The Significance of Dreams
Shahida Mohiuddin
BEFORE discussing in some detail and depth the significance of
dreams in terms of religion let us recall briefly the idea of psychologists and
scientists on the subject. One of the great and most basic ideas that Freud,
the famous psychoanalyst, established was that dreams reveal the unconscious
i.e. inner-most part of the self. Thus, he called the dream the "royal
road to the unconscious."
Jung, another expert in this field maintained that there is a
depth in people outside the physical reality, called the unconscious. According
to him, the human being has contact with physical reality through the senses,
perception and reason, whereas he or she is in touch with the non-physical
world i.e. unconscious, through quietness, dreams and religious experiences.
Scientific research has come to the conclusion that human beings
have two dimensions —
the physical and the spiritual. It is interesting to note that when in 1955,
the great physicist Oppenheimer spoke to the American Psychological
Association, he pleaded not to base psychology mainly on behaviorism upon a physical model that modern science no
longer regard to be true.
The study of religious literature, specially of the ecclesiastical
books, indicate that dreams and visions were also important to the prophets who
received images and messages through them. There is no doubt that the Old
Testament takes dreams seriously. It is also mentioned in the Old Testament
that God was present as Job fell into a liberating sleep to escape his
sufferings. Daniel spoke a great deal about dreams and their interpretations.
We find the same type of references in the poetic writings of the psalms. Some
passages cite practices like those of incubation and of sleeping in a holy
place to receive God's inspiration. The New Testament also makes special
references to the dreams of various prophets.
In the Qur'an the subject of sleep and dream have been discussed
in an interesting and unique manner. A study of the related verses show that
sleep is one of the miracles of God. (30:23) Dreams used to be one of the ways
of receiving revelations by prophets (37:102). God asks the people of intellect
to ponder on their sleep (30:23).
In the Qur'an, the dreams of some of the prophets have been recorded.
For example, the dream of Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S.) has been narrated in these
words:
"He (Ibrahim AS) said: O my dear son; I have seen in a dream
that I must sacrifice thee. So look, What thinkest thou? He (Ismail) said; O my
father: Do that which thou art commanded, Allah willing, thou shalt find me of
the steadfast" (37:102).
In another Qur'anic verse, Allah said: "We called unto him:
Ibrahim; Thou hast already fulfilled the vision (dream). Lo thus do We reward
the good: (37:104, 105)
These two Qur'anic verses reveal that Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S)
actually had received through a dream the message to sacrifice his son; and he
correctly interpreted that dream as Divine Command and prepared his son for
sacrifice in the path of God. Thus, if it is clear that in the lives of
prophets dreams have played a very important role and sometimes they had
received the Divine inspiration through dreams.
The story of Hazrat Yusuf (A.S) would be rather difficult to
understand without having some understanding about dreams. Hazrat Yusuf (A.S)
was endowed with the knowledge of interpreting dreams, which exalted him above
all members of his family. The Qur'an has mentioned:
"When Joseph (Yusuf) said unto his father, O my father; Lo; I
saw in a dream eleven planets and the sun and moon. I saw them prostrating
themselves unto me." (12:4)
In another verse the Qur'an says:
"Thus, we establish Joseph in the land that we might teach
him interpretation (of dreams)" (12:21)
Hazrat Yusuf (AS) had received the knowledge of interpretation of
dreams from God. (12:101). He was released from prison because to this
knowledge had gained a place in the service of the king of the time.
With reference to Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)
God has said in the Qur'an:
"Allah hath fulfilled the vision for his messenger in very
truth. Ye shall indeed enter the inviolable place of worship and hath given you
a near victory beforehand". (48:27)
Thus his dream that he was entering the sacred Masjid at Makkah
with his followers, after which he decided to go to Makkah became a reality.
The study of a few dreams seen by Prophets (A.S), shows the divine
value attached to dreams. According to a Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ),
dreams also work as Divine messages.
