“When Allah showed them to you in your dream as few; and if He had shown them to you as many, you [believers] would have lost courage and would have disputed in the matter [of whether to fight], but Allah saved [you from that]. Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts.” (Al-Anfal 8: 43)
“It was related that Abi Sa’id Al Khudari said that the prophet (ppuh) said: ‘If any one of you sees a dream that he likes, it is from God, and he should thank God for it and narrate it to others, but if he sees something that he dislike then it is from Satan, and he should seek refuge in God from its evil, and he should not relate it to anyone, for it will not harm him.”(Mokhtaser Sahih Al-Bukhari, book of the interpretation of dreams, p. 1165).
Let us look at the meanings first.
Dream: “A sequence of sensations, images, thoughts, etc. passing through a sleeping person’s mind (Webster’s New World Dictionary).
Vision: “Something supposedly seen by other than normal sight; something perceived in a dream, trance, etc. or supernaturally revealed, as to a prophet” (Webster’s New World Dictionary).
There are 106 references to dreams and visions in the Holy Bible. Prophet Daniel and Apostle Paul have the most—Prophet Daniel with 26 and Apostle Paul with 6.
“In the last days, God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy’” (The Holy Injil, Acts 2:17, 18).
Allah uses dreams and visions to bring instruction. Through our dreams Allah notifies us of our faults and wrong directions and gives instruction on how to move forward, “For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds. He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings. He makes them turn from doing wrong; he keeps them from pride. He protects them from the grave, from crossing over the river of death” (The Tawrat, Job 33:14-18).
So, according to the verses above, Allah communicates through dreams to:
1. Help people turn from doing wrong
- King Abimelech’s dream (Gen 20:1-7)
- Saul’s vision (Acts 9:1-9)
- Laban warned not to harm Jacob (Gen 31:29)
2. Keep people from pride
- Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Dan 4:10-18)
3. Point people in the right direction
- Two dreams given to Cornelius & Peter (Acts 10:1-8)
4. Keep people from death
- Pharaoh’s dream about the coming famine (Gen 41:14-24)
- The Magi’s and Joseph’s dream that saved Jesus’ life (Matt 2:1-18)
Allah uses our dreams to break down walls of resistance that arise from our ignorance. The dreams Allah sends go right to the heart of the matter and allow us to see His truth clearly. It is a great opportunity to listen and see Allah in a whole new way.
Not all dreams are from God. Dreams can have 3 sources: (1) from God, (2) from natural causes, and (3) from Satan. A dream could be from God if it does not contradict the Holy Scriptures.
Allah is speaking today through dreams and visions. When we understand the true interpretations of these dreams, we can live according to His purpose. He may be speaking to you right now. What is your response? Seeking to understand the nature and purpose of your dream is very important. We are committed to helping you understanding your God-given dream(s).
The Qur’an Speaks about Dreams:
- Qur’an 8:43
- Qur’an 12:4-6, 36-37, 43-46, 100-101
- Qur’an 17:60
- Qur’an 37:102-105
The Old Testament Speaks about Dreams:
- Genesis 20:3
- Genesis 28:11-22
- Genesis 31:10-13
- Genesis 37:1-10
- Genesis 40:9-19
- Genesis 41
- Judges 7:13-15
- 1 Kings 3:5–15
- Daniel 2
- Daniel 4
- Daniel 7
The New Testament Speaks about Dreams:
- Matthew 1:18–2:23
- Matthew 27:19
