Mrs. R.S. of Jeddah tells me that she saw a very bad dream, or indeed a nightmare, in which her sister played a wicked role. When she told the details to her husband, he mentioned that he saw a very similar dream perhaps the same night. There were quite a few details in common. She requests help in interpreting that dream. I am afraid I cannot be of much help on this point. I do not interpret dreams, and I do not recommend anyone who does so. I do not think that anyone has the knowledge to give accurate interpretation.
From what she writes, however, I imagine that my reader has a very impressionistic mind. It may be that her husband is the same. If the dream is related to some event in their lives, or to an experience or perhaps a film they saw or a story they were told, this could explain the fact that they shared the same details.
Be that as it may, the recommended practice is that if we see a bad dream, we seek refuge with God against the wicked designs of the Devil, saying, “aoothu billahi mina shaitani rajeem.” We make a gesture as if we are spitting to our left, but we do not actually spit, and we try to forget it. We do not tell it to anyone. Bad dreams may have different causes, including an uncomfortable position of the head during sleep. Hence, we do not give them much attention.
Having said that, I wish to add that it is useful to say the supplication the Prophet has recommended when we go to sleep. This says in Arabic “Bismika rabbi wadhatu janbi wa bika arfauh. In amsakta nafsi farhamha, wain arsaltaha fahfathha bima tahfathu bihi ibaadak assaliheen.” Translated this means: “It is under Your protection, my Lord, that I lie my body, and by Your help I lift it up again. If You gather my soul to You, have mercy on it, and if You let it be, grant me the protection You grant to Your obedient servants.”
It is also recommended to read the last three Surahs of the Qur’an, with our cupped hands on our face, then we go with our hands over our body, as far as they reach. We repeat this three times. Another recommended practice is to glorify God and praise him saying “Subhan Allah, Al-hamdu lillah, Allahu Akbar,” 33 times each. If one maintains reading these before going to sleep, nothing wrong may come to him or her, by God’s grace.