6th Dream in the Qur’an - DREAMS IN ISLAM

6th. Dream:

In the sixth dream the mother of Moses sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was faced with the terrible situation of an order from Pharaoh for the execution of all new-born Israelite baby boys.  She hid Moses  sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam for as long as possible and then received wahi (inspiration)  from Allah Most High as follows:

“So We sent this wahi (inspiration) to the mother of Moses: Suckle (thy child), but when you are concerned about his safety put him down in the river.  Have no fear, nor be dismayed; for We shall restore him to you and make him one of the apostles.”

 (Qur’an: al-Qasas:-28:7)

“Behold We inspired (with wahi) thy mother: Place the child in a basket, and place the basket in the river.  The river will cast him up to the bank, and he will be taken up by one who is an enemy to Me, and an enemy to him.”

(Qur’an: Ta Ha:-20:39)

The most likely explanation of the mode of wahi (inspiration) which the mother of Moses sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam  received was that it was in the form of a dream.  And Allah Most High knows best!

Um Musa (the mother of Moses) acted with extraordinary courage and faith in complying with the directions received in the dream.  A mother’s love for her child is one of the greatest and most powerful loves in the world.  For a mother to put her child in a basket and send him floating down a great river like the Nile indicates extraordinary faith in sacred dreams.  Common to both the responses to the two dreams which communicated divine instructions, i.e., the dream to Abraham sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam and the dream to Um Musa, was their clear recognition and understanding of  divine  instructions and their unhesitant compliance with the directives of the dreams.  The believers in this age must summon up the inner faith, courage and conviction to follow those noble examples when they, also, receive directives in dreams.  

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

5th Dream in the Qur’an - DREAMS IN ISLAM

5th. Dream:

The Qur’an draws our attention to the fact that Allah Most High Himself can choose to communicate a command through a dream. Abraham sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was commanded by Allah Most High in a dream to sacrifice his son, Ishmael sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. Wicked people changed the Torah so that they could substitute the name of Isaac sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam for Ishmael sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam as the child to be sacrificed. (Cf. the present writer’s book entitled, ‘The Religion of Abraham and the State of Israel - A View from the Qur’an).

Here is the divine command which came in a dream:

“We gave him the good news of a gentle son.  And when he reached the age when he could work with him his father said to him: My son, I dreamt that I was sacrificing you.  Tell me what you think (i.e., tell me what is your response).  He replied: Father, do as you are bidden.  Allah willing, you shall find me one of those who are steadfast.

And when they had both surrendered themselves to Allah’s will and Abraham had laid down his son prostrate upon his face, We called out to him, saying: Abraham, you have fulfilled your vision.  Thus did We reward the righteous. That was indeed a trial, clear in itself.  We ransomed him with a tremendous sacrifice and bestowed on him (the praise) of later generations.  Peace be on Abraham!”

 (Qur’an: al-Saffat:-37:99-109)

                                      

The dreams of Prophets have more clarity and reality than the waking experiences of other human beings.  And so Abraham sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam  had absolutely no doubt that Allah  Most High had commanded him, through the medium of a dream, that he should sacrifice his only son, Ishmael.  For the purposes of our subject we should recognize in this trial of our father, Abraham, the possibility that Allah  Most High may choose to communicate with us through the medium of dreams and require of us that we act in a particular way.  

Unless we remain constantly alive to the possibility that a dream of ours may hold such a communication, and monitor our dreams with care, we may negligently bypass that communication and may suffer as a result.  The revolutionary Islamic forces in the world need to note this fact with great care.

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

4th Dream in the Qur’an - DREAMS IN ISLAM

4th. Dream:

The same surah (chapter) of the Qur’an (Yusuf) which contains the three previous dreams, also contains a fourth dream.  The King of Egypt himself saw seven fat cows, then seven lean cows devouring the fat cows etc:

“The King said: I saw seven fatted cows which seven lean ones devoured; and seven green ears (of wheat or corn) and seven others dry.  O my nobles, tell me the meaning of this dream, if you can interpret dreams.  They said: They are confused dreams; nor are we skilled in the interpretation of dreams.”

 (Qur’an: Yusuf:-12:43-4)

He considered the dream to be so important that he searched the land for someone to interpret it. No one could do so. Eventually Joseph himself had to be approached in prison to interpret the dream, which he did:

“For seven consecutive years shall you sow.  But leave your entire harvest of wheat (or corn) in the ear (the better to preserve it) except a little which you may consume (i.e., consume the minimum amount of food for those seven years). 

