Dreams are not evidence in religion
1.Our Claim
2. Seeing Prophet peace be upon him in dream
3. Seeing Allah in dream
4. Satan in the dreams of those who commit shirk
5. Dreams are not evidence in religion
6. If the dreams are evidence then what about these dreams?
1. Our Claim: Sharia is already complete
Shaykh Bilal Phillips said:
Since the sharia (Islamic law) is complete, the claim that the Prophet (pbuh) has come in dreams with new additions must be false. Such a claim implies one of two things:
(1) Either the Prophet (pbuh) did not fulfil his mission in his lifetime, or
(2) Allah was not aware of the future of the ummah, and thus did not prescribe the necessary injunctions during the Prophets (pbuh) lifetime.
Source: http://www.islamicawakening.com/viewarticle.php?articleID=408
2. Seeing Prophet peace be upon him in dream
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, “Whoever sees me in a dream will see me when he is awake, and the Shaytaan cannot take my shape.” Al-Bukhaari said: Ibn Sireen said: If he sees him in his true image. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6592; Muslim, 2266
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:
وقد رويناه موصولاً من طريق إسماعيل بن إسحاق القاضي عن سليمان بن حرب – وهو من شيوخ البخاري – عن حماد بن زيد عن أيوب قال : كان محمَّد – يعني : ابن سيرين – إذا قصَّ عليه رجلٌ أنَّه رأى النَّبيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : صِف لي الذي رأيتَه ، فإن وَصف له صفةً لا يعرفها قال : لم تره ، وسنده صحيح ، ووجدتُ له ما يؤيِّده فأخرج الحاكم من طريق عاصم بن كليب حدثني أبي قال : قلتُ لابن عباس رأيتُ النَّبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في المنام ، قال : صِفه لي ، قال ذكرتُ الحسن بن علي فشبَّهتُه به ، قال : قد رأيتَه ، وسنده جيد .
We have narrated it with a complete isnaad from Ismaa’eel ibn Ishaaq al-Qaadi from Sulaymaan ibn Harb – who was one of the shaykhs of al-Bukhaari – from Hammaad ibn Zayd from Ayyoob who said: If a man told Muhammad (meaning Ibn Sireen) that he had seen the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) [in a dream], he would say, “Describe to me the one whom you saw.” If he gave a description that he did not recognize, he would say, “You did not see him.” Its isnaad is saheeh, and I have found another report which corroborates it. Al-Haakim narrated via ‘Aasim ibn Kulayb (who said), my father told me: I said to Ibn ‘Abbaas, “I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in a dream.” He said, “Describe him to me.” He said, “I mentioned al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali and said that he looked like him.” He said, “You did indeed see him.” Its isnaad is jayyid. Fath al-Baari, 12/383, 384.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:
وقوله ” لا يستطيع ” يشير إلى أن الله تعالى وإن أمكنه مِن التصور في أي صورة أراد ؛ فإنه لم يمكنه من التصور في صورة النَّبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، وقد ذهب إلى هذا جماعة ، فقالوا في الحديث : إن محل ذلك إذا رآه الرائي على صورته التي كان عليها .
ومنهم مَن ضيَّق الغرض في ذلك حتى قال : لا بدَّ أن يراه على صورته التي قبض عليها حتى يعتبر عدد الشعرات البيض التي لم تبلغ عشرين شعرة .
والصواب : التعميم في جميع حالاته بشرط أن تكون صورته الحقيقية في وقت ما ، سواء كان في شبابه أو رجوليته أو كهوليته أو آخر عمره .
The phrase “[the Shaytaan] cannot” indicates that although Allaah gave him the ability to appear in any form he wants, He does not allow him to appear in the form of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This was the opinion of a group who said concerning the hadeeth: What this refers to is when a person sees him as he really looked.
Some of them restricted it even further and said: He must see him as he looked when he died, so he must even take into consideration the number of his white hairs which was no more than twenty.
The correct view is that he may be seen at any age or in any condition, so long as he appears as he really looked at any time, whether as a youth, in the prime of manhood, in old age or any other time of his life. Fath al-Baari, 12/386.
