1st Dream in the Qur’an - DREAMS IN ISLAM

1st. Dream:

The Prophet Joseph (Yusuf) had a dream in which he saw the sun, the moon and eleven stars prostrating themselves before him. His father, the Prophet Jacob (Yacub), immediately understood the significance of the dream and warned him not to disclose it to his brothers for fear that they might harm him:

“Behold, Joseph said to his father: father, I saw (in a dream) eleven stars and the sun and the moon; I saw them prostrating themselves before me.  He said: O my son, say nothing of this dream to your brothers, lest they should plot evil against you: the devil is the sworn enemy of man.”

(Qur’an: Yusuf:-12:4-5)

Joseph sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam could not as yet interpret his dream, but his father did.  Both in the Biblical and in the Qur’anic accounts of the dream Jacob sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam immediately interpreted the dream to mean that his son was destined for future greatness, with the eleven stars symbolizing his brothers and the sun and moon his parents. There is an important difference, however, in the two accounts to which Asad directs attention:

“Whereas the Bible quotes the father as “rebuking” his son (Genesis xxxvii, 10) in the obvious assumption that the dream was an outcome of wishful thinking, the Qur’an makes it clear that Jacob - who was himself a prophet - at once realized its prophetic quality and its deeper implications.” ¹³

Not only did Jacob sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam interpret the dream but, just as important, he also recognized the possibility that his less-than-righteous eleven other sons also had the capacity to interpret that dream.  Thus both religious as well as irreligious people may be able to interpret a dream.  Hence the warning from Jacob sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam concerning the indiscriminate public disclosure of dreams.  And Prophet Muhammad

sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam  also advised: 

“ . . . so if any one of you sees that which he likes he should not disclose it to any except to one whom he loves . . .”  

(Narrated by Abu Salama and reported in Sahih Muslim)

The dream of Joseph sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was eventually fulfilled some twenty or thirty years later when his father, mother and all eleven brothers came to Egypt many years later:

“Then when they entered the presence of Joseph, He provided a home for his parents with himself, and said:  Enter ye Egypt (all) in safety if it please Allah.

And he raised his parents high on the throne (of dignity), and they fell down in prostration (all) before him. 

He said: O my father! This is the fulfilment of  my dream of old! Allah has made it come true!”

(Qur’an: Yusuf:12:99-100)

The significance of the above is that the Qur’an has confirmed that a dream can prophesy future events.  Events seen in a dream may belong even to the distant  future, and such dreams may employ symbols which require interpretation.  Some dreams can be interpreted even by ordinary people and, as a consequence, one should exercise adequate care to whom one discloses the contents of a dream.

Of even greater importance to the believers is the indisputable fact that the modern secular epistemology of today’s dominant western civilization has no means of explaining the phenomenon of a true dream such as this.  Truth, however, which is preserved in its authentic form in Islam, has an explanation for the phenomenon of a true dream.  We shall soon provide that explanation Insha Allah.

Source: Dreams in Islam by Imran Hosein
To be continued ....

Dreams in the Qur’an - DREAMS IN ISLAM

Dreams in the Qur’an

Let us now begin our subject proper by examining the dreams that were sent down by Allah Most High to certain of His servants and which were recorded in the Qur’an.  What were those dreams?  What epistemology do they establish?  And what are their importance?

 The Qur’an itself draws our attention to the importance of the phenomenon of dreams. Indeed it makes mention of no less than seven, and, perhaps, as many as nine dreams! In all the dreams mentioned in the Qur’an there is the fulfillment of a Qur’anic promise of divine communication reaching us in the form of dreams. The following ayah (verse) of the Qur’an has been interpreted to refer to that divine promise:

“Now surely the servants of Allah have nothing to fear or regret.  Those that have faith and keep from evil shall receive bushra (good news or glad tidings) both in this world and in the next: the words of Allah do not change. That is the supreme triumph.”

(Qur’an: Yunus:- 10:64)

   

Al-Sabooni, in his book: ‘Safwat al-Tafaseer’, makes mention of the fact that some commentators of the Qur’an interpret al-basharat (i.e., bushra) as ‘good dreams’ which a believer sees, or is shown to him/her.  Al-Hakim, he says, has quoted a hadith of the Prophet sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam which supports this view. Al-Tabari also holds the view that al-Basharat is received through ‘good’ dreams and the communication of angels at the time of death. ¹¹

Imam Malick has placed in his famous work, al-Muwatta, a section dealing dreams, and in it he has quoted the following:

“Urwah bin Zubair used to say that the words of the Lord: “They shall receive bushra in the life of this world as well as in the hereafter . . .”  (Qur’an: Yunus:-10:64)  mean good dreams which a man should himself see or others see for him.” ¹²

Now let us examine the dreams recorded in the Qur’an:

Source: Dreams in Islam by Imran Hosein
To be continued ....

Dreams in Christian Arabia - DREAMS IN ISLAM

Dreams in Christian Arabia

Even in the youth of the Prophet sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam we are told about the Christian hermit, Baheera, who succeeded in meeting with the Prophet sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam after (perhaps) seeing in a dream that the future Prophet sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, who was still a boy, would soon be passing by his cave in a caravan.¹⁰

Even more significant than Baheera’s dream was the dream of the Byzantine Christian ruler of Greater Egypt (which included Syria), Heraclius, in which he saw the emergence of the new conqueror of the world arising from amongst the circumcised:

“Ibn An-Natur was the Governor of Ilya’ (Jerusalem) and Heraclius was the head of the Christians of Sham. Ibn An-Natur narrates that once while Heraclius was visiting Ilya’ (Jerusalem), he got up in the morning in a sad mood. Some of his priests asked him why he was in that mood? Heraclius was an astrologer. He replied, ‘At night (i.e., during a dream) when I looked at the stars, I saw that the leader of those who practice circumcision had appeared (and would become the conqueror). Who are they who practice circumcision?’ The people replied, ‘Except the Jews nobody practices circumcision, so you should not be afraid of them (Jews).  Just issue orders to kill every Jew present in the country.’

