Probabilistic Characteristics

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

Probabilistic Characteristics

Characteristic # 9

From Allah - SYMBOLIC EVENTS 

Dreams from Allah are mostly symbolic but they can also be direct. See Reference # 2, 3 and 4. All the dreams mentioned in Surah Yusuf are symbolic in nature. Dreams from Allah can also contain plain events, but those are so simple in their interpretation that they don't create any confusion. When one gets dreams that contain symbols, then he gets confused between type 1 and type 3.

From Shaitan - DIRECT EVENTS

Dreams whose source is Shaitan contain events rather than symbols and indications.

From Nafs - MIXED SYMBOLIC AND DIRECT 

Dreams from the Nafs are mostly direct and it's very rare that they are of a symbolic nature. Symbolism in dreams from Nafs seems vague and irrelevant.

Filter # 9 : I don't have any other proof for it other than my own experience, that in the present world most of the dreams from the Nafs are of direct nature, and hence, a dream containing symbols is most probably from Allah. Also, symbols of type 1 dream are very clear, whereas symbols of type3 dreams seem meaningless and vague.

Characteristic # 10

From Allah - LOGICAL AND SEQUENTIAL 

Dreams from Allah are logical and contain a valid sequence of events.

From Shaitan - RANDOM AND CONTRADICTORY 

Dreams from Shaitan seem pretty random even when experiencing them. They contain many events that do not conform to our logical mind. One cannot imagine the ways how shaitan confuses us by inventing events that do not make any sense. So, any 'crazy' dream, as people call them, is definitely a work of Shaitan.

From Nafs - LOGICAL, BUT MIXED EVENTS 

As dreams from Nafs are based upon our daily experiences, hence they tend to be logical in nature, but they are jumbled up (See the meaning of اضغاث احلام, explained above) .

Characteristic # 11

From Allah - SPECIFIC TOPIC AND BRIEF EVENTS 

This characteristic is found in almost all the dreams of Sahaba and the dreams mentioned in the Holy Qur'an but Prophet Muhammad narrated long dreams to Sahaba as well.

From Shaitan - NO TOPIC AND A LONG STORY 

Dreams from Shaitan have no topic and they contain long stories, just like horror movies.

From Nafs - MIXED SUBJECT AND MANY EVENTS 

Dreams from Nafs contain jumbled up events and no main theme.

Filter # 10 : Hence dreams from Allah are almost always 'short' and they have a specific topic and brief events, whereas in other dreams it is hard to make out what the central theme or what the dream is trying to convey. They either contain long stories that do not make up any sense, or numerous jumbled up short events that do not match with each other.

Characteristic # 12

From Allah - URGENCY TO RETURN TO THE PHYSICAL WORLD 

Ibn e Khuldun likes in his muqadma : " the person who has the dream vision wakes up quickly, as soon as he has perceived it. It seems as if he is in a hurry to get back to being awake and having sensual perception. Were he (to continue) to sleep soundly, the perception given him would weigh heavily on him. Therefore, he tries to escape from the state (in which he has supernatural perception) to the state of sensual perception in which the soul is always fully immersed in the body and the corporeal accidents. "(Muqamda ibn e Khuldun , Chapter: The Science of Dream Interpretation)

From Shaitan and Nafs - NO SUCH URGENCY 

Urgency to return to the physical world is not found in dreams of type 2 and type 3.

Filter # 11: One experiences a certain jolt as he returns to the physical world, sometimes with a little pain in the heart, on seeing a dream of type 1.

Characteristic # 13

From Allah - CAN SEE ANY TIME 

Scholars have mentioned different times during which a true vision is seen. 

Ibn e Sireen has mentioned that they are seen during Spring or Fall. Few scholars mention that true dreams are seen during the fruit ripening season. There is no proof of these characteristics from the texts. As a general rule true dreams can be seen at any time of the day or night and during any portion of the year. But, one can expect to have visions from Allah during the last third of the night as during it Allah comes down to the Sky of the earth. Also, there is a weak narration regarding it (See Reference # 24). So, one expect dreams from Allah at holy times and in holy places (sleeping in Masjid e Haram etc). Also, one should not expect a dream from Allah when sleeping through the fajr salah etc.

From Shaitan - CAN SEE ANY TIME 

Dreams from Shaitan can also be seen at any time during any portion of the year.

From Nafs - CAN SEE ANY TIME 

Dreams from Nafs can also be seen at any time during any portion of the year.

Differences mentioned in books which don't seem logical

SIDE OF SLEEP Few books mention that if one is able to sleep on the right side only then he gets good dreams. But, that does not seem to have any proof. Rather the prophetic narrations suggest that on which side you sleep has no relation with the type of dream that you get. That is why we are ordered to change our side when we have a bad dream, regardless of the fact on which side we were before (See Reference # 33).

COLORS Few scholars have mentioned that dreams from Allah are dominated by brightness and colors, and those from shaitaan are predominantly dark and black. Although dreams from shaitaan seem to be of a dark nature, but one cannot differentiate on this basis between dreams that are of type 1 and type 3.

INTERACTION Few scholars have mentioned that when we cannot interact with dreams from Allah and we cannot change the course of events and one can interact with dreams from Shaitan and Nafs. But that doesn't seem to be a valid characteristic because there are numerous instances in which Prophet Muhammad or Sahaba interacted with the dream they had.

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

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Differentiating between the three types of dreams

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

E- Differentiating between the three types of dreams

Ibn Qutaybah ad-Dinawari ﻪﻣﺣﺭﷲ says in his book about dream interpretations,
"There is nothing in which people deal with from the different sciences that is more obscure, delicate, exalted, noble, difficult and problematic than dreams because they are a type of revelation and type of Prophethood." 