3. Seeing Allah in dream
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah – may Allaah have mercy on him said
How righteous and pious the person is. Some people may imagine that they have seen Allaah when that is not the case, for the Shaytaan may appear to them and make them think that he is their Lord, as it was narrated that he appeared to ‘Abd al-Qaadir al-Jeelaani on a throne above the water, and said, “I am your lord and I have relieved you of obligations.” Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qaadir said: “Shut up, O enemy of Allaah, you are not my Lord, because the commands of my Lord can never be lifted from those who are accountable.” Or words to that effect. The point is that seeing Allaah when awake cannot happen to anyone in this world, not even the Prophets (peace be upon them), as stated above in the hadeeth of Abu Dharr. This is also indicated by the words of Allaah to Moosa (peace be upon him) when he asked his Lord to let him see Him. He said to him
“You cannot see Me” [al-A’raaf 7:143]
But the Prophets and some of the righteous may see Him in a dream in a manner that does not resemble any of His creation, as stated above in the hadeeth of Mu’aadh (may Allaah be pleased with him). But if there is a command to do something that goes against sharee’ah, this is a sign that he has not seen his Lord, rather he has seen a devil. [Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li’l-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 6/367.]
4. Satan in the dreams of those who commit shirk
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: The Shaytaan often appears in the form of someone to whom invocations are made (instead of to Allah). Usually this person (whom they invoke) is already dead. Sometimes it also occurs that he (Shaytaan) appears in the form of a living person, without this person realizing those who are calling upon him (i.e. istigatha). It is the Shaytaan who has taken up this person’s shape in order to make the deluded Mushrik, who is calling upon him for help (instead of Allah) to think that this person answered him personally while in reality it was Shaytaan. This happens to the Kuffaar who call upon the people for help, whether dead or living – those whom they think are capable of doing this, for instance, the Christians who call upon their saints. It also happens to the people of Shirk and Error, who consider themselves to be within Islam and call upon the living and dead (instead of Allah) for help. The Shaytaan appears to them in the form of a person whom they call upon for help. This person (whom they call on) however, does not know anything about that (and is free of blame)…
Like this, many people have told me that they called upon me for help (istighaatha). Each one of them informed me of a different incident. I told them all that I did not respond to any of them and do not know of any such occurrence. They replied: “Maybe it was an angel who helped us.” So I told them: “The angels don’t help the Mushrikeen…”(Majmu’ ul-Fataawa, pg. 19, 47/48)
Ibn Taymeeyah relates
“There was a Shaykh knowledgeable in the religious sciences and Qur’anic recitation to whom the devils came and eventually managed to seduce. They told him that Salaah was no longer required of him and that they would bring him whatever he wished. As soon as he complied with their wishes, they began to bring him a variety of sweets and fruit. This continued until he was advised to repent by some scholars that he visited who were firmly following the Sunnah. He subsequently repented and repaid the owners of the sweets for what he ate while under the influence of the JINN.” He then went on to say, “Many of those who call on Shaykhs in time of need saying, ‘O master so and so, or Shaykh so and so, fulfill my need’ have seen an image of the Shaykh saying, ‘I will fulfill your need and put your heart at ease,’ then it fulfills their needs or repels their enemies. In such cases it is a devil taking the Shaykh’s form when they committed Shirk byassociating partners with Allaah and calling on others beside Him.”
