Relating One's Dream God's Prophet, upon whom be peace, liked to sleep on his right side. He also taught his companions when they go to bed to pray: "Lord, I seek refuge in Thee from any disturbing dreams and from Satan's chicanery whether I am awake or in my sleep. Lord, protect me against the sufferings that people will experience on the Day of Gathering."
After the daybreak, God's Prophet, upon whom be peace, used to ask his companions ifthey had seen any dreams, and he did interpret their dreams for them. It is reported that he also has said: "Adream will take effect according to how it is interpreted." God's Prophet (uwbp) also said: "Adream sits on the wing ofa {lying birdand will not take effect unless it is related to someone."Therefore, one shouldonly tellhis dreamtoa trustworthyperson, a pious and a knowledgeable person. He should not tell it to a jealous person, and he should not tell his dream to a child, or a wife. Itis relatedthat God's Prophet (uwbp) once said: "Tell yourdreams onlytoa belovedora knowledgeableperson."RememberwhenJacob (uwbp) told his son Joseph: "My dear little son, do not tell your dream to your brothren, lest they concoct a plot against thee, for satan is to man an avowed enemy." (Qur'an 12:5)
In relation to the earlier related saying of God's Messenger (uwbp): "Glad tidings are the only part of prophecies that will remain after me" which is said to meantruedreams someone said: ''When a servantofGod Almightyfalls asleep in the middle of the night during his prostration, God Almighty will say: 'Look at My servant, his soul is standing before Me, and his body is engaged in my service.''' Abi Al-Darda' once said: ''When the servant falls asleep, his soul will be brought before the Divine Throne. Ifone had gone to sleep abluted, then the soul will be permitted to prostrate before its Lord. Otherwise, the soul will not be permitted to prostrate."Abi TharrAl-Ghafart once said: "My beloved advised me neverto neglectthree thingsuntil I reach my death: 1- to fast three days from every month; 2- to perform the pre-dawn <Fajr) prayers on time; and 3- never to go to sleep without ablution." God Almighty has said in the Qur'an: "It is He Who takes back the souls at night, then it is He Who gives them back at awakening, except for those for whom death has come. He then takes back the latter and returnstheonesthataretoremaininthisworldfora while." (Qur'an 39:42). God'sMessenger,uponwhombe peace,hassaid:"Peopleareasleep,andwhen theydie,theywake-up." Describingsleep,healsosaid:"Sleepingisthelittle
brother of death."
When someone told a dream to God's Prophet (uwbp) he used to say: "God willing, may your dream be blessed. May it be glad tidings you receive and protection againstevil. Maythisbegoodforus andbadfor ourenemy.All praises be to God, Lord and Cherisherof all lives. Now, tellyour dream."Inhis tradition, if one says to someone: "I saw a dream." The listener should immediately say: "God willing, may it be glad tidings." (arb. Kh.air In-ShO. Allah).
People mostly went to wise shaikhs in their vicinity. Others travelled to distantplaces to meet qualified interpreters and to receive the explanations and meaning of their dreams. Even kings and rulers throughout the history of mankind sought someone to interpret their dreams. Such interpretations were usedasmedicinefor one'sspiritual,physical(seeMedicine), or psychologicalillness, or to amend the course of one's decision. There is a special prayer in Islamic traditions called s..alatul Istihhiirah, which solicits Divine guidance in one's life or for a specific and immediate need. According to Islamic traditions, such guidance may come in many forms, including in a dream.
When intending to tell a dream, one should choose the early dawn hours or immediately after sunrise. This will particularly help the interpreter whose mindis mostlycleareratthathour.God's Prophet(uwbp) hassaid:"Special blessings are given to my followers in the early hours ofthe day."Ifone is truthful in his life, he will see true dreams. Ifhe lies, or ifhe likes to lie, his dream will lie to him. However, ifhe lies but hates to do so, his dream then may be true to him. One's subconscious understanding in the dream is what counts. The dream interpreter must work with it. Let's suppose that one sees a snake and thinks that it is a frog in the dream! Then the interpretation will be based on the meaning of the frog. Similarly, ifone sees a frog, and thinks that it is a snake in his dream, then this is what counts in the interpretation of his dream.
Interpreting dreams is a process of analyzing the nature of things and their opposing possibilities, connecting their roots, and assembling the fragments of one's thoughts to better understand his or her real condition.
In a dream, one may see things thatmay connoteequilibriumor the opposite, while hispassive and inert participation urges himto examine the elements and to awaken his consciousness. Sometimes, the elements themselves may be opaque or unclear. In this case, if one recognizes a person in the dream, perhaps the nameof thatperson,or histrade, or his look, or themeaningoftheindividual lettersofhisname, or theircombined numerologicalvalue,etcetera, mayprovide a clue to the meaning of one's dream.
