by Asma bint Shameem
QUESTION?
Is it possible for a person to see the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam in his dream?
ANSWER
Yes it is “possible” to see the Prophet ﷺ in a dream.
However, if someone is “claiming” he saw the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam in a dream there are two possibilities
1.He’s lying
2.He’s telling the truth
🔺Possibility #1: He’s lying.
If he’s lying that’s a VERY SERIOUS SIN.
In fact that’s one of the major sins in Islaam and the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam gave such a person a severe warning.
🍃 The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
“Verily, the WORST of LIES are for a man to claim... that he saw a dream he did not see, or to say the Messenger of Allaah said what he did not.” (al-Bukhaari)
🍃 And he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
“Whoever attributes words to me that I did not say, let him take his place in HELL.” (Muslim)
Unfortunately, many people don’t realize the SEVERITY of this SIN and they take this matter very lightly.
They lie about seeing the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam in their dream, for whatever reason, without even thinking twice about it.
May Allaah save us. Ameen.
🔺Possibility #2: He’s not lying..
If a person sees someone that he thinks is the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam in his dream, it is very much possible that it is so.
🍃 That’s because the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:
“Whoever sees me in a dream will see me when he is awake; the Shaytaan cannot imitate me.”
(al-Bukhaari 6592, Muslim 2266).
HOWEVER, the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam can only be TRULY seen in a dream IF it fulfills TWO conditions:
🔺a) First condition
The person that they saw in the dream MUST MATCH the description of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam AS he was in his life.
The ulama say that means “seeing the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam as he was described by the Sahaabah.”
🍃 Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:
“The phrase “[the Shaytaan] cannot” indicates that although Allaah gave him (Shaytaan) the ability to appear in any form he wants, He does not allow him to appear in the (true) form of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam.” (Fath al-Baari, 12/386)
So when a person sees someone that he thinks is the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam, that means that the description of the person that he saw MUST MATCH the description of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam.
And he MUST physically look like the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam, as he was described by the Sahaabah in the authentic ahaadeeth.
That’s because the Shaytaan ”MAY” appear in someone’s dream and CLAIM that he is the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam although he’s not.
And the person is deceived, thinking that he saw the Prophet ﷺ, although he only saw the Shaytaan.
That is why when anyone came claiming that they saw the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam in a dream, the Salaf would first ask them to DESCRIBE “who” they saw.
If the description of the person they saw in their dream matched the description of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam, then they would accept that.
Otherwise they would say “you did NOT see the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam.”
🍃 Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:
“The vision of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam is true, because the shaytaan is not able to take his likeness, but it is necessary that you bring the attributes of the one seen in the vision to what has come in the ahadeeth regarding the attributes of the Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam so if the attributes match with the attributes of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam, then it is a true (vision) and if it opposes it then whoever he has seen – he is not the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam.”(Noor ‘ala-darb)
🍃 Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:
“If a man told Muhammad (meaning Ibn Sireen) that he had seen the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam [in a dream], he would say,
“Describe to me the one whom you saw.”
If he gave a description that he did not recognize, he would say, “You did not see him.” Its isnaad is saheeh, and I have found another report which corroborates it.
Al-Haakim narrated via ‘Aasim ibn Kulayb (who said), my father told me:
I said to Ibn ‘Abbaas, “I saw the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam in a dream.”
He said, “Describe him to me.”
He said, “I mentioned al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali and said that he looked like him.”
He said, “You did indeed see him.”
Its isnaad is jayyid.” (Fath al-Baari, 12/383, 384)
🍃 Shaykh Abdul Razzaq Al Badr said:
“I remember when a questioner—from the ignorant people—came to one of our scholars and asked him a question.
He said: “O Shaykh, I saw the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam in a dream.”
The Shaykh said: “Describe to me what you saw.”
He said: “I saw him as a man who was clean shaven, wearing a suit and tie.”
This is how the man described him.
So the Shaykh clarified to him that this was Shaytaan that he saw in his dream.
And I add to what the Shaykh said, by saying this Shaytaan he saw was a Shaytaan from Europe.
We ask Allaah for safety and security.
How much deviance, misguidance, and deceit, has breached the people in a tremendous, severe way!
Thus they were misguided due to these false, untruthful, evil dreams; the result of which is only misguiding the people and obstructing them from the straight path.”
So the person seen should MATCH the description of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam.
If the man in the dream is clean shaven, or wearing a suit and tie, or an extremely old man with all gray hair, or someone who’s bald, or fat etc., then that’s NOT the Prophet ﷺ.
