Every night, the world grows quiet. We lie down, close our eyes, and drift into a different kind of reality, one we can’t control, one that feels both familiar and strange. Sometimes, we wake up with our hearts racing, remembering nightmares we can’t explain. Other times, we hold onto a beautiful image or message that seems to mean more than just a dream. For many Muslims, these moments raise questions: was that dream from Allah (SWT)? Could it be a sign? Or was it just my imagination?
Islam gives us a powerful framework for understanding dreams not in the way of superstition or modern dream psychology, but in a way that links them to something far greater: the world of the unseen, or Aalam al-Ghayb. This is the realm that surrounds our visible world, a world that includes angels, jinn, the soul, the afterlife, divine knowledge, and events that haven’t yet occurred. It’s not a fantasy. It’s part of the foundation of our faith.
In fact, when Allah (SWT) begins describing the people of true belief in The Quran, He says they are those, “who believe in the unseen.” (The Clear Quran®, 2:3) This means we believe in realities we cannot see or measure, but that are known to Allah (SWT) and revealed through His words and His Messenger (SAW). And one of the ways Allah (SWT) occasionally allows a glimpse into that unseen is through righteous dreams.
What Islam actually says about dreams
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) taught us that dreams are not all the same. In fact, he (SAW) described them as coming from three different sources. Some are from Allah (SWT), and these are considered true or righteous dreams. They often bring peace, insight, or spiritual clarity, and may even reflect a future event or a personal message that aligns with our faith. These dreams can act as a form of guidance or a kind of glad tidings for the believer. Not revelation, but a personal sign of mercy.
Then there are dreams from Shaytan. These usually show up as disturbing nightmares, scary or shameful images, or things that leave a person unsettled or anxious. They are not worth interpreting, and the Prophet (SAW) taught us to seek refuge in Allah (SWT), turn away in our sleep, and not share these dreams with anyone. They’re meant to distract or harm us, nothing more.
The third type is probably the most common: dreams from our own selves. These reflect our thoughts, emotions, and daily experiences. They’re like mental echoes. You think about something all day, and it shows up in your dream. These dreams may not be spiritual, but they’re still part of how the mind and heart process what we go through. So while not every dream is a message, some may be, and we can know the difference between which is which through Islamic teachings.
The role of dreams in prophetic tradition
Dreams have always had a place in the lives of the righteous. Prophet Yusuf (AS) was given the gift of dream interpretation, and The Quran dedicates an entire surah to his story, beginning and ending with dreams. The dream of Prophet Yusuf (AS) as a child – of stars, the sun, and the moon prostrating to him – was a symbolic message that came true years later. This shows that dreams can hold layers of meaning, but also that they unfold according to Allah’s (SWT) timing, not ours.
The Prophet (SAW) himself would ask his companions after Fajr prayers if any of them had seen a dream. He (SAW) would listen and, at times, interpret their dreams. In one famous narration, he (SAW) said, “Nothing remains of prophethood except glad tidings.” When asked what that meant, he (SAW) replied, “The righteous dream.” (Sahih Bukhari)
This doesn’t mean dreams are now a substitute for divine revelation – far from it! Rather, they are a remaining trace of spiritual connection that Allah (SWT) grants to some of His believing servants but, as scholars have emphasized for centuries, dreams do not create new rulings, beliefs, or religious obligations. They are personal signs, not public scripture.
Proceeding with caution is important when interpreting dreams
Islam does allow dream interpretation, but only for those qualified. Not every dream is meant to be analyzed, and not everyone who interprets dreams knows what they’re doing. Scholars like ibn Sirin were famous for interpreting dreams, but they also warned against forcing meanings or pretending to know. In fact, the Prophet (SAW) warned that lying about a dream, saying you saw something you didn’t, is a serious sin.
If a person sees a good dream, they are encouraged to keep it private or share it with someone who is wise, sincere, and spiritually grounded. If they see something disturbing or confusing, they should ignore it and turn to dhikr and dua. The Sunnah protects us from overreacting or misreading a dream, something that can lead people into paranoia or false hope.
Today, with the rise of dream-related content on social media, this has become even more important. Some people treat dream interpretations like entertainment. Others turn to strangers or apps or YouTube to interpret personal dreams. This approach is dangerous. Dreams should be treated with respect, not as viral content.
Seeing the Prophet (SAW) in a dream
One of the most special experiences a believer can have is seeing the Prophet (SAW) in a dream. The Prophet (SAW) himself said, “Whoever sees me in a dream has truly seen me, for Shaytan cannot take my form.” (Sahih Bukhari)
This is a gift, but it’s also something that requires knowledge. If someone claims to have seen the Prophet (SAW) they should compare the person they saw to the authentic physical descriptions of him found in the ahadith. Without that, it’s possible they only saw a symbol, or their mind’s idea of the Prophet (SAW), not his actual form.
Can we see the unseen in our sleep?
Because dreams come from the soul, and because the soul belongs to the unseen world, it’s possible that a dream may reflect glimpses of what we cannot see while awake. Some people dream of deceased relatives. Others dream of scenes from the afterlife. These dreams may be true, or they may not, there’s no guaranteed way to know, but what matters is that we never base our beliefs or decisions on dreams alone. The guidance of Islam is found in The Quran and the Sunnah, and everything else is secondary.
Dreams may move us emotionally, but they must not move us away from revelation. Even a powerful dream must be measured against the teachings of the Prophet (SAW). If it contradicts Islamic guidance, we leave it, no matter how real it feels. That is the discipline which is to trust Allah’s (SWT) words more than our own emotions.
Finding balance between wonder and wisdom
Dreams are a mercy. They are part of what makes the human experience deeply personal and mysterious. Sometimes they bring comfort when we need it most. Sometimes they shake us awake from spiritual sleep but, like everything in Islam, they must be handled with wisdom and balance. Neither exaggerated nor ignored. When we understand dreams in light of the unseen, we begin to appreciate their place in the vast spiritual ecosystem of our faith. We see them not as distractions, but as signs – some meaningful, some meaningless, but all under the control of the One who created the heavens, the earth, and the soul.
So the next time you wake up from a dream and wonder what it meant, pause…reflect…and ask yourself: did this dream bring me closer to Allah (SWT)? Did it remind me of the Hereafter, of my sins, of my need to change? Or did it leave me anxious and distracted? And then remember: your path to Allah (SWT) is not through dreams, but through His Book, His Messenger (SAW), and the sincerity of your actions when you’re awake.
Because while some dreams may carry meaning, the greatest sign from Allah (SWT) is not in your sleep, it’s in how you live when you’re awake.
Dua
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِينِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَنْ يَحْضُرُونِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ رُؤْيَا صَالِحَةً صَادِقَةً، وَفَهْمًا صَحِيحًا لِمَا أَرَيْتَنِي.
Allāhumma innī aʿūdhu bika min hamazāti ash-shayāṭīn, wa aʿūdhu bika rabbi an yaḥḍurūn, wa as’aluka ru’yā ṣāliḥah ṣādiqah, wa fahman ṣaḥīḥan limā araytanī.
Translation: O Allah (SWT), I seek refuge in You from the whispers of the devils, and I seek refuge in You, my Lord, from their presence. I ask You for righteous and true dreams, and for correct understanding of what You show me.
Ameen!
