Answered by: Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Question:
Assalamu alaikum
“I’m a married 25 years old girl; for some time I’ve been waking up screaming, and talking while sleeping, saying rambling things like “go away”.
I would like to ask what does this behaviour may mean and what could I do to avoid it”.
Answer:
In The Name Of Allah, The Most-Merciful, The Most Kind
If someone sees a good dream then it is from Allah (SWA); he should thank Him and may tell others of the dream. If it is a bad dream, one should seek refuge from Allah (SWA) and should not tell anyone of the dream.
Saaiduna Abu Saaed ul-Khudri Radiallahu Anhu narrates that he heard the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam say ‘When someone amongst you sees a good and pleasing dream, he should know that it is from Allah, and so he should praise and thank Allah, and describe to others what he saw in his dream. But is he sees something that he dislikes then it is from Shaitan, so he should seek refuge from Allah (SWA) from its evil and should not mention it to anyone’. (Sahih Bukhari p.1034 v.2)
The following ahadith have been taken from Imam Nawawi’s Riyadhus Saliheen with regards to seeing a bad or scary dream.
Saaiduna Abu Qatadah Radiallahu Anhu reports that the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam has said, “A good vision (dream) is from Allah and a bad dream is from the Satan. He who sees something in a dream that he dislikes, should blow thrice on his left, must seek Allah’s Refuge from the evil of the Satan (i.e., by saying: A`udhu billahi minash-Shaitanir-Rajim). Then it will not harm him.” (Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim).
Saaiduna Jabir Radialahu Anhu reports that the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) said, “When one of you sees a bad dream let him blow three times on his left, seek refuge in Allah from the Satan three times (i.e., by saying: A`udhu billahi minash-Shaitanir-Rajim) and change the side on which he was lying.” (Sahih Muslim) (Extracted from Riyadhus Saliheen p.245)
From the aforementioned ahadith, we can conclude that scary dreams and nightmares are from Shaitan and they have no meanings. One should not tell anyone of the scary dream and as mentioned in the hadith blow three times on his left, seek refuge in Allah from the Satan three times (i.e., by saying: A`udhu billahi minash-Shaitanir-Rajim) and change the side on which he was lying.
Finally, it is best to read tasbeeh and also Surah Falaq and Surah Naas before you go to sleep. Insha Allah, you will be protected from these strange and scary dreams by the Almighty Allah (SWA).
Only Allah Knows Best
Written by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham.