Where does the spirit go when a person sleeps? Do we have dreams in sleep according to our daily preoccupations? What influences the dreams we have?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The spirit travels around the world like a luminous light. During this travel, it sometimes transfers what it sees in the universe to the brain. People see dreams at those times. Dreams are like passwords that open the door to unseen worlds.

Sleep, which is the younger brother of death, has been made a “means of resting” by our Lord. When we are asleep, all our organs that have been working all day have a rest. All the physical and mental emotions, senses and organs, especially the eyes, ears, hands, feet, bones, muscles, nerves, veins, heart and spirit, are at rest. During this rest, that is, when a person sleeps, the spirit’s contact with the body is cut off to a certain extent.

The root of the word “ru’ya (dream)” in Arabic is “ru’yah”. Seeing with the eyes is generally expressed by the word “ru’yah”. Ru’ya (dream) means seeing with the brain. More precisely, it is what remains in the memory after the spirit transfers what it sees to the brain. Man can see limited realms with the eye on his face. However, through the spirit and the heart, he can also see realms that he cannot see with his material eye.

We can perceive the images and sounds broadcast by hundreds and thousands of television and radio stations hidden in the particles of air in our room only through devices that can convert images and sounds into visible and audible forms; similarly, we can perceive the unseen realms through the spirit and heart. And dreams are like passwords that open the door to those unseen realms.

Dream is a “reality” that has existed since the time of the Prophet Adam, that has been talked about, that people have passed on to each other, on which many scientific studies have been carried out, about which hundreds and thousands of works have been written and about which hundreds of dream interpretations have been published. Then, what is a dream? What are the “basic facts” that we need to know about the “reality of dream”?

Allah prepared His beloved Messenger (pbuh) for his great mission through true dreams in the first period of his prophethood. The realization of those dreams the next morning or a few days later was an important proof of prophethood.

The Quran includes dreams, either explicitly or implicitly. Let us have a look at some of the verses related to dreams:

The following is stated in verse 64 of the chapter of Yunus:

“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.”

The Prophet (pbuh) states that the meaning of “glad tidings” in this verse is “a true dream that a Muslim has”. (Tirmidhi, Ru’ya: 3)

The dream of the Prophet Yusuf:

Dream played an important role in the life of the Prophet Yusuf (Joseph). The interpretation of the dream he had seen before he was thrown into the well by his brothers came true years later. It was through this “knowledge of dream interpretation” that Prophet Yusuf, whom God Almighty had taught dream interpretation, became the highest official of Egypt. God Almighty made the dream a means for His Prophet to reach that position. That adventure and the place of the dream in it are described in many verses of the chapter of Yusuf in the Quran.

Dream in Hadiths:

Our beloved Prophet (pbuh) turned toward his Companions after every morning prayer (fajr) and would ask them if anyone had a dream; and he would interpret their dreams. If there were no one who had a dream, he would tell them about his own dream and interpret it.

Let us have a look at some of the hadiths of the Prophet (pbuh) about dreams:

“Dream is a part of the forty-six parts of prophethood. A good dream had by a righteous believer is a part of the forty-six parts of prophethood.” (Bukhari, Ta’bir 4, 5; Muwatta, Ru’ya 3; Abu Dawud, Adab 96)

“A good dream is glad tiding. A Muslim sees it or they show it to him.” (Ibn Majah, Tabir 1)

“The truest dream is the one that is had at dawn.” (Ibn Majah, Ta’bir 1; Tirmidhi, Ru’ya 3)

“The dream comes true in the way it is interpreted. It is like the state of a man who lifts his foot from the ground and waits to see when he will put it down again. Therefore, when one of you has a dream, let him tell it only to a man of counsel or a scholar and let him interpret it.” (Ibn Majah, Ta’bir 6)

“When the time draws near, the believer’s dream will not turn out to be wrong. The believer’s dream is one of the forty-six parts of prophethood.” (Bukhari, Ta’bir 26; Muslim, Ru’ya 6)

“There are three types of dreams. One is glad tiding from Allah. Another one is the speaking of the nafs (soul). And the other is a fright from Satan. If one of you has a dream that pleases him, let him tell it to others if he wishes. If he sees something he does not like, he should not tell it to anyone, but should get up and perform a prayer.” (Ibn Majah, Ta’bir 3)

“A good dream is from Allah. A bad dream is from Satan. If a person has a dream that he does not like, he should spit toward his left side three times and seek refuge in Allah from Satan. Thus, the dream will not harm him.” (Bukhari, Tibb 39; Muslim, Ru’ya 5)

“If any of you has a dream that he likes, let him know that it is from Allah. He who has such a dream should praise Allah and tell others about it. And if he sees something he dislikes, it is surely from Satan. Let him seek refuge in Allah from the evil of the dream and tell no one about it; thus, it will not harm him.” (Bukhari, Ta’bir 3, 46; Muslim, Ru’ya 3; see Tirmidhi, Da’awat 52; Ibn Majah, Ru’ya 3)

“Those of you who had the truest dreams are those who are the most honest.” (Muslim, Ru’ya 6)

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