What is a dream in Islam?

It is a special state of consciousness that occurs during sleep.[1]

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[1] (A) Consciousness is the ability of a normal person to perceive the ordinary things around them; this is the congenital consciousness by which people perceive the things of their surroundings. But during sleep, a person is supposed to temporarily lose this consciousness and develop another type of consciousness: This type of consciousness in a dream is very distinct from waking consciousness, whether in terms of source, form, or meaning (we will address these points in detail in the context of this research, God willing).

(B) The common definition of dreaming among many scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah (Sunni Muslims) is that it is “beliefs that Allah creates in the heart of the sleeper” (Fat-h al-Bari and others). There is no doubt that Allah is the Creator of all things (Almighty God). However, this definition is inaccurate when compared to the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): “There are three types of dreams: A true dream, a dream that a man tells himself (self-speech from the human mind), and a dream that is distressing from the devil” (Authentic Hadith – narrated by al-Tirmidhi). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said: “The sleeping vision (true dream) is from Allah, and the dream (false dream) is from the devil.” (An Authentic Hadith – Agreed upon). As for the definition mentioned in the answer to the above question, I believe it is closer to the correct one, as it combines these different cases of dreaming mentioned in the hadith.

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