Guidelines For Those Who Have Dreams From Satan And Nafs Only

Differentiating Between Dreams from Allah سبحانه و تعالى, Shaitan and Nafs

Posted by Mohammad Awais Tahir

Set of References For Learning How to Differentiate between types of dreams

F- Guidelines For Those Who Have Dreams From Satan And Nafs Only

Behold! verily on the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve; Those who believe and (constantly) guard against evil;- For them are glad tidings, in the life of the present and in the Hereafter; no change can there be in the words of Allah. This is indeed the supreme felicity. 
(Surah Younus 10:64)

The glad tidings mentioned in the Ayat are the 'mubashiraat' that one has from Allah in dreams. This is a great blessing promised for those who are 'friends of Allah'. The type of dream that a person has depends so many variables that its not possible for us to control the types of dreams that we have. But, yes, the much we try to get close to Allah, and follow his commandment, and the more we suppress our Nafs, and seek Allah's refuge from the Shaitan, there are more chances of getting meaningful dreams. 

A m'omin wishes to see dreams from Allah, because this way he can get messages from Allah, which are directed to him. Narrated Ibn 'Umar: Men from the companions of Allah's Apostle used to see dreams during the lifetime of Allah's Apostle and they used to narrate those dreams to Allah's Apostle. Allah's Apostle would interpret them as Allah wished. I was a young man and used to stay in the masjid before my wedlock. I said to myself: "If there were any good in myself, I too would see what these people see." So when I went to bed one night, I said: "O Allah! If you see any good in me, show me a good dream." (Sahih Al Bukhari) 

Yet, one ought not make this a 'sign' of one's piety or disbelief, because it is dependent on other variables as well. It does indicate some lapse on his part, but that doesn't necessarily indicate his 'sins'. There have been non-muslims who have seen Prophet Muhammad dream and who turned to Islam on seeing such a dream. All praise be to Allah. I mentioned in the beginning that I'll be giving practical steps in the end for those who don't have any dreams of type 1.

1. Try and Sleep as Early as possible after Isha
2. Try not to sleep after Fajr
3. Sleep for half an hour or an hour in the afternoon
4. Read Surah Al Falaq and Surah An Nas and blow it over your body before sleeping and have a firm belief that now I'm in Allah's protection from the Shaitan
5. Perform Ablution before sleeping
6. Try and keep yourself busy in Islamic activities during the day
7. Try and contemplate as much as possible on Surah Yusuf
8. If you remain in 'self-denial', then improve your 'self-image'.
9. If you remain confused and sad always, try to remain in a happy mood as the Prophet Muhammad used to be the one who smiled the most.
10. When in front of people try to smile, and your tears, sadness etc should be before Allah only or some chosen loved ones.
11. Make the du'a of Ibn e Umar before sleeping : O Allah! If you see any good in me, show me a good dream.
12. Try not to eat just before sleeping
13. Lie down on bed only when you are really tired and ready to sleep In short : You have to keep yourself involved in matters that make you 'remember' Allah during the day, and remember that your Nafs and Shatain are with you and you've to try your best to supress them. 
14. Have a wish that Allah shows you signs in dreams. 
15. Don't make your life 'dependent' on dreams. 
16. Do wait for dreams from Allah, but never go into the slightest of discontent. 
17. Try and realize your 'self', your 'ruh' and your direct connection with Allah.

Before ending with du'aa, I would like to mention a blessing of Allah. He who has made this far, and read the article, would have done it for the love of Allah, and in order to try to be able to get and understand better messages from the loved one, Allah. And he who loves Allah, I love him too. 