Ibn Taymeeyah then went on to enumerate similar instances involving himselfsaying, “I know of many suchincidences even among a group of my companions who called on me in times whenthey were struck by calamities. One was afraid of the Romans and another of theTatars. Both of them mentioned that they called out to me, they saw me in theair and I repelled their enemies for them. I informed them that I did not heartheir cries no did I repel their enemies. It was a devil taking my appearanceto seduce them when they associated partners with Allaah the Almighty. Similarincidents have also happened to the students of my contemporaries among thescholars, whereby some of their students have sought refuge in them and haveseen them fulfill their needs. The scholars have also denied doing so andindicated that it was in fact the work of devils.”[Majmoo’ Al-Fataawaa, Vol. 35, pp. 112-116]
5. Dreams are not evidence in religion
a) Hafidh Ibne Katheer said
وقد ذكر الحافظ بن عساكر في ترجمة أحمد بن كثير وقال إنه كان من الصالحين أنه رأى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وأبا بكر وعمر وهابيل، أنه استحلف هابيل ان هذا دمه فحلف له وذكر أنه سأل الله تعالى أن يجعل هذا المكان يستجاب عنده الدعاء فأجابه إلى ذلك وصدقه في ذلك رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وقال إنه وأبا بكر وعمر يزورون هذا المكان في كل يوم خميس وهذا منام لو صح عن أحمد بن كثير هذا لم يترتب عليه حكم شرعي والله أعلم
Hafidh Ibne Asakir mentioned in the Biography of Ahmad bin Katheer that he (Ibn Asakir) said he (Ahmad bin Katheer) was among the Pious People and he saw Prophet peace be upon him,Abu bakr, Umar and Habeel in the dream. They (Prophet peace be upon him, Abu Bakr and Umar) asked Habeel to swore that this is his blood (i.e. the place of his death), and He (Habeel) swore, And he mentioned: He (Habeel) asked Allah to make this place (the place where he was killed), the place where the dua is answered and Prophet peace be upon him accepted his truthfulness and He said: (that he saw) Abu Bakr and Umar visiting that place on every thursday. (Ibn Kathir said): If this dream is proven from Ahmad bin Katheer then the rulings of Shariy`ah can not be made through this dream. [Al Bidaya Wal Nihaya vol 1 Page 105 and 106]
b) Imam Nawawi said:
{فَرْعٌ} لَوْ كَانَتْ لَيْلَةُ الثَّلَاثِينَ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ وَلَمْ يَرَ النَّاسُ الْهِلَالَ فَرَأَى إنْسَانٌ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي الْمَنَامِ فَقَالَ لَهُ اللَّيْلَةُ أَوَّلُ رَمَضَانَ لَمْ يَصِحَّ الصَّوْمُ بِهَذَا الْمَنَامِ لَا لِصَاحِبِ الْمَنَامِ وَلَا لغيره ذكره القاضي حسين فِي الْفَتَاوَى وَآخَرُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا وَنَقَلَ الْقَاضِي عِيَاضٌ الْإِجْمَاعَ عَلَيْهِ وَقَدْ قَرَّرْتُهُ بِدَلَائِلِهِ فِي أَوَّلِ شَرْحِ صَحِيحِ مُسْلِ
”Fara’: If the night is thirteenth night of Sha’baan, and people don’t find. (the moon never appeared). And if a person saw the Prophet, may the mercy and blessing of Allah be upon him, in dream. And the Prophet inform him (in dream), ”this night is first of Ramadhan.” Then the fast is not right, neither for the person who saw the dream nor for other. This is mentioned by Qadhi Husain and others. And Qadhi Iyadh has mentioned the Ijma’ (consensus) on this. I have collected the proofs for it in First of ”Sharh Sahih Muslim”[‘Al-Majmoo’ Sharh
al-Muhaddhab’] Source: http://www.islamweb.net/newlibrary/display_book.php?ID=2517&start=0&idfrom=3857&idto=3857&bookid=14&Hashiya=10
c) Ibn Hajar said
فالذي في الخبر رؤيا منام فلا حجة
The dream in this hadith is not evidence [Fathul Baari :Vol 9 Page 145]
source: http://islamww.com/booksww/pg.php?b=1926&pageID=5114
d) Al Aine`ee
فالذي في الخبر رؤيا منام فلا حجة فيه
The dream in this hadith is not evidence [Umda tul Qari under same Athar of Thobiya]
e) Kirmani said
الرؤيا ليست بدليل
Dream is not evidence
f) Hafidh Al Iraqi Said
أنه لو أخبر صادق عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في النوم بحكم شرعي مخالف لما تقرر في الشريعة لم نعتمده
If any truthful gives the information of Shariyah that Prophet(pbuh) told him in dream, which is against the Shariyah then we would not rely on that dream.
[طرح التثريب ص 215 / 8].
Comment: Meaning if some one say Prophet peace be upon him told me this and this in the dream, but in reality the sayings of Prophet peace be upon him in the dream is against actual sayings mentioned in ahadeeth, then we will reject the dream of the person
g) Hafidh Shatib`ee Said
وربما قال بعضهم : رأيت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في النوم ، فقال لي كذا وأمرني بكذا ، فيعمل بها ويترك بها معرضاً عن الحدود الموضوعة في الشريعة ، وهو خطأ ، لأن الرؤيا من غير الأنبياء لا يحكم بها شرعاً على حال إلا أن تعرض على ما في أيدينا من الأحكام الشرعية ، فإن سوغتها عمل بمقتضاها ، وإلا وجب تركها والإعراض عنها ،
And sometimes some people say i have seen prophet(pbuh) in a dream, prophet(pbuh) has said these things to me, he has given me orders of these things, and he starts practicing on it and due to this he leaves the boundaries of Islamic law and this is a mistake because dream of non-prophet’s on any issue cannot be included under part of Islamic law and we cannot reject the Islamic law which is with us. It is obligatory that the the dreams which clashes with the shariyah has to be left and rejected. [Al Aites`aam PAGE 184]
If they really want to believe on the dream of this unknown person then what about this?
