Can we seek interpretation of dreams?

Question

Whenever I dream about something, I start wondering if there is any message or some hidden reasons. I have seen online glossaries of Islamic interpretation of dreams.

Can we do that? Can the things we see in dream be interpreted?

Answer 1

according to Hadith dreams are categorized in 3 different types and Only one type of dreams have interpretations and other two are false dreams from Satan or useless dreams. the useless dreams are called Azqasu Ahlam in Quran:

[12:44]

قَالُوا أَضْغَاثُ أَحْلَامٍ ۖ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَأْوِيلِ الْأَحْلَامِ بِعَالِمِينَ

They said, "[It is but] Azqasu Ahlam dreams, and we are not learned in the interpretation of dreams."

and acording to such verses some rules are made.

Few people can interpret dreams.but very pious scholars have this ability.

the rules are derived from Quran or Hadith or personal knowledge of some schoalrs.

for example in Hadith prophet said I saw I wan drinked a lot of milk and the extra milk was pouring down from my mouth and fingers. the said the milk is knowledge. and this means prophet recieved so much knowledge from God.

so according to this Hadith a rules is made that milk is knowledge in dreams. and so on other rules are made. aldo some rules are made by verses of Quran. but who have this knowledge from God do not neeed any book and immediately say the interpret of any dream like prophet Yusuf in Quran:

[12:36]

وَدَخَلَ مَعَهُ السِّجْنَ فَتَيَانِ ۖ قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا إِنِّي أَرَانِي أَعْصِرُ خَمْرًا ۖ وَقَالَ الْآخَرُ إِنِّي أَرَانِي أَحْمِلُ فَوْقَ رَأْسِي خُبْزًا تَأْكُلُ الطَّيْرُ مِنْهُ ۖ نَبِّئْنَا بِتَأْوِيلِهِ ۖ إِنَّا نَرَاكَ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

And there entered the prison with him two young men. One of them said, "Indeed, I have seen myself [in a dream] pressing wine." The other said, "Indeed, I have seen myself carrying upon my head [some] bread, from which the birds were eating. Inform us of its interpretation; indeed, we see you to be of those who do good."

[12:41]

ا صَاحِبَيِ السِّجْنِ أَمَّا أَحَدُكُمَا فَيَسْقِي رَبَّهُ خَمْرًا ۖ وَأَمَّا الْآخَرُ فَيُصْلَبُ فَتَأْكُلُ الطَّيْرُ مِن رَّأْسِهِ ۚ قُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ الَّذِي فِيهِ تَسْتَفْتِيَانِ

O two companions of prison, as for one of you, he will give drink to his master of wine; but as for the other, he will be crucified, and the birds will eat from his head. The matter has been decreed about which you both inquire."

For example, Quran says prophet Ysuf (sa) could interpret dreams and this knowledge was a gift from God as reward, for he said no to Zulaykha (the beautiful woman of King of Egypt).

Today few people have this knowledge and this knowledge can not be learned from books. Only some pious people receive this knowledge from God.

But also the books and glossaries can be used. But interpretation of one dream for different people can be different.

But the books can be used also. But do not consider what books say to be 100% applicable to you.

If you do not have access to who has its knowledge, the best method is books. And the best book on this topic is the book written by Ibn Sirin who gained this knowledge after having a happening similar to what happened for prophet Yusuf S.A.

Answer 2

According to the Quran and Sunnah, only a very few people have been given the knowledge of interpreting dreams. The prophet Yusuf (Joseph) for instance.

There are dream interpreting guides and manuals to be found, and they are very popular. However they have absolutely no basis in Quran or Sunnah. These books are all derived from the controversial book Tafseer Al-Ahlam which claims to be authored by famous Islamic scholar Ibn Sirin. However, his authorship of this book is highly doubtful. His authorship of his other works are all mentioned in other books, except for Tafseer Al-Ahlam. The timeline for the book is wrong as well. It mentions Imam Shafe'i, who lived in the period 150 AH - 206 AH, while Ibn Sirin died in 110 AH.

Answer 3

There are two points to be considered about dream interpretation:

• The part of dream must be interpreted that is important and refers to a real event, and the dreamer can figure out a punishment or good news. One shouldn't pay attention to the meaningless and messy parts of dreams.
• For all those meaningful parts, one should seek for interpretations in Quran, Haidth and lexicology.

I'd mention some dreams and their interpretations to make it a bit clearer (from the book by Ibn Sirin, a Muslim interpreter of dreams who lived in the 8th century):

I dreamt of my father putting a golden crown on my head. Ibn Sirin replied: fear God, your father in a foreign country has lost his eyesight and expect you to go and visit him there.

Here head, crown and gold are three signs. Head in lexicology means being boss and heading a group, crown is a non-Arab thing which means foreign and being a stranger somewhere, and gold means losing eyesight.

The prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

ان الرؤیا تقع علی ما تعبر ومثل ذلک مثل رجل رفع رجله فهو ینتظره متی یضعها فاذا رأی احدکم رؤیا فلا یحدث بها الا ناصحاً او عالماً

Dream happens as it's interpreted, and it's like a man keeping his foot in the air to know when should put it on the ground. So when one of you had a dream, don't mention it to someone except an expert interpreter or an adviser.