About six years ago, I saw a dream that I am ending Masjid e Nabwi of old times. I am moving towards the minbar (though I cannot see it), and I am sure once I reach the minbar I would find Prophet Muhammad sitting there. After a while my vision started diminishing, and and I couldn't see anything. For few seconds, I couldn't see anything. Then I heard an azaan in beautiful voice, I was sure that it's the azaan of Bilal رضى الله عنه. Then I could see again, I started moving towards the minbar again. After a while again, my vision started diminishing, and everything was blank again. Again I heard the azaan and the vision came back and I started moving forward. This happened four or five times. The last time when my vision was gone, I didn't hear the azaan, and I woke up. As soon as I woke up, I jumped from my bed, there was great pain in my heart, and I wept. I was very sad that I didn't see the Prophet Muhammad even after reaching that close. Oh Allah! Forgive me if I said anything wrong in this article, and remove it from the minds of people and accept from me whatever I said right, and inculcate it in the hearts of the people. I request everyone who has benefitted from any portion of my article to say Aamin at this du'aa:

" Oh Allah! After six long years, I still await the sight of Prophet Muhammad SAW. Oh Allah! I am not worthy of meeting the most blessed being of all times, but I ask you for your mercy. Oh Allah! If you see any good in me, show me good dreams, and show me your beloved Prophet. Oh Allah! Give me the knowledge of dream interpretation and open my mind to realize the marvels of the ruh. Oh Allah! Bless with you love and love of your loved ones. Oh Allah! These eyes weep and desire to see You and Your Prophet on the Day of Judgment. Oh Allah! Don't take away from me the greatest of all blessings, that is the sweetness of Your sight on the day of judgment, and don't take away from me the blessing of the sight of Your Beloved Prophet in dream " (Aameen)
Author: Mohammad Awais Tahir

The author may or may not have the same views on the topic and would not like to be quoted on what has been said above. The author, however, deems nothing wrong with changing opinions, hence, he does not wish to amend/remove posts that do not resonate with his current thinking. “Those who never retract their opinions love themselves more than they love truth.”

Copyright © 2011 Islam and Psychology. Feel free to spread.

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The Strategic Role of Dreams and Visions In Islam 

By Sheikh Imran Hosein

Eid ul Fitr 1435 Hijr

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Read the Qur'an and then judge

Huge Hug

Punishments for neglecting jihad for the sake of Allaah

The command to wage jihad for the sake of Allaah, and the warning against neglecting jihad, appear in many verses of the Qur’aan and ahaadeeth.

If the Muslims neglect jihad for the sake of Allaah, and prefer a life of ease, and focus only on this world, they will face humiliation and scorn, and all their affairs will be corrupted. They expose themselves to the wrath and anger of Allaah, and they expose Islam to loss and defeat at the hands of kufr. Hence neglecting jihad is a major sin.

Ibn Hajar said in al-Zawaajir: 

The 390th, 391st and 392nd major sins are neglecting jihad when it becomes an obligation, which is when aggressors enter the Muslim land or when they seize a Muslim, and it is possible to rescue him from them and the people neglect jihad altogether and when the people in a region neglect to fortify their borders so that there is a risk of the kuffaar overrunning them because of that.” end quote.

Hence it was well known and well established among the Sahaabah that no one refrains from taking part in jihad when it becomes fard ‘ayn (an individual obligation) except one who is weak and is therefore excused or one who is a hypocrite.  This is what was narrated by Ka’b ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) when he stayed behind from the campaign of Tabook: “When I came out to the people after the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had gone out, I went around among them and was distressed to see no one except a man who was known to be a hypocrite or weak men whom Allaah had excused.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4066; Muslim, 4973.

The evidence also states some of the punishments that result from that. For example: 

1 – Neglecting jihad leads to doom in this world and in the Hereafter. 

In this world the craven coward is humiliated and enslaved, he is a follower, not a leader. In the Hereafter, neglecting jihad will be a cause of Allaah's punishment. 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And spend in the Cause of Allaah (i.e. Jihad of all kinds) and do not throw yourselves into destruction (by not spending your wealth in the Cause of Allaah), and do good. Truly, Allaah loves Al-Muhsinoon (the good-doers”
[al-Baqarah 2:195]