Then there will follow seven years of drought (and thus hardship) which will force you to consume all but a little of the food which you stored.

Then there will come a year of abundant rain in which people will press the grape.”

(Qur’an: Yusuf:-12: 47-49)

   

Using the symbolism of fat and lean cows, and ears of corn which were full and bare, the dream prophesied that seven continuous years of drought would follow seven continuous years of  harvest - something which experts in climatology may wish to reflect over before concluding on the nature of contemporary climatic changes.  The correct interpretation of the dream permitted the Egyptian ruler to take appropriate action which averted a national and, even, regional disaster.  Joseph sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was placed in charge of all food supplies of Egypt.  For seven years he diligently stored the grain.  Then, exactly as the dream had indicated, seven years of drought  followed.  This, in turn, was followed by a year of abundant rainfall and bumper harvests.  And so the dream came true.  By acting in a manner appropriate to the interpretation of the dream the King of Egypt saved his people and the entire region from disaster.

In this modern age of stupendous scientific progress, however, it would be considered by some to be ridiculous for affairs of State to be so dramatically influenced by dreams.

Yet the significance of this event, narrated by no less an authority than the Book of Allah Most High itself, is that dreams can transcend the personal affairs of the individual dreamer to prophesy future events and convey information of strategic national importance affecting an entire country or region.  Also there is the important recognition that there are some dreams which can only be interpreted by those so gifted by Allah Most High or by those who diligently pursue the science of the interpretation of dreams within an overall context of the enhancement of piety (taqwa). Such a man was the great psychologist of Islam, Ibn Sireen, whose classical work, Tafseer al-Ahlam, remains the only comprehensive work on the subject by a Muslim theoretician up to this day.

We wish to here enter a reminder to Islamic revolutionary forces struggling around the world to restore Islam as an authentic civilization that such a goal cannot be achieved if one ignores this vitally important and last remaining medium (i.e., dreams) through which Allah  Most High communicates with His servants.

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

2nd & 3rd Dream in the Qur’an - DREAMS IN ISLAM

2nd. and 3rd. Dreams:

The Qur’an declared that Allah Most High taught Joseph the interpretation of dreams:

“Thus does thy Lord choose thee, and teach thee the interpretation of stories (i.e., dreams).” 

(Qur’an: Yusuf:-12:6)

and, as a consequence, his reputation for interpreting dreams must have spread throughout  the prison after his imprisonment in Egypt. Two prisoners approached him with their dreams. According to the Biblical account (not contradicted by the Qur’an) they were the King’s cupbearer and baker, both of whom were imprisoned for unspecified offences.  The Qur’an portrayed Joseph  correctly interpreting the dreams of  the two prisoners, dreams which they themselves, like the earlier young Joseph, could not interpret.

In the first instance  the dream communicated, through the symbol of the pouring of wine for the King, the happy news of immanent freedom and a return to the employ of the King.  In the second, the tragic news of execution was conveyed through the symbols of birds eating from a basket of bread held on the head of the dreamer. In both instances, the dreams communicated information of vital personal importance  relating, this time, to immediate  future events which were to take place in the lives of the individuals who had the dreams:

“Two young men went to prison with him (Joseph).  One of them said: I saw (in a dream) that I was pressing grapes.  And the other said: I saw (in a dream) that I was carrying bread on my head, and that birds came and ate of it.”   (And both entreated Joseph) Let us know the real meaning of this. Verily, we see that you are one of those who well know (how to interpret dreams).  

 (Qur’an: Yusuf:-12:36)

Joseph sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam  correctly interpreted both dreams.  And both turned out to be true dreams:

“(And now) O my companions in the prison!  I shall tell you the meaning of your dreams:) As to one of you he will (again)  pour out wine for his lord (the King) to drink: but as for the other, he will be crucified, and the birds will eat from his head. (But whatever be your future,) the matter on which you have asked me to enlighten you has been decided (by Allah).”

 (Qur’an: Yusuf:-12:41)

It is significant that a true dream can also communicate sad news, or news of a tragedy.  As a consequence Islam has given a certain Ada (etiquette) for a listener when he is about to listen to a dream someone wishes to disclose. ¹⁴

A dream can also be the means through which Allah Most High informs us of His displeasure, disappointment or even anger with us or with someone close to us.  Unless the servant of Allah Most High is careful enough in monitoring his or her dreams, he/she may not recognize a ‘wake up’ call from Allah Most High and may, as a consequence, suffer greatly from that act of ignorance, indifference or carelessness.       

 

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