We all see dreams during sleep. Some of us see many, and their dreams are vivid and colorful. When they wake up they are able to recount their dreams in full. Other people dream little and they are likely to forget their dreams the moment they wake up. There is no particular significance in either situation. It is all due to the make up of each person. However, when we see a dream concerning someone who is important to us, or when the dream is related to something we hold dearly, we are likely to retain that dream in our memory, even if we belong to the second type of people who normally forget their dreams on waking up.
Since we have been talking in this series of articles about the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his personality, it is pertinent to ask whether it is possible to see the Prophet in our dreams. The answer is that this is quite possible. In fact some of us see him several times in their lives. They are delighted with the fact, and some of them are ready to report their seeing the Prophet whenever an occasion arises.
A dream involving seeing the Prophet is likely to have a profound effect on us. Even a person of the type who forgets their dreams on waking up will remember this dream because of the special position of the Prophet. A friend of mine once told me that he never remembers his dreams, even though he only occasionally sees a dream. Nevertheless, he saw the Prophet in a dream once, many years ago. Yet whenever he wants, he recalls this dream in all its vividness.
This is not surprising, because the Prophet is held so dearly by all Muslims. They love him and cherish him. Their ultimate wish is to be close to him on the Day of Judgment. So, when he appears to them in a dream, they feel such closeness to him to be real. The Prophet has made it clear that such dreams in which he appears are true. Anas quotes the Prophet as saying: “Whoever sees me in a dream has actually seen me. Satan cannot appear in my guise.” He also said: “Dreams by a believer count as one part of 46 parts of prophethood.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, Al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah).
In this Hadith, the Prophet makes two points, and he repeats them in other ways. An authentic Hadith reported by Abu Qatadah quotes the Prophet as saying: “Whoever sees me in a dream actually sees me in truth.” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.) A different Hadith reported by Abu Hurayrah quotes the Prophet as saying: “Whoever sees me in a dream will see me when awake. Satan cannot put on my appearance.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah).
The first point the Prophet makes in all these Hadiths is that a dream in which he is seen by anyone is a true dream. This applies whether he is seen in his real form, which has been described by a number of his companions, or in a different form. There will always be a clear indication in the dream to inform the dreaming person that he is seeing the Prophet. Therefore, it is not necessary that the Prophet would appear to that person in his own figure and form. Anyway, most people do not know how exactly the Prophet looked.
The Prophet’s statement, ‘whoever sees me in a dream will see me when awake,” may be interpreted in two ways. It either relates to his contemporaries telling them that if they see the Prophet in their dreams, then they would be sure to see him in reality. If any such person lived far away from Madinah, he would be sure to visit it or see the Prophet in some other place. Alternatively, it may mean that such a person will inevitably see the Prophet on the Day of Judgment. This signifies that he or she will have nothing to fear on that day. Both interpretations may be correct, with the first one applying during the Prophet’s lifetime and the second after he has passed away. Both add to the meaning that a dream in which the Prophet figures is a true dream and when any of us sees such a dream, he has truly seen the Prophet, even though the Prophet appears in that dream in a form and shape different from what he looked like in reality.
The second point is that Satan cannot put on a guise that makes him look like the Prophet, so that he could deceive people and divert them from the right path. In fact it is God who has willed that Satan cannot look like the Prophet, even in dreams. Otherwise, people would listen to Satan, thinking that they were taking orders from the Prophet. This God will not allow. Therefore, He has willed to deprive Satan of this ability so that he would never look like the Prophet, not even in people’s dreams. Again this is a special blessing, because if we talk to the Prophet in a dream and he tells us something, whatever he tells us is correct. It does not constitute any new teachings, because the divine message he delivered is complete and nothing can be added to it. Yet the Prophet may give us some guidance, which will prove to be of real benefit to us.
Perhaps we should also explain that if one leads a life of piety and diligence following the Prophet’s guidance but does not see the Prophet throughout his life, this is no indication that he lacks anything. It is no reflection on his status as a good Muslim. Seeing the Prophet in dream is an act of God’s kindness, which He gives to whomever He wills, but does not add to the status of that person. Our status is determined by our actions and the intentions behind them.