6. If the dreams are evidence then what about these dreams?
Dream 1) Ibn Kathir mentioned
وقال ابن عساكر: حدثنا أبو الفضل محمد بن محمد بن الفضل بن المظفر العبدي قاضي البحرين من لفظه وكتبه لي بخطه – قال: رأيت يزيد بن معاوية في النوم فقلت له: أنت قتلت الحسين؟
فقال: لا!
فقلت له: هل غفر الله لك؟
قال: نعم، وأدخلني الجنة.
Ibne Athakir said: Abul Fadhal Muhammad bin Fadhal bin al-Muzaffar al-Abdi who is judge in Behrain told me in the letter. He saw Yazeed bin Muawiyah in the dream. I asked him: Did you kill hussain? Yazeed said No. I asked Allah saved you? He said “Yes” Allah sent me in the paradise. [Al Bidaya wal Nihaya vol 16 page no: 299 under the Tarjuma of Yazeed bin Muawiyah]
Comment: I have seen people quoting their dreams and the dreams of sufis and they act upon them. Above dream is also the dream of a pious person. What will they do regarding this? Specially brelvis of Pakistan who are staunch against Yazeed bin Muawiyah.
Dream 2) Imam Abu Jafar Ahmad bin Ishaq said “I was on the madhab of people of Iraq. I saw Prophet peace be upon him in dream, he was praying and doing Rafayadain in first takbeer, in rukoo and after rukoo.[Sunan Daraqutni hadeeth no: 1112] Comment: Now what will they do specially Sufis of Pakistan (brelvis), They take evidences from too many dreams. Will they practice of rafayadain in Salah?
Dream 3) Ibne Kathir mentioned another dream regarding Yazeed
فرأت أمه في المنام أنه خرج منها قمر من قُبلها، فقصّت رؤياها على أمها فقالت: إن صدقت رؤياك لتلدن من يبايع له بالخلافة.
His mother saw in dream that she delivered the moon. She narrated her dream to her mother, Her mother said: If your dream is true then surely you will deliver the one who will be the khalipah [Al Bidaya wal Nihaya Vol 16 page 288 biography of Yazeed bin Muawiyah]
Dream 4) Dream of Imam Muhammad bin Hammad Rahimaullah against the Hanafi way of salah.
Khateeb Narrated
” رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي المنام، فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، مَا تَقُولُ فِي النظر في كلام أبي حنيفة وأصحابه، وأنظر فيها وأعمل عليها؟ قال: لا، لا، لا، ثلاث مرات. قلت: فما تقول في النظر في حديثك وحديث أصحابك، أنظر فيها وأعمل عليها؟ قال: نعم، نعم، نعم ثلاث مرات. ثم قلت: يَا رَسُولَ الله ، عَلّـِمْــنِي دُعَاءً أَدْعُو بِهِ، فعـلمني دعاء وقاله لي ثلاث مرات، فلما استيقظت نسيته.”