For example: Selling grains and not seeing the return or money in a dream meansasceticdetachment, andgra itudeto one'sLord, for therealpriceofthings is gratitude. Castleina dreammeal. singthevehicleoftruth.Thatis theorigin of the proverb: "Truth is a castle." A, ording to eastern inner traditions, fever represents atonement for one's sins. Sufferingone dayfrom a feverish chill is an atonement for threehundred and sixty-fivedays of sins. Death is the final phase of practicingone's religion in this world. Shrouding the dead after washing the body means washing it from its impurities. In a dream, one's enemy represents Satan, drugs, alcohol, weaknesses, attachment to the world, sexual indulgences, pride, arrogance, anger, perfidy,jealousy, envy, hatred, impatience, differences, injustice, crimes, hunger, thirst, desires, loves for women, attachment to the world, love for fame, admiring oneself, belittling others, cheating, stealing, bigotry,fanaticism, obstinacy, narrow-mindedness, affectation, idling, cunning,
DICTIONARY OF DREAMS xxvii
hypocrisy, ostentatiousness, blatancy, blasphemy,excessiveness, haste, dishonesty, immodesty, trials, tribulations, distress, agony, misery, afflictions, wife, son, brother,mistress,worldlyambitions, apostasy, loneliness,anguish,despair, sorrows, pain,carnality, cruelty, antipathy, carelessness, selfishness, forgetting about one's covenant with God Almighty; etcetera, all or which are within oneself. (See Body') To reach a close interpretation of one's dream and from studying what each element may connote, one should mostly look at the positive side first and eliminate the negative. One should also refrain from editing his own dream, or usingother than the first words that come from his mouth, and he shouldsearch accordingly. One also should research the possibledifferent appellation of each word or element. Draw a tree of words, then try to bring together a close understanding of the dream. However, one should definitely find a man of wisdom, or a shaikh, or a known dream interpreter to help him put together any missing elements or even explain hidden meanings in one's dream, when possible. Forexample, if a righteous person seeshimselfstandingbefore God Almighty in a dream, hisdreammeansattainmentofdivinemercy, andreceivingguidance. If an ungodly person sees that, then his dream means a warning of a severe punishment. God Almighty refers to: "•.•A day when all mankind will stand before the Lord of the universes." (Qur'iin 83:6) One also can find solid references to dream interpretations from the Holy Qur'an, its firm wisdom, parables, and clear meanings. For example when God Almighty spoke of unity, He said: "Andholdfast to the rope ofGod." (Qur'an 3:103). When He spoke of women, He said: "As if they were delicate eggs whicharecloselyguarded."(Qur'an 37:49). WhenHe spokeof thehypocrites, GodAlmightysaid:"Worthles sashollowproppeduppiecesoftimber."(Qur'an 63:4). About kings, God Almighty says: ''When kings enter a country, they despoil it."(Qur'an 27:34). Aboutbackbiting, He says: ''Wouldanyofyou like toeatthefleshofhisdeadbrother?"(Qur'an 49:12). Otherreferencesofwisdom and knowledge also can be found in the sayingofGod's Prophet, upon whom be peace, when he said about women: "Be careful about the glass pitchers." He also said: "A woman is created from man's rib." Also from the sayings of Jesus son of Mary, upon whombe peace, whenhe spoke of sleepusinga simile saying: ''Those who sleep in death will also be raised." (Corinthians 15.20). About parables he said: "I will use parables when I speak of them." (Mark 4.34). About the parable of the hereafter he said: "A man who is looking for fine pearls andwhen he finds one that is unusually fine, he goes and sells everything he has and buys that pearl." (Matthew 13.45). At another time, he used a metaphor of the doctor and the sick person in comparison with the gnostic and the sinner. He said: "The doctor comes to heal not those who are healthy, but those who are sick." After the passingof God's Prophet, upon whom be peace, Abu Huraira, God be pleased withhim,heardsomeonesay:"TheAnti-Christis out!"AbuHurairareplied:"The dyers are lying about the true color of their hides." In other usage of metaphors, similies, and synonyms, dream interpreters used the meaning of disbelief to connote a cover-up and the meaning of forgiveness to denote veiling. When speakingof injustice in a dream, theyusedthe expression:"Puttingthings in the wrong place", etcetera. Finally, if one wishes to see a true dreamthatwill reflect his innermostbeing and true state, he should go to sleep abluted, rest on his right side, then pray: "Lord,I placemysoulinThyHand;I turnmyface towardThee;I entrust
xxvin INTRODUCTION
myaffairs toThycommand; I take refuge inThee to protectme from all sides. Lord, I turn wholeheartedly towardThee, desiringThyblessings and fearing Thypunishment. I have no refuge to seekfrom Thee except inThee. I believeintheBookThourevealedand theProphetThousent. Blessed Thou art in the heavens and on earth. Lord, Thou art the rich, and we are the poor who are in need ofThy help and blessings. Lord, I askforThyforgiveness, andI repentuntoThee.MyLordandCherisher, I ask Thee to let me see a true vision, not a false dream; a blessed and happy vision, not a sorrowful dream and a vision that will benefit my soul and does no harm to it."
In the morning, when one's wish is granted, he should praise God Almighty and thank Him. After performing one's dawn (Fajr) prayers, one should seek a Shaikh to interpret and explain the meaning of his dream and, most certainly, he should accept and comply with his views.
0 Comments