Relating bad dream to others

1-1-2018 | IslamWeb

Question:

Salam. My friend, who is a few years older than me, and I planned yesterday that we should see each other today at 8AM for me to help her on her English. Last night, my grandma felt uneasy about me leaving. Then this morning, around 7:30 AM, my aunt approached me and told me that my grandpa who passed away in 2013 came into her dream and asked me, “Where are you going?” She said that she felt uneasy and told me to tell my friend that I cannot see her for today. I never met my friend today after hearing my aunt's dream. What is the ruling on informing another person about one's dream in this situation?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The one who sees a dream that is pleasing may narrate it to others and expect good from it.

As for a bad dream, in principle, one does not narrate it to others so that the hearer would not interpret it by something that he dislikes.

Abu Qataadah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet said, “A good vision (dream) is from Allah, and a bad dream is from the devil. So if anyone of you sees a dream that he dislikes, he should blow three times on his left side and seek refuge in Allah from the evil of the devil, and it will not harm him. He should not disclose it to anyone. And if one sees a good dream, he should feel pleased but should not disclose it to anyone except to whom he loves.” [Muslim]

An-Nawawi said, “As for the saying of the Prophet about the bad dream, ‘he should not disclose it to anyone,’ the reason is that perhaps the hearer would interpret it in an unpleasant manner according to its apparent meaning, and that is something possible, and then it will happen by the predestination of Allah.”

Allah knows best.