While they were discussing it, a messenger, who had been sent by the king of Ghassan to convey the news of Allah’s Apostle to Heraclius, was brought in. Having heard the news he (Heraclius) ordered the people to go and see whether the messenger of Ghassan was circumcised. The people, after seeing him, told Heraclius that he was circumcised. Heraclius then asked him about  the Arabs. The messenger replied, Arabs also practice circumcision.’

 

(After hearing that) Heraclius remarked that sovereignty of the  Arabs had appeared. Heraclius then wrote a letter to his friend in Rome who was as good as Heraclius in knowledge. Heraclius then left for Homs (a town in Syria), and stayed there until he received the reply of his letter from his friend who agreed with him in his opinion about the emergence of the Prophet and the fact that he was a Prophet. On that Heraclius invited all the heads of the Byzantines to assemble in his palace at Homs. When they assembled, he ordered that all the doors of his palace be closed. Then he came out and said, ‘O Byzantines! If success is your desire and if you seek right guidance and want your empire to remain then give a pledge of allegiance to this Prophet (i.e. embrace Islam).’

(On hearing the views of Heraclius) the people ran towards the gates of the palace like onagers but found the doors closed. Heraclius realized their hatred towards Islam and when he lost hope of their embracing Islam, he ordered that they should be brought back in audience.

(When they returned) he said, ‘What was said was just to test the strength of your conviction and I have seen it.’ The people prostrated before him and became pleased with him, and this was the end of Heraclius’s story (in connection with his faith). 

(Bukhari)

We have recorded these dreams from pagan and Christian Arabia that they  might jolt the consciousness of today’s Muslims who possess the complete Truth  and yet pay less or no attention to dreams.

Let us now begin our subject proper by examining the dreams that were sent down by Allah Most High to certain of His servants and which were recorded in the Qur’an.  What were those dreams?  What epistemology do they establish?  And what are their importance?

Source: Dreams in Islam by Imran Hosein
To be continued ....

Dreams in Pagan Arabia - DREAMS IN ISLAM

Dreams in pagan Arabia

It would be helpful for us, if we are to place the phenomenon of true dreams in wide perspective, that we should recall that even pre-Islamic Arabia had its share of vitally important dreams which impacted even on national affairs.  Thus, for example, we know that the grandfather of the Prophet sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, ‘Abd al-Muttalib, succeeded in rediscovering the famous lost spring of Zam Zam in Makkah after he was informed in a dream of its exact location.  This is what Ibn Ishaq has to say on the subject:

“While Abd al-Muttalib was sleeping in the sacred enclosure he had a dream in which he was ordered to dig Zam Zam which (was shown to be in) a depression between two idols of the Quraish, Isaf Na’ila, at the slaughter-place of Quraish.”⁷

                                                                          

This event played no little role in making him the Patriarch of Makkah. And his status as Patriarch of Makkah helped pave the way for his grandson to win the esteem of all Makkah.

Then, of course, we know that the mother of the Prophet sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam had a number of dreams prior to his birth in which she saw, for example, that a light was streaming from her body and illumining the world to such an extent that she could see the castles of Busra in Syria.

And, sure enough, her dreams came true when Muhammad sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was born and grew to become a veritable ‘light unto the worlds’.  Ibn Sa’ad has recorded some of those dreams as follows:

“We used to hear that when Aminah bint Wahb was pregnant with the Prophet sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam she used to say: I did not feel as if I was pregnant and I experienced no heaviness as other women do, except that my periods stopped; but I had a vision when I was in a state between sleep and wakefulness that a visitor came in and said: Do you know that you are pregnant?  I felt as if I answered: No.  Then he said: You are bearing the chief of this nation and its Prophet; that was on Monday.  She (Aminah) said: This fact assured me of my pregnancy.  Then he allowed me a respite until the time of the delivery approached, and the same visitor came to me and said: Say, I place him under the protection of the One , to Whom people resort in important matters (critical situations) to guard themselves against those who envy.  She said: I repeated those words and I related the circumstances to the women of my family.” ⁸

We also learn from Ibn Ishaq of the ancient Arab King, Tubba, who was advised to loot the Ka’aba of treasures but who, instead, followed the advice of two rabbis who warned him of the danger of such conduct.  And so the King visited the Ka’aba, and went around it in veneration (tawaf), sacrificed animals, shaved his head etc.  Ibn Ishaq then informs us that Tubba eventually became the first to cover the Ka’aba with a ghilaf (covering) and that he was ordered to do so in a dream:

“It was revealed to him in a dream that he should cover the temple, so he covered it with woven palm branches; a later vision (i.e., dream) showed him that he must do better so he covered it with Yamani cloth; a third vision induced him to cloth it with fine striped Yamani cloth.  People say that Tubba was the first man to cover the temple in this way.”⁹

Source: Dreams in Islam by Imran Hosein
To be continued ....