By Shaykh Muhammad Akili
Dream interpretation requires vast knowledge, clear perception, and sensitivity. Such knowledge must be based on the fundamentals of one’s religion, inner spiritual values, moral and cultural traditions. The beginner in this field must know that there are two types of dreams: one type that comes from God Almighty, and the second type comes from Satan. What is good comes from God Almighty, which is a type of revelation that comes to a righteous person and carries either glad tidings, or warnings. This is the type of dream which is referred to in God’s Prophet’s saying: “A true dream represents one of forty¬six branches of a prophecy.” The second type of dream connotes deception, cunningness, contriving, jealousy, or a scare, causes pain, or occurs after eating a heavy, late meal or after going to bed hungry. This type of dream comes from Satan. God’s Prophet (s) said: “As time draws nearer to the conclusion of this world, dreams will become confused. The most true of dreams are those of a truthful person. Thus, if one sees a dream that he dislikes, he should tell no one about it, and he should immediately leave his bed and perform his prayers.” He also said, “The best of ropes is steadfastness to one’s religious life.”
Some interpreters divide into dreams in three categories:
1. A good dream which is a glad tiding from God Almighty
2. A dream that rises from one’s desires and inclinations
3. A distressful dream that is prompted by Satan.
As a consequence of such dreams, one may wake up either happy or afraid. Some dreams cause elation, while others cause shivers. In fact, the human frailty is subject to such involuntary acts of infringement upon its so-called ‘privacy.’ Each dream connotes meanings that relate to one’s own character, actions, thoughts, intentions, expectations, qualities, associations, dealings and environment. However, one may wake up in fear from his dream, though it signifies joy and exaltation, or one may wake up happy, though his dream connotes sorrow and distress.
It is necessary here to state that if people depend solely on books to explain their dream, they will certainly fail to understand all the meanings. Thus, it is of great importance to seek a knowledgeable dream interpreter or a wise Shaikh who is familiar with the fundamentals of dream interpretation, their inner and outer meanings. God knows best.
[Excerpted from Ibn Seerin’s Dictionary of Dreams, copyright Pearl Publishing House.]