There is no doubt that sleeps and dreams are among the marvels and
wonders of God, the Most High. The world of dreams stands between spirituality
and corporeality. Therefore it has both unusual and strange states, and known
and familiar states within it. If by means of knowledge and practice of Ibadat
(remembrance of God) sufficient progress has been made, then dreams certainly
becomes a means with which to recognise the human soul and the inner world.
God says in the Qur'an:
"And of His signs is your slumber by night, and by day, and
your seeking of His bounty. Lo; herein indeed are portents for folks who
heed." (30:23)
The above mentioned Quranic verse can be interpreted in this way:
one great miracle among the miracles is our sleep at night which in addition to
physical rest, also offers an occasion for thought and reflection. If we ponder
on the process of sleep the dream is the most wonderful part of our sleep.
Dreams are full of symbols, which are understood only by the people of intellect.
In dreams, although the level of consciousness is sometimes high
and sometimes low, sometimes illuminated and sometimes dark, nonetheless, we
certainly feel and are aware that there is life there which is quite become
temporarily inactive and are silent. The soul uses only the internal senses and
examines its deeds and condition with ease and freedom. In dreams, so to say,
man sees with the spiritual eye, hears with spiritual ears and whatever he
does, he does only with the spiritual faculties. During the state of dreams our
soul sees every thing within itself, since the soul is in itself a complete
world.
The study of dreams reveals that just as the external mirror
reflects the physical shape and form of man, similarly to show the fact of
heart and soul, God has created a separate and miraculous mirror in the form of
dreams of man, so that every intelligent human being may see the goodness and
the badness within him or her.
Dream is a kind of record of deeds, whose writings are entirely
different from worldly writings, for in it, every word and deed is depicted in
symbolic form. It speaks in the language of parables; it is our own record and
nobody else interferes in it. See the glory and the power of God: what a
wonderful living book with pictures and symbols He has created for us to view
in the state of dreams, which make every one aware of their sickness and
weakness privately and individually.
In Surah-i Zumar Allah
says:
“Allah receiveth (men's) souls at times of their death, and that
(soul) which died not (yet) in its sleep. He keepth that (soul) for which He
ordained death and dismisseth the rest till an appointed term. Lo; here verily
are portents for people who take thought.” (39:42)
From the above mentioned Qur'anic verse, it is clear that the
phenomenon of death and the state of sleep are alike in many ways: in both the
states, the soul is seized. It is said that sleep is a kind of death. No doubt,
after death each individual is given a complete book relater to his deeds. But
those who are alive, to each of them is given daily, in sleep, only a part of
his record of deeds as an example. So that, he should try to rectify and make
himself a better person lest on the day of judgment he regret that he did not
give up his bad habits, when he had been made aware of them.
The wonderful world of dreams contains the examples of reward and
punishment of Paradise hell, so that a true believer may gain stronger faith
and certainty regarding the life of the hereafter, in which we will be devoid
of this body, just as we find ourselves alive in dreams without this physical
body.
Thus, sleep and dreams have many purposes, the foremost of which
is to present examples of the different states and ranks of the next world
(Akhirat). Some times, one gets to dream of the environment and the people,
whom he has never seen in real life. It may be a pre-vision for him of the next
life.
Another purpose of man's dream is for one to pay heed to his
weakness shown to him in his dreams and to improve himself through careful
study of them. The most notable impulse one may experience during a dream is of
being warned, which either is a prophecy or direction for the future. The study
of Islamic literature indicates that dreams are glad tidings of the pleasure of
God, for great luminous dreams encourage the dreamer and leave pleasant
impressions upon him. Similarly bad dreams are regarded as warning of God's
displeasure.
These divine allusions should not be dismissed lightly. Rather, it
is necessary to thank God for the favour of pleasant dreams and to repent for
one's sin, so that the benefits of His direct divine guidance may be obtained.
Thus, the amazing part of the dream is that God has not restricted this
communication with His people to any particular time period. The history of
dreams is as old as man himself and still the book of dreams is so novel and
fresh that its study always open new vistas for human thought.
(DAWN, October 20, 1995)
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