al-Tirmidhi (2972) narrated that Aslam Abu ‘Imraan said: We were in the city of the Byzantines (i.e., Constantinople) and a great troop of the Byzantines  came out to us. One of the Muslim men attacked the Byzantine ranks until he penetrated them, and the people shouted and said “Subhaan-Allaah, he has thrown himself into destruction.” Abu Ayyoob al-Ansaari stood up and said: “O people, you misinterpret this verse in this way; rather this verse was revealed concerning us, the Ansaar. When Allaah caused Islam to prevail and its supporters increased, we said to one another in secret, without speaking to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): ‘Our wealth is neglected. Allaah has caused Islam to prevail and its supporters have increased. Why don’t we stay with our property and improve it?’ Then Allaah revealed Qur’aan to His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), refuting what we had said: “And spend in the Cause of Allaah (i.e. Jihad of all kinds) and do not throw yourselves into destruction” [al-Baqarah 2:195]. This destruction was our staying with our property to improve it, and neglecting to fight (in jihad). Abu Ayyoob never stopped fighting for the sake of Allaah until he was buried in Constantinople. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

It says in Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi: 

This hadeeth indicates that what is meant by throwing oneself into destruction is taking care of one’s family and wealth at the expense of jihad.

2 – Neglecting jihad is a cause of humiliation and scorn 

Abu Dawood (3462) narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “When you engage in ‘aynah transactions (a kind of transaction intended to circumvent the prohibition on riba or usury), and you take hold of the tails of oxen and you are content with agriculture (at the time when jihad is obligatory), and you give up jihad, then Allaah will send upon you humiliation that will not be dispelled until you return to your religion, Allaah will send upon you humiliation that will not be dispelled until you return to your religion, Allaah will send upon you humiliation that will not be dispelled until you return to your religion.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

Our Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) indeed spoke the truth, for the one who looks at the state of the Muslims today will see that they have become very careless about their religion. They consume riba and they are focused on this world, and they have neglected jihad for the sake of Allaah. And what is the result? Allaah has subjected them to humiliation, and they turn to the east and to the west, humiliated and lowly, asking them for support against their enemies, and they do not realize [?] that this humiliation will not be lifted from them until they go back to their religion as the truthful Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said. 

Allaah has indeed spoken the truth: 

“Give to the hypocrites the tidings that there is for them a painful torment.

Those who take disbelievers for Awliyaa’ (protectors or helpers or friends) instead of believers, do they seek honour, power and glory with them? Verily, then to Allaah belongs all honour, power and glory”

[al-Nisa’ 4:138-139 – interpretation of the meaning]

3 – Neglecting jihad is a cause of Allaah's punishment in this world and in the Hereafter 

Abu Dawood (2503) narrated from Abu Umaamah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does not fight or does not equip a warrior or support the family of a warrior in his absence, Allaah will strike him with calamity before the Day of Resurrection.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

Al-Qaari’ah (translated here as calamity) means a disaster that occurs suddenly. 

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“O you who believe! What is the matter with you, that when you are asked to march forth in the Cause of Allaah (i.e. Jihaad) you cling heavily to the earth? Are you pleased with the life of this world rather than the Hereafter? But little is the enjoyment of the life of this world as compared to the Hereafter.

If you march not forth, He will punish you with a painful torment and will replace you by another people; and you cannot harm Him at all, and Allaah is Able to do all things”

[al-Tawbah 9:38-39]

The punishment of which He warns them is not only punishment in the Hereafter, rather it is punishment in this world and in the Hereafter, the punishment of humiliation that befalls those who do not engage in jihad, the punishment of being deprived of the good things from which the kaafir enemy benefits. In addition to all of that, those who forsake jihad will lose more lives and more wealth than would be lost in jihad, and they offer more sacrifices than those required to retain their honour and dignity. No ummah forsook jihad but Allaah sent humility upon them, thus the cost was far greater than that that may have been required in jihad against the enemy.

 Al-Zilaal, 3/1655.

Al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said (p. 532): 

“O you who believe” do you not know the requirements of faith, which is that you should hasten to obey the command of Allaah and to seek His pleasure, and to fight His enemies in jihad for the sake of your religion? So “What is the matter with you, that when you are asked to march forth in the Cause of Allaah (i.e. Jihaad) you cling heavily to the earth?” meaning, why are you so lazy and so inclined towards this world.

“Are you pleased with the life of this world rather than the Hereafter?” Your case is that of those who are content with this world and who strive for worldly purposes, caring nothing for the Hereafter because they do not believe in it. 