That’s the Shaytaan ”pretending” to be the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam.
🔺b) Second Condition
Even if the person MATCHES the description of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam, then whatever is being said in the dream MUST also be according to the Sharee’ah.
The person in the dream CAN NOT be saying or promoting anything that’s NOT PROVEN from the Qur’aan or authentic Sunnah.
If he’s ADDING a NEW way of worship, dhikr, duaa etc then that’s NOT the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam. Rather, it’s the Shaytaan.
So if a person sees someone in his dream, telling him he does not have to pray anymore or that he can deal with interest or alcohol, or other forbidden things, then that’s NOT the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam.
Or if the person in the dream is telling him to say a certain duaa or dhikr a specific number of times, or in a certain manner, or at a specific time or telling him to read a Surah of the Qur’aan “X” number of times, then that’s NOT the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam.
Basically if the dream is informing him of ANY NEW way to worship Allaah thats NOT proven from the authentic practice or teachings of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam, then that’s NOT the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam who’s telling him that.
Rather it’s the SHAYTAAN.
The Deen is complete.
It was completed 1400 years ago with the death of the Prophet ﷺ.
NO ONE can make “changes” to the religion.
No one can add anything to it.
No one can delete anything from it.
Whatever the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam needed to teach us, has been taught.
The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam is NOT going to come in someone’s dream and inform him of some special dhikr to be said or some duaa to be read or some Surah to be recited that he didn’t tell his Sahaabah in his lifetime.
There can NEVER be some “special” or “secret” dhikr or duaa or ibaadah that was “left” by the Prophet ﷺ and that needs to be taught now after 1400 years to someone, no MATTER WHO the person is.
🍃Allaah says:
“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as your religion...”
(Surah al-Maa’idah:3)
🍃 The scholars said:
“It is possible for the Shaytaan to come to a person in his sleep and claim to be the Prophet
Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam, if he comes in a form OTHER THAN the way in which Allaah formed the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam, at all stages of his life.
If a person sees the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam and he tells him something that goes against the apparent meaning of the Qur’aan or Sunnah, or tells him of some matter concerning which there has to be proof, he should NOT act upon it, because what one sees in a dream is NOT BINDING;
what is binding is the FACTS that one learns when AWAKE.
You should note that the dreams of the Prophets are wahy (revelation), but seeing the Prophets in a dream is not wahy – according to scholarly consensus.”
(Islamqa Fatwa # 23367, 47782)
🔺Is seeing the Prophet ﷺ in a dream, mean that the person is very pious or that he is going to Jannah?
Just because someone sees the Prophet ﷺ in his dream does not necessarily mean that he is guaranteed Jannah or that it is a sign of his “piety”.
Remember it is not about “seeing” the Prophet ﷺ in a dream; it is about FOLLOWING his teachings and staying away from bid’ah.
🍃 Someone asked Shaykh Bin Baaz:
“Is a vision of the Prophet ﷺ in his general form, while the person is sleeping considered a glad tiding for the person who sees him or does it mean that he will be from the people of Jannah?
The Shaykh said:
“If the person sees him in his form as was mentioned then it is good—In shaa’ Allaah--, but it does not necessitate salvation, or happiness, or taqwa; because there is no doubt he ﷺ was seen during his lifetime by the disbelievers and the hypocrites and their seeing him will not benefit them on the Day of Judgment.
Abu Jahl saw him and he died upon disbelief in Allaah when he was killed during the battle of Badr.
Utbah bin Rabee’ah and Shaybah bin Rabee’ah saw him and they were both killed upon disbelief.
His uncle Abu Taalib saw him and he died upon disbelief.
His uncle Abu Lahab saw him and he died upon disbelief.
Abdullaah ibn Ubay, the leader of the hypocrites, saw him and he died upon disbelief.
Therefore seeing him in person while awake did not necessitate guidance or safety or happiness for those who saw him unless they believed in him, accepted him and followed him ﷺ.
Therefore this applies even more to the person who sees him in a dream.
The person who sees him in a dream, if he is a believer and righteous; we hope good for him; if he sees him upon his true form.
As for the person who sees him while not believing in his legislation and he does not follow that which he came with, then this vision will not benefit him rather it will be an argument against him, whether he saw him in person or while asleep.
Just as those disbelievers saw him in person during his lifetime ﷺ but that did not give them success to believing in him thus they became from the wretched.
We seek refuge in Allaah from that. In a like fashion, the person who sees him in a dream while not believing in him, and not following what he came with then this
vision will not benefit him rather it will become an argument against him.”
And Allaah knows best.
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