What does Islam say about dreams?

The three kinds of dreams

The Prophet ﷺ divided what a person sees in sleep into three categories, and this division is the backbone of everything the scholars say on the subject.

"Dreams are of three types: the good dream is glad tidings from Allah, a dream is a cause of grief from Shaytan, and a dream is something a person's own self speaks to him about."— Sahih Muslim 2263, from Abu Hurayrah

Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymin, explaining this in his commentary on Riyad al-Salihin, sets out the three clearly:

• The good dream (ru'ya salihah): it comes from Allah, and it is a blessing and a glad tiding. The Prophet ﷺ said that nothing remains of prophethood except the mubashshirat — the good dreams a person sees or that are seen for him.
• The bad dream (hulm): it comes from Shaytan, who frightens and grieves the sleeper. It is usually about something impossible — impossible in the religion, in reason, or in the senses.
• The dream of the self (hadith al-nafs): it has no real meaning or purpose. It comes from what a person is preoccupied with, or from Shaytan playing with him in sleep.

Why the good dream is called part of prophethood

The Prophet ﷺ said that the good dream is a part of forty-six parts of prophethood. Al-Suyuti, in Marqat al-Su'ud, records how the scholars explained this. Al-Khattabi said it is a confirmation and affirmation of the reality of dreams. Others said it means the dream comes in agreement with prophethood, not that it is a remaining part of it. Another view: it is a part of the knowledge of prophethood, and that knowledge remains even though prophethood itself has ended. Al-Taj ibn Maktum offered a well-regarded explanation: the Prophet ﷺ received revelation in sleep for six months, and in wakefulness for twenty-three years — and six months out of forty-six parts of twenty-three years fits the number.

The point the scholars draw from this is not that dreams carry authority. It is that a good dream is a genuine mercy and a sign of Allah's care for the believer.

Dreams do not establish rulings

This is the practical heart of the matter. Shaykh 'Abd al-Muhsin al-'Abbad, in his commentary on Sunan Abi Dawud, states it plainly: the good dream is what remains of that kind of revelation, but it must be understood that legal rulings are not taken from it. It is only for reassurance (isti'nas). For this reason a Muslim should not occupy himself with dreams.

Al-Suyuti records a related point about seeing the Prophet ﷺ in a dream. If a person dreams that the Prophet ﷺ commanded him something, that command is not obligatory to act upon — because the sleeper is not certain of the speech, nor of the image he saw, and it is a dream-image, not physical sight. However, if what he saw does not contradict an established ruling, it is good to act on it out of respect for the Prophet's ﷺ image — but one should not say "the Prophet ﷺ commanded me" or "spoke to me."

What to do with a good dream

When you see something you love, the Sunnah is simple and positive:

1. Praise Allah for it — it is a blessing and a glad tiding.
2. Speak of it to someone you love and trust — the narration says not to relate it except to one you love, or in another version, to one of knowledge or sincere counsel. The reason given is that a person who loves you will interpret it favourably, and one of knowledge will tell you its closest true meaning.

What to do with a bad dream

The scholars describe a clear, practical remedy for a dream you hate. Ibn 'Uthaymin lays out the steps in order:

1. Spit lightly to your left three times.
2. Seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan and from the evil of what you saw — saying: A'udhu billahi min sharri al-shaytani wa min sharri ma ra'ayt.
3. Turn over to your other side.
4. Do not tell anyone about it.
5. If it persists, get up, perform wudu, and pray.

The Prophet ﷺ guaranteed the outcome: if a person does this and does not speak of it, it will not harm him. Ibn 'Uthaymin notes that some people, when they see something they dislike, rush to find someone to interpret it — and this is precisely what they should not do. He explains that if such a dream is interpreted, it may fall on the unpleasant meaning; but if one seeks refuge and stays silent, it does no harm, "as if he never saw it."

The etiquette of interpretation

The scholars treat dream interpretation as a serious matter, not a game. Al-Suyuti and the commentators on Sahih al-Bukhari note that a dream is "on the foot of a bird" — a metaphor meaning it is unsettled until it is interpreted, and it tends to fall where the first interpreter places it. This is why the Prophet ﷺ warned against relating dreams carelessly.

The etiquette that follows:

• Do not present a dream to just anyone — only to a person of sound mind, knowledge, or sincere love.
• Do not present a distressing dream to anyone at all — instead seek refuge in Allah and turn away from it.
• Interpretation is speculative, not certain — the scholars note that a wrong interpretation is a grave matter, and that dream interpretation in many cases resembles giving a fatwa. This is why it is zanni (probabilistic), not qat'i (definitive).

Key takeaways

• Dreams are of three kinds: a good dream from Allah, a bad dream from Shaytan, and the talk of one's own self — and only the first carries any glad tidings.
• No religious ruling is taken from a dream — it is for reassurance and comfort, not for legislation, and a Muslim should not preoccupy himself with them.
• A good dream is met with gratitude and shared only with someone you love or who has sound knowledge.
• A bad dream is met with seeking refuge, spitting to the left, turning over, and silence — and if you do this and tell no one, it will not harm you.
• Do not chase interpreters for a dream you dislike — that is the opposite of the Sunnah, and it may bring about the very thing you feared.

And Allah knows best.