perturbed me) but I did not cover myself with a mantle."

Abu Qatada reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

A good vision is from Allah and a bad dream (hulm) is from the satan; so if one of you sees anything (in a dream) which he dislikes, he should spit on his left side thrice and seek refuge with Allah from its evil, and then it will never harm him. Abu Salama said: I used to see dreams weighing more heavily upon me than a mountain; but since I heard this hadith I don't care for it (its burden).

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Abu Huraira and the words are

"When the time draws near," the rest of the hadith is the same.