The Four Types of Dreams
The Four Types of Dreams
People have reported seeing many dreams.
We understand from the Ahaadeeth
that there are basically four types of dreams:
1) One sees all the events that had transpired during the day or night.
A young boy will see himself playing with his friends. Whilst
playing, he has the urge to relieve himself. Thus, he goes to a small
stream to relieve himself, least realising that he has soiled his bed. A
banya (Hindu businessman) dreams that he is weighing merchandise.
An aalim will see himself teaching Jalaalain Shareef (a kitaab on
tafseer). In short, if one sees a dream pertaining to an event that
transpired during the day or night, such a dream needs no
interpretation, as this is the effect of the environment in which he had
spent his day. It is said that dreams are filled with one’s thoughts and
one’s environment. It is very rare to come across a dream wherein
the thoughts of the mind and the effects of the environment do not
play a part.
Shaitaan attempts to distract a person whilst he is making ibaadat by
instilling different types of thoughts in his mind. Thus, Shaitaan also
plays a role in these thoughts. If this is not the case, then whilst
engaged in ibaadat, one’s gaze will fall onto the wall or an object
and one will start reflecting over that which is written on the wall or
object.
2) Takhweef-minash-Shaitaan – (nightmares): For example, a student
is studying in a comfortable environment unaffected by his
surroundings. Shaitaan will show him a dream wherein he sees that
his mother is ill or his house has caught alight or someone has passed
away. This is done to cause the student unnecessary distress and
worry.
When one sees such a dream, he should recite:
لاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوةَ إِلا بِاللهِ الْعَلِ ي الْعَظِيْم , spit towards his left side and make du`aa
asking Allah Ta`ala to save him from the effects of the nightmare.
There is no need to relate this dream to anyone.
3) Dreams resulting from the body’s fluids which are made up of
blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. This also has an effect on
what one sees in his dream. A person, who has surplus black bile in
his body, sees things in his dream which are black in colour. He will
see a black cow, a black snake, a black tree or a black mountain etc.
4) Genuine dreams: There are two types of genuine dreams namely:
(a) `Aini – Precise (b) Tamtheeli – Similes
Tamtheeli refers to the aalam-e-mithaal (a realm similar to earth)
which exists according to the Sufis. A person’s soul ascends to the
aalam-e-mithaal where it witnesses the different scenes. One who
experiences kashf (inspiration) and has an affiliation with the aalame-
mithaal will be able to interpret dreams more accurately.
In the dunya (world), Nabi _ was as radiant as the fourteenth full
moon according to the different narrations. However, in the aalam-emithaal,
Nabi _ is in the form of a bright moon. In the dunya, one’s
kitaab has marginal notes, commentaries and translations. The
similitude of an Ustaaz’s lecture in the aalam-e-mithaal is that of a
river of water, or a river of honey or a river of milk, which he is
feeding to others. These are all similes. In tamtheeli, generally wealth
is seen as a snake or scorpion. Many people see themselves flying
and reaching the sky etc.
In Raipur, someone related that he saw himself flying in a dream.
Hadhrat Raipuri رحمة الله عليه did not answer him, but instead turned his
face away. He repeated himself for the second and third time. After
repeating himself several times, then only did Hadhrat reply, “Eat the
chaffs of isabgol. The dream is a result of your upset stomach.”
Malfoozaat of Faqeeh-ul-Ummat