I saw Prophet peace be upon him in my dream. I asked O Messenger of Allah: What do you say regarding the seeing the kalam of Abu Hanifa and his companions? Can i see and practice that? He (peace be upon him) said three times NO, NO, NO. Then i asked what do you say regarding seeing your hadith and hadith of your companions? Can i see and practice upon that? He (peace be upon him) said three times, YES, YES YES. Then i asked that teach me a prayer so that i can pray that. Then he taught me a dua and repeated three times but when i woke up I forgot the dua.[Tareekh Baghdad 13/403]
Dream 5) Good dreams regarding Ibn Taymiyyah
Ibn Kathir mentioned:
وختمت له ختمات كثيرة بالصالحية والبلد، وتردد الناس إلى قبره أياما كثيرة ليلا ونهارا، ورئيت له منامات كثيرة صالحة، ورثاه جماعة بقصائد جمة
Day and night the people visited the grave of Ibn taymiyah to hold gatherings of khatm. And people saw very Good Dreams About him and they wrote Qasaaid and some Poetry too about Ibn e Taymiyyah.[Al Bidaya wali nihaya vol 14 under the death of Ibn Tamiyah page 149]
Dream 6) Dream of Imam Mar`i bin Yusaf al Hanbali:
Imam Mur`ee bin Yusaf al Hanbalee (d 1032 h) said:
وأكثروا من الخوض في أبي حنيفة رحمه الله، حتى أنه رُئي في المنام فقيل له: ما فعل الله بك فقال: غفر لي بكلام الناس فيّ ما ليس فيه. هذا وشيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية رحمه الله امتحن بمحن وخاض فيه أقوام ونسبوه للبدع والتجسيم وهو من ذلك بريء.
A lot of criticism has been done on Abu Hanifa Rahimullah so much that I saw him in a dream, he was asked: What Allah has done to you? He said: Allah forgave me because of what people said regarding me, those (false things) were not in me. Shaykh ul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah rahimullah was wronged and tested, people spoke bad about him, and attributed innovations and tajseem, Rather He is free from these accusations. [quoted by al Alusi in Ghayat al Eemani 2/221]
Dream 7) Dream of Ibn Kathir on Ibn Hazam and al Nawawi
Faida: Ibn Kathir’s discussion with an-Nawawi regarding Ibn Hazam in his dream.
Ibn Kathir said:
ورأيتُ في ليلة الإثنين الثاني والعشرين من المحرم سنة ثلاث وستين وسبعمائة الشيخ محي الدين النووي رحمه الله فقلت له: يا سيدي الشيخ لِمَ لا أدْخلتَ في “شرحك المهذب” شيئاً من مصنفات ابن حزم؟ فقال ما معناه: أنه لا يحبه. فقلت له: أنت معذور فيه فإنه جمع بين طرفيْ النقيضين في أصوله وفروعه. أما هو في الفروع فظاهريّ جامد يابس. وفي الأصول قول مائع قرمطة القرامطة وهَرَس الهرائسة. ورفعت بها صوتي حتى سمعت وأنا نائم. ثم أشَرْتُ له إلى أرض خضراء تشبه النخيل بل هي أرْدأ شكلاً منه، لا يُنتفع بها في اسْتغلالٍ ولا رعي. فقلت له: هذه أرض ابن حزم التي زرعها. قال: إنظر، هل ترى فيها شجراً مثمراً أو شيئاً يُنتفع به؟ فقلت: إنما تصلح للجلوس عليها في ضوء القمر. فهذا حاصل ما رأيته. ووقع في خلدي أن ابن حزم كان حاضرنا عندما أشرْت للشيخ محيي الدين إلى الأرض المنسوبة لابن حزم، وهو ساكتٌ لا يتكلم
I saw Shaykh Muhi ud din an-Nawawi May Allah have mercy on him in my dream on 22nd night of the Muharram 763 h, I asked him O my teacher, why didn’t you include anything from the works of Ibn Hazam in your book “Sharah al Muhazzab”? The meaning of his answer was that He just don’t like his work. I (Ibn Kathir) said to him (an-Nawawi): you are excused in this matter, Indeed he (Ibn Hazam) reconciled in both ends of extremes of his usul and Furoo. He was a Hardcore literalist in Furoo, As for Usool His words are in flow, He wrote his words closely, He was furious, I raised my voice so much that i heard it while asleep. Then I pointed towards a green (flourishing) land which was similar to (the land of) palm trees, rather the look of it was not better than that, which was not good as far as taking food is concern.. I said to him (an-Nawawi): This is the land which Ibn Hazam has planted. He said: Can you see any fruitful tree or anything which can be taken for benefit? I said: It is suitable for sitting in the light of the moon. This is what I have seen in my dream. It came into my mind that Ibn Hazam was present with us when I was showing Shaykh Muhi ud din the land attributed to him, but He (Ibn Hazam) was silent, he was not responding. [al Bidaya wal Nihaya 14/332]
I hope the matter is clear for those who are seeking the truth.
Lies about a dream falsely attributed to the Watchman of the Prophet’s tomb http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/31833
The physical characteristics of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and seeing him in a dream http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/1512