“But little is the enjoyment of the life of this world” towards which you are inclined and which you prefer. Hasn’t Allaah given you reason with which to weigh up matters and see which deserves to be shown preference? 

Is not this world – from beginning to end – as nothing in comparison to the Hereafter? 

What is a man's lifespan in comparison to the lifespan of this world, so as to make worldly gain his ultimate goal and concern and restrict all his efforts and focus to this short life that is filled with distress and risk?

How can you possibly prefer it to the Hereafter which includes every kind of delight that a person could desire, where you will abide forever? No person who prefers this world to the Hereafter has faith rooted in his heart and he cannot be regarded as a man of wisdom and understanding. Then Allaah warns them if they do not march forth, as He says: 

“If you march not forth, He will punish you with a painful torment” – in this world and in the Hereafter, for not marching forth when ordered to do so is a major sin that deserves the most severe punishment, because it causes a great deal of harm, because the one who stays behind(from jihad) has disobeyed Allaah and done something that He has forbidden, and he has not helped to support the religion of Allaah or to protect the Book of Allaah and His Law. He has not helped his Muslim brothers against the enemy who wants to uproot them and eradicate their religion.  Perhaps others who are weak in faith will follow his example, and he may even discourage those who are involved in fighting the enemies of Allaah. Thus he will be like those whom Allaah has warned of a severe punishment: “If you march not forth, He will punish you with a painful torment” Allaah has promised to support His religion and make His word supreme regardless of whether you obey the command of Allaah or not. 

“and Allaah is Able to do all things” He is not incapable of doing anything that He wants, and none can overwhelm Him.

We ask Allaah to bring the Muslims back to their religion and to remove humiliation from them. 

And Allaah knows best.

Signs of Weak Iman and How to Increase It

Signs of weak Faith: 

• Committing sins and not feeling any guilt.
• Having a hard heart and no desire to read the Quran.
• Feeling too lazy to do good deeds, e.g. being late for salat
• Neglecting the Sunnah. 
• Having mood swings, for instance being upset about petty things and bothered and irritated most of the time.
• Not feeling anything when hearing verses from the Quran, for example when Allah warns us of punishments and His promise of glad tidings.
• Finding difficulty in remembering Allah and making dhikr. 
• Not feeling bad when things are done against the Shariah.
• Desiring status and wealth.
• Being mean and miserly, i.e. not wanting to part with wealth.
• Ordering others to do good deeds when not practising them ourselves.
• Feeling pleased when things are not progressing for others.
• Being concerned with whether something is haram or halal only; and not avoiding makroo (not recommended) things.
• Making fun of people who do simple good deeds, like cleaning the mosque.
• Not feeling concerned about the situation of Muslims.
• Not feeling the responsibility to do something to promote Islam.
• Liking to argue just for the sake of arguing without any proof.
• Becoming engrossed and very involved with dunya, worldly things, i.e. feeling bad only when losing something in terms of material wealth.
• Becoming engrossed and obsessive about ourselves. 
  
  

  

   

Okay, how to increase our faith then ? 

• Recite and ponder on the meanings of the Quran. Tranquility then descends and our hearts become soft. To get optimum benefit, remind yourself that Allah is speaking to you. People are described in different categories in the Quran; think of which one you find yourself in.   
• Realize the greatness of Allah. Everything is under His control. There are signs in everything we see that points us to His greatness. Everything happens according to His permission. Allah keeps track and looks after everything, even a black ant on a black rock on a black moonless night.   
• Make an effort to gain knowledge, for at least the basic things in daily life e.g. how to make wudu properly. Know the meanings behind Allah's names and attributes. People who have taqwa are those who have knowledge.   
• Attend gatherings where Allah is remembered. In such gatherings we are surrounded by angels.  
• We have to increase our good deeds. One good deed leads to another good deed. Allah will make the way easy for someone who gives charity and also make it easy for him or her to do good deeds. Good deeds must be done continuously, not in spurts.   
• We must fear the miserable end to our lives; the remembrance of death is the destroyer of pleasures.   
• Remember the different levels of akhirah, for instance when we are put in our graves, when we are judged, whether we will be in paradise or hell.   
• Make dua, realize that we need Allah. Be humble. Don't covet material things in this life.   
• Our love for Subhana Wa Ta'Ala must be shown in actions. We must hope Allah will accept our prayers, and be in constant fear that we do wrong. At night before going to sleep, we must think about what good we did during that day.   
• Realize the effects of sins and disobedience- one's faith is increased with good deeds and our faith is decreased by bad deeds. Everything that happens is because Allah wanted it. When calamity befalls us- it is also from Allah. It is a direct result of our disobedience to Allah. 

