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:
أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ,
Spit on your left three times. (Spit: A form of spitting comprising mainly of air with little spittle)
Turn and sleep on the opposite side to which you were sleeping on previously.
Get up and pray if you so desire.
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)mwhich 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 صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم 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 flyin 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