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 قُوةَ 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