Many people experience dreams in which they see or interact with people who have passed away. Whilst some of these dreams may be a result of the workings of one’s unconscious mind, other dreams have an external source and serve a spiritual purpose.
It is recorded in Hadith Shareef that holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) said:
“When the end of time approaches, the dream of a believer can hardly be false. The dream of a believer is one of forty-six parts of prophecy and whatever is from prophecy cannot be false.”
When a believer dreams about people who have passed away, this is almost always a truthful dream and a true interaction in the spiritual realm. There could be several reasons why people have visitations in their dreams from people who have passed away; these may include:
- The souls of the deceased may convey messages of their comfort in the Afterlife to the bereaved, in order to reassure them The souls of the deceased may convey messages of their discomfort in the Afterlife, therefore signalling for loved ones to provide some spiritual help. This usually takes shape in the form of reciting the noble Quran, reciting Dhikr or giving charity on behalf of the deceased, to benefit the person who has passed away Depending on the spiritual rank of the person who has passed away, they may have the capacity to communicate and convey guidance and assistance to those who are living Some blessed individuals may have the honour of receiving visitation from the Prophets (peace be upon them all) and the Friends of Allah Almighty, who may deliver blessings and guidance to people
Shaytaan can mimic people so it is important to be aware of the nature of the dreams that we receive. It is important to remember that Shaytaan, the Devil, cannot mimic holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) in people’s dreams, so whoever dreams of the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon Him) has truly met holy Prophet (Peace be upon Him).
Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) said:“
The most truthful of you are those with the truest dreams. There are three types of vision: the righteous vision is glad tidings from Allah Almighty, the distressful vision is from Satan, and the vision arising from oneself. If one of you sees something he dislikes, let him stand to pray and not speak to people about it.”
As believers in Allah Almighty and holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him), remaining truthful in our speech, firm in our conduct and true to the principles of Islam will give us greater chances of having truthful dreams. To ensure we have good and truthful dreams, we are encouraged to face the Ka’bah Shareef; sleep in Wudhu, a state of ritual purification (Holy Prophet (Peace be upon Him) teaches us that those Muslims who do this, Allah Almighty assigns an Angel who stands all night by the person’s side to pray for him); recite Dhikr, remembrance of Allah Almighty through His Beautiful Names; and make Duas, supplications.