The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has said:
“Whoever sees me in a dream has truly seen me because Satan cannot impersonate me.”
Ahmed, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi
Seeing the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a dream should be a goal for every believer. The above Hadith and many others confirm that not only is this possible, but it is a confirmed reality since the devil cannot take the form of a prophet. Some of the scholars therefore said that if you see the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in a dream, whatever form he was in, it was undoubtedly him. Others however said that it was only him if he was seen in a form which matches his well-known description. Allah Most High knows best.
The Prophet ﷺ can appear in a dream to many people in the same night. Each person will see the Prophet ﷺ in a way which corresponds to their ability, piety and attributes of their own soul1. Some may see the Prophet ﷺ in a way which others may not be able to handle. The great Sheikh, Yusuf al-Nabahani once asked Allah to show him a vision of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ just as the Sahaba (companions) used to see him. He recited Surah Ikhlas 300 times before sleeping and Allah Most High granted him a vision of the beloved Messenger ﷺ. About this vision, Sheikh Yusuf al-Nabahani said:
“I cannot express what I saw in speech nor writing!” 2
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ may appear in a person’s dream as a reward or glad tiding from Allah Most High and His Messenger ﷺ for that person. Likewise, he ﷺ may appear in a dream to warn them or caution them about some sin they may be involved in. It is also possible that the Prophet ﷺ be seen with a defect which is not befitting of his perfect nature, but he is seen with it in order to warn the person and show them their faults.
The blessed vision of the Prophet ﷺ in this life is not necessarily restricted to the one dreaming. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also said:
“Whoever sees me in a dream will soon see me in a wakeful state. And Satan cannot impersonate me.”
Bukhari and Muslim
Many scholars understood this literally and said the one who sees the Prophet ﷺ in a dream will eventually see him whilst awake. Many of them said it will be just before the person passes away. Sheikh Abdullah Sirajudin said that it could mean that the person who sees the Prophet ﷺ in a dream will see him in a wakeful state just before passing away, in the barzakh (the intermediary realm after one dies) and in a special way on the day of judgement3.
Many virtues and benefits have been mentioned for the one who see the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a dream with the greatest of them being that he will pass away upon Islam4.
If Allah wills, in this new series of posts we will mention some of the dreams of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ which have been seen and documented. I ask Allah to make it a means of increasing people’s love for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and their desire to behold him in a vision.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Amongst those who love me the most from my Ummah will be a people who come after me. Each of them will be ready to part from his family and wealth just to see me.”
Muslim
Footnotes:
- Sheikh Muhammad Sadiq Alawi – The key to arriving at the door of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ volume 2, page 342
- Sheikh Muhammad Sadiq Alawi – The key to arriving at the door of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ volume 2, page 340
- Sheikh Abdullah Sirajudin – al-salatu ala an-nabi, page 251
- ibid
Orthodox Muslim 