Category Archives: Spirituality
The Science of Dreams (Part 3)
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Volume 1, Issue 3 (Shawwal 1424)
Dream interpretation is a part of prophethood, therefore anyone wishing to interpret dreams should give the proper respect and commitment to this undertaking.  To be a good dream interpreter, ideally one should have sound knowledge of the Qur’an and the Hadiths (sayings and life) of Prophet Muhammad, (Peace Be Upon Him), and sayings of the Sahaba –companions of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). Consequently, knowledge of the Arabic language will also prove to be very helpful. Other qualities which will help one to be a good dream interpreter are the ability to judge the character of the dreamer by their facial features, and possessing an even temperament, social manners, and sincerity of intention.
Dreams can be interpreted in many different ways, according to the circumstances, and depending upon the person who has had the dream. Sometimes dreams can be interpreted according to verses from the Holy Qur’an, or in terms of Hadiths or sayings of the Sahaba, or even sometimes according to popular sayings, such as proverbs or idiomatic expressions. Dreams can also be interpreted directly in terms of the thing or person being dreamt about.
Sometimes, however, dreams will have the opposite meaning from what appears in the dream. Dream interpretation, therefore, is both a science and an art, requiring the interpreter to be knowledgeable, yet also flexible according to the given person and circumstances, in order to come to the correct interpretation.
For example, there may be a dream in which he or she sees a hand tied to the neck. If the person who saw this dream is a very righteous and pious person, it may signify that he or she will be refrained from disobeying Allah Almighty and His Messenger (Peace Be Upon Him) and from committing some sinful act. However, if the person who saw this dream is not strong in faith, it may indicate the opposite meaning, e.g., that he or she will be kept in a state of helplessness or suffering in the afterlife unless there is repentance for misdeeds.
Dreams can also be interpreted according to the time in which they are seen. For example, to dream during the night of oneself riding an elephant means one will successfully handle an important matter, but the same dream in the daytime may indicate a domestic dispute.
The strongest dreams, which are most easily interpreted, occur at the end of the night just before waking. The weakest dreams occur in winter or whenever there is rain. The best time of year for propitious dreams is the time of fruit harvesting.
If the dream is highly symbolic and coherent, the interpreter only has to apply his or her knowledge directly to interpret the dream. In case there are ambiguous aspects of the dream, the interpreter should find out how the person felt during the dream. If, however, there seems to be no coherency or strong symbolism or essential principle in the dream, it should simply be dismissed.
If the dream is connected to nature or to a creature, it is important for the interpreter to understand the symbolism of the objects or creatures seen. Usually, trees, birds, and ferocious animals represent human beings. The species or type seen must be examined. With trees, for example, a palm tree may indicate a person of good character with a generous nature, just as a palm tree is upright and provides abundant nourishing sweet dates, while a walnut tree could indicate a person who is harsh and aggressive, because synonymously a walnut shell is very hard, and the nut is difficult to extract, and its taste is slightly bitter.
There are different types of dream interpretation. Following are several examples from the different sources of dream interpretation. The purpose of this is to give a general outline of the ways in which dreams can generally be viewed and interpreted.
Dream Interpretation According to the Holy Qur’an
Examples of dream symbolism which may be properly interpreted in the light of the Qur’an are:
Eggs: An egg may be taken as a symbol of a woman, because of the verse: “as if they were closely protected eggs,†(37:49)
Stones: A stone is a symbol of hard-heartedness, as in the verse: “Then your hearts became hard after that – so that they were like stones, or even harder still.†(2:74)
Raw meat: Raw meat is indicative of slander, because of the verse: “do not slander one another; would any one among you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? So you will hate that!†(49:12)
Keys: Keys point to an increase in material goods, as is stated in the Qur’an: “We gave him treasures, the keys alone to which made up a heavy load for a group of strong men.†(28:76)
Boats: A boat signifies one being watched over and helped by Allah, The Most Exalted, such as when Allah rescued Prophet Nuh (Noah), peace be upon him, such as is referred to in the verses: “We rescued him, and those with him, in the Ark†(10:73) and “So We rescued him and the Companions of the Ark.†(27:15)
Kings entering a new land or house: A king entering a new land or home can foretell a calamity for the dreamer or for his or her community or country, because of the verse: “Kings, when they enter a city, lay waste to it and make the mighty among its inhabitants abased.†(27:34)
Clothing: Clothing indicates one’s spouse, as it is written in the Qur’an: “They (women) are clothing for you and you are clothing for them.†(2:187)
Dream Interpretation According to Hadith
Examples of dreams in accordance with the Hadith of the Prophet, (Peace Be Upon Him) would be that of a mouse representing a wicked woman, as in the Hadith in which it is referred to as “a small wicked thing.â€Â A rib also symbolizes a woman, because of the Hadith that woman was created from a bent rib.
Dream Interpretation According to Proverbs or Idioms
Common proverbs or idioms may lend insight to dream interpretation. Some examples are:
A long arm: A long arm symbolizes generosity, as in the saying: “So-and-so has a longer arm than you.â€Â This expression would mean that the other person is more generous.
Spit: Spit is a symbol of a son, as in the expression said when a boy resembles his father: “He is the spitting image of his father.â€
Washing hands with soap: Washing hands with soap indicates despair, as in the expression, “I wash my hands of you.â€Â This means that one can expect no good outcome from the person or situation being confronted.
Dream Interpretation According to the Dream Object
Sometimes dreams can be interpreted directly by the object that is seen, such as narcissus and rose showing lack of longevity because they are not long-lasting flowers, or on the other hand, myrtle showing one’s longevity because of it being long-lasting.
Dreams With Opposite Meaning of What is Seen
Depending upon the feeling experienced by the dreamer, the meaning of a dream may actually be the opposite of what appears. For example, tears in a dream may be an expression of joy if they are shed in silence. Similarly, joy, laughter, and dancing may be a mask for inner sadness and worry. In a dream of two persons fighting, the person losing may actually be the winner.
To be continued insha Allah…
Prof. Dr. Mohammad Ahmed Qadri
Dr. Qadri is Founding Director of IECRC. He is a renowned known scholar from Pakistan, who taught at the University of Karachi for over 20 years. He has expertise in both modern education as well as traditional Islamic sciences, having completed the 18 year Dars-e-Nizami course from Pakistan. Dr. Qadri has studied with eminent scholars from Al-Azhar University, Cairo. He has dedicated his life to spreading the light and love of our Beloved Master Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
Interval Between Death & Resurrection (Barzakh)
August 16, 2003 / Jamad-uth-Thani 1424
Volume 1, Issue 2 (Part 5)
After death and before the Day of Judgment, between this world and the other, there is an interim world called the “Realm of Barzakh”. All humans and jinn live in this world after death. In this realm of Barzakh, some experience peace and others pain, based on ones actions in this world.
It is our belief that even after death, the soul’s connection with the body remains. If the soul is separated from the body and the body experiences rest or shock, the soul will feel it and be affected by it; just like in this life when the body feels ease or pain, its sensations are experienced by the soul. Similarly, in the realm of Barzakh, whatever reward or punishment the body faces, its pleasure or pain is received by the soul.
It is also our belief that the souls of the believers, according to their levels, rest in different stations. Some stay at their burial site, some at the well of Zamzam (Holy water of Makkah), some between the sky and earth, some in the skies, some in lanterns below the Throne, some in the high ‘Illiyyeen (level of Heaven). Wherever the souls are stationed, they are connected to their bodies. If anyone comes to their burial site, the deceased can see, recognize and hear the words of the visitor.
Similarly, the souls of the disbelievers also stay at their grave or burial site. Some are at a sewer pipeline in Yemen. Some are below the seventh earth. Some are in “sijjeen†(prison). Wherever the souls are, they have a connection with their respective bodies. Therefore, anyone who comes to their grave or burial site, the deceased can see, recognize and hear the words of the visitor.
Some people believe that after death the soul goes into the body of another person or an animal. Believing this takes one into the realm of disbelief as we do not believe in the philosophy of reincarnation.
It is our belief that after death, regardless of where the deceased’s body is, he or she is visited by two angels called Nakeer and Munkar. These angels question the deceased: “Who is your Lord?â€, “What is your Deen?â€, and they ask about the Prophet Muhammad (prayers and peace of Allah be upon Him) , “Who is He ?â€Â If the deceased is a believer, he or she replies correctly that my Lord is Allah, my Deen is Islam and that Hazrat Muhammad (prayers and peace of Allah be upon Him) is Allah Almighty’s Messenger. Then, a window into Heaven opens for him from which cool and fragrant breezes keep coming into his grave. And the deceased rests in comfort and peace and sleeps in happiness in his grave. If the deceased is a disbeliever, then his response to all the questions is that he doesn’t know. Then, a window from Hell is opened for him and hot and foul air blows into his grave. The deceased is made to suffer severe punishments and he remains restless and tormented. The angels beat him with rods. His evil actions punish him in the form of snakes and scorpions.
It is our belief that the deceased talks and his speech is heard by all creation except humans and jinn. If a human hears the talk of a deceased, he will surely lose consciousness.
It is also our belief that the graves of believers and good people expands 70 times. The graves of some people expands to as far as their eyes can see. And the graves of some disbelievers and sinners constricts so much that the ribs of one side moves to the other.
It is our belief that whatever punishment and reward the deceased experiences, only the deceased is aware of them. Alive humans are not aware of these happenings; just like a sleeping person in his dreams sees different things and experiences comfort, pain or pleasure and an awake person next to him is completely unaware of the sleeping person’s experiences.
The deceased can receive the rewards of the good works they did in this world, either through pious children or any other deed they did as a Sadaqa Jariya (ongoing charity). Also, they receive the reward of any good actions anyone does for them, which is why it is essential to remember our dead by reading Quran and doing other good deeds for them. This is called Isaal-e-Sawaab.
One must therefore not consider death as the end of life, but only that the soul has moved onto a different realm where it experiences the realities of that world while waiting for the eternal abode of the Hereafter. May Allah Almighty by the waseela (connection) of His Beloved Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) help us lead a righteous life and grace us with His Mercy in the Barzakh and Hereafter. (Aamin).
The majority of the above article was translated from “Jannati Zewarâ€, an Urdu text written by Allama Abdul Mustafa Azhari Azimi Mujaddidi, who was a prominent scholar of Ahle-Sunnah and Shaykh-ul-Hadeeth at Darul Uloom Amjadia, Karachi, Pakistan. The Shaykh was a Khalifa in the chain of Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi (may Allah have mercy on him). Many well-known Ahle-Sunnah scholars are from among his students. “Jannati Zewar†was published in 1369 Hijri (Islamic calendar) by Mushtaq Book Corner, Lahore, Pakistan.