text by: Abu Banan

Joking

Rulings in Joking

1 – It not should not involve any element of making fun of Islam. 

That is one of the things that nullify a person’s Islam. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“If you ask them (about this), they declare: ‘We were only talking idly and joking.’ Say: ‘Was it at Allaah, and His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and His Messenger  that you were mocking?’Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had believed”
[al-Tawbah 9:65-66]

 

2 – The jokes should only be truthful.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Woe to the one who tells lies to make people laugh, woe to him.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood).

3 – Not scaring people 

Especially those who are very energetic or strong, or who are holding a weapon or a piece of iron, or who take advantage of the darkness and people’s weakness to use that as a means of scaring and alarming them.

4 – Mocking people by winking behind their backs or making snide remarks 

People vary in their ability to understand things and in their characters. Some weak people, those who like to make fun of others and wink behind their backs or make snide remarks, may find a person to be an object of fun for them and the butt of their jokes – Allaah forbid. Allaah has forbidden such behaviour in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): 

“O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it to insult one’s brother after having Faith”[al-Hujuraat 49:11]

5 – The jokes should not be excessive.

Some people joke too much and it becomes a habit for them. This is the opposite of the serious nature which is the characteristic of the believers. Joking is a break, a rest from ongoing seriousness and striving; it is a little relaxation for the soul.

“The kind of joking which is forbidden is that which is excessive and persistent, for it leads to too much laughter and hardening of the heart, it distracts from remembrance of Allaah, and it often leads to hurt feelings, generates hatred and causes people to lose respect and dignity.

6 – Acknowledging people’s status 

Some people may joke with everyone indiscriminately, but scholars and the elderly have rights, so you have to be aware of the character of the person with whom you are dealing. You should not joke with ignorant people, fools or people whom you do not know. 

7 – The amount of joking should be like the amount of salt in one’s food. 

 “Whoever laughs too much or jokes too much loses respect, and whoever persists in doing something will be known for it.” So beware of joking, for it “causes a person to lose face after he was thought of as respectable, and it brings him humiliation after esteem.”

8 – It should not involve backbiting. 

This is a foul sickness. Some people think that they can talk about others, and say that this is by way of joking, but it is included in the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “[Backbiting is] your mentioning about your brother something that he dislikes.” (Narrated by Muslim)

 9 – Choosing appropriate times for joking. 

Such as when you are taking a trip in the countryside, or attending a party in the evening, or when meeting a friend, you may relax and enjoy some gentle anecdotes, nice stories or light jokes, in order to generate friendship and instill happiness in the heart; or when family problems are taking their toll and one of the spouses is angry, some gentle joking may relieve the tension and cheer people up.

O Muslim, 

A man said to Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah (may Allaah be pleased with him), “Joking is not right, it is to be denounced.” He replied, “Rather it is Sunnah, but only for those who know how to do it and do it at the appropriate time.”

Nowadays, although the ummah needs to increase the love between its individual members and to relieve itself of boredom, it has gone too far with regard to relaxation, laughter and jokes. This has become a habit which fills their gatherings and wastes their time, so their lives are wasted and their newspapers are filled with jokes and trivia.

Muslim men and women have to be inclined to choose righteous and serious friends in their lives, who will help them to make good use of their time and strive for the sake of Allaah with seriousness and steadfastness, good and righteous people whose example they can follow.

 

So you have to follow the example of such people, who were knights by day and monks (i.e., devoted worshippers) by night. May Allaah keep us, you and our parents safe on the Day of the Greatest Terror.