We are living in an age where the knowledge of the material world is increasing exponentially, rendering it impossible for a person to grasp even a tiny portion of it in totality. And as for the knowledge of metaphysical dimensions, we are far behind the people of the past. 

We see Yaqub ﻪﻳﻠﻋﻡﻼﺳﻟﺍ forbidding Yusuf ﻪﻳﻠﻋﻡﻼﺳﻟﺍ to narrate his dream to his brothers, because even those deviant kids had knowledge to take out some meaning from the dream (See Reference # 2). And in the age of ours, we tend to wobble at even the first step of interpretation,that is to know whether the dream needs an interpretation or not, which used to be a child play in the times that have passed. As elaborated above one needs to know whether the dream is meaningful or a meaningless one because one's reaction to the dream depends on this. Realizing, the importance of the topic we will try to list down mandatory and probable characteristics of the three types of dreams. Before we go on with the list few points are to be clarified :

1- We are not discussing the topic of interpretation of dreams, rather, we are dealing with a topic, a satisfactory grasp of which is a must have for interpretation. Hence, we are dealing with a prerequisite of science of interpretation of dreams.

2- We will try to list down mandatory and probable characteristics of the three types of dreams. For a dream to belong to a particular type it should possess all the mandatory characteristics but it may or may not possess all the probable characteristics. Hence, instead of getting confused on comparing one's dream to few of the listed characteristics. One should go through the whole list to have conviction on his filtration.

3- Books written on the topics of interpretation of dreams do mention the characteristics of the three types of dreams, but all the characteristics are mentioned as mandatory ones, which might not be the case always. Hence, the set of rules given fails some times, and makes the dreamer confused. The idea of mandatory and probable characteristics is unique in this regard.

4- The purpose of this list is not to be able to identify any dream as type 1, 2 or 3. Rather, the main idea is to be able to filter out dreams of type 1 from the remaining two.

5- Many ahadith mention only two types of dreams that is ﺎﻳﺅﺭﻟﺍ and ﻡﻠﺣﻟﺍ , and do not draw any line between type2 and type 3. The reason being, the thin differentiating line between these two types. Many a times dreams are so jumbled out that one can't figure out different between type 2 and type 3. Also, it is needless to differentiate between type 2 and type 3 as both are meaningless.

6- Nevertheless, we will mention all the characteristics for the three under different headings. For our ease in future, we should take them just as characteristics of true (type 1) and false (type 2 and 3) dreams in future. One should develop his own two column table of these characteristics. This exercise is left to the individuals because dreams have a lot to do with one's own orientation and thinking and sleeping patterns.

7- As a rule, one should ponder over, care for and relate only those dreams which pass through the complete filter (the list you tabulated yourself), and the dreamer has conviction that this surely was a true dream (type1).

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The Strategic Role of Dreams and Visions In Islam 

By Sheikh Imran Hosein

SIMPLE STEPS FOR DA’WAH TO DEISTS, ATHEISTS & AGNOSTICS

SIMPLE STEPS FOR DA’WAH TO DEISTS, ATHEISTS & AGNOSTICS

DEIST: CONFUSED

Deism: The belief that God exists and created the world but thereafter assumed no control over it or the lives of people. In philosophy, the belief that reason is sufficient to prove the existence of God, with the consequent rejection of revelation and authority. (Webster’s, p. 479)

1.       Clear Doubts: Find out the reason for their confused beliefs: Bad experiences, etc. Focus on Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah (Unity of Lordship and Dominion) followed by Tawheed al-‘Ibaadah (Unity of Worship)

Deist: If Islam is good for you, that is fine. The most important thing is to be good.

Q: How do you define “good”?

Deist: I can’t accept organized religion. It’s full of corruption.

Q: Would you prefer a disorganized religion of your own making?

Deist: God is Love.

Q: Should he Love Hitler, Pol Pot, Ghengis Khan, etc.?

Deist: What kind of God would put good people in the hell fire? Is Mother Theresa going to Hell?

Q: Your focus is on the rights of people, but what about the rights of Allaah? The purpose for which you were created?

2.      Explain Purpose: Creation is for a reason and is based on reason. A God who creates humankind and does not inform them of their purpose and what He wants from them is not a very wise, nor a very merciful God.

3.      Help them find the courage to submit and surrender themselves; to place their foreheads on the ground.

4.      Encourage them, as the Prophet (r) said to Mu‘aath concerning the rights of the servants on Allaah, that He put them in paradise if they worship Him alone.

ATHEISTS: ARROGANT

Atheist is one who believes that there is no God. A little philosophy inclineth men’s minds to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men’s minds to religion – Bacon

By night an atheist half believes a God – Young (Webster’s, p. 118)

1.       Clear Doubts: Find out the reason for their confused beliefs: Bad experiences, etc. Focus on Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah (Unity of Lordship and Dominion) followed by Tawheed al-‘Ibaadah (Unity of Worship)

2.      Use Qur’aanic Arguments to prove God’s existence. Establish God’s existence or at least the possibility of His existence through the logical arguments mentioned in the Qur’aan.

AGNOSTICISM: LAZINESS

Agnostic: One who thinks it is impossible to know whether there is a God or a future life, or anything beyond material phenomena. By agnosticism, I understand a theory of things which abstains from either affirming or denying the existence of God; all it undertakes to affirm is that, upon existing evidence, the being of God is unknown. – G. J. Romanes (Webster’s, p. 37)

1.       Prove God’s existence. The agnostic starts from the premise that he does not know whether there is a God or not and that it is unknowable. Question why they believe it is unknowable.

2.      Motivate. The agnostic says, “What does it matter whether there is a God or not? I really don’t care.” Discuss the meaninglessness of life without purpose and the need to worship which all human beings display, in one way or another

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