It is not known precisely who was the first human being to see a dream in his sleep, nor what that dream was. However, since dreaming is a natural experience that every human goes through, it appears likely that Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) was the first to see a dream. This is supported by what was reported in Sahih al-Bukhari from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (saw) said:
“A good dream from a righteous man is one of forty-six parts of Prophethood.”
Humanity in the Earliest Centuries: Believers and Disbelievers
From the very beginning of creation, mankind was divided into two categories: believers who worshipped Allah, each according to their prophets and divine laws, and disbelievers who followed various forms of disbelief and misguidance. This is in accordance with the words of Allah (Exalted is He):
“It is He who created you: so some of you are disbelievers, and some of you are believers. And Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.” (Qur’an 64:2)
As for those who worshipped Allah truthfully, dreams were more likely to occur in their favor. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) was asked about the meaning of glad tidings in the verse:
“Those who believe and are mindful of Allah – for them are glad tidings in the worldly life.” (Qur’an 10:64)
He (saw) replied:
“It is the good (true) dream which a believer sees or which is seen for them.” (Hasan Hadith)
Thus, it cannot be excluded that monotheistic nations who worshipped Allah alone before Islam used to see dreams that gave them glad tidings of good future.
Dreams Among Disbelieving Nations
As for the attitude of disbelieving nations toward dreams, the Qur’an indicates that some of these nations believed that dreams had interpretations and sought them, giving them great significance in their lives. For example, the dream of the pagan King of Egypt during the time of Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him) is mentioned in Allah’s words:
“The king said: ‘Indeed, I have seen [in a dream] seven fat cows being eaten by seven lean ones, and seven green ears of grain and seven dry ones. O eminent ones! Explain to me my dream if you are able to interpret dreams.’” (Qur’an 12:43)
Likewise, the dreams of Yusuf’s two companions in prison are mentioned in the verse:
“And there entered the prison with him two young men. One of them said: ‘Indeed, I have seen myself [in a dream] pressing wine (grapes).’ The other said: ‘Indeed, I have seen myself carrying bread on my head from which the birds were eating. Inform us of its interpretation, for indeed we see you to be of those who do good.’” (Qur’an 12:36)
Dreams of the Pagan Arabs Before Islam
As for the pagan Arabs before Islam, reports indicate that they were concerned with dreams and their interpretations. It was narrated with an authentic chain from Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) that Abdul Muttalib, the Prophet’s (SAW) grandfather, had a dream:
While Abdul Muttalib was sleeping in the Hijr (the semi-circular area adjacent to the Ka‘bah), he was approached and told:
“Dig Barrah (meaning: abundant goodness).”
He asked: “What is Barrah?” The dream disappeared. The next day, he slept again in the same spot, and was told:
“Dig al-Madnunah (meaning: the precious one of great value).”
He asked: “What is al-Madnunah?” Then the dream disappeared. On the following day, the same happened and he was told:
“Dig Taybah (meaning: good, pure – as opposed to evil; Taybah is also one of the names of Zamzam).”
He asked: “What is Taybah?” Then the dream disappeared. On the fourth day, he was told:
“Dig Zamzam!”
He asked: “What is Zamzam?” The answer came:
“It will never dry up nor be blamed (meaning: its water will never run out nor will it become impure).”
Then the exact location of the well was described to him, so he began digging where he was instructed.
- Another report, with a weak chain, mentions a dream seen by Atikah bint Abdul Muttalib (the Prophet’s SAW paternal aunt) in Makkah before Islam, shortly before the Battle of Badr. She said:
“I saw a rider who took a rock from Abu Qubays (a mountain in Makkah), then hurled it toward the Ka‘bah, and it shattered into pieces that entered every house in Makkah except the houses of Banu Zuhrah.”
(This dream indicated an impending calamity for Quraysh, warning them of their defeat at Badr. It is reported that this dream prevented Abu Jahl (her brother) from participating in the battle, and Banu Zuhrah (a big family from Quraish in Makkah) also refrained from joining.)
There are also reports, though with weak chains, about the Jews in Arabia before Islam being concerned with dream interpretation. Among them is a narration about Safiyyah bint Huyayy ibn Akhtab (may Allah be pleased with her), the Mother of the Believers. Before she embraced Islam, while she was still Jewish, she saw in a dream that the moon fell into her lap. She related this to her father, who struck her face and said:
“You are wishing to be with the King of the Arabs!”
(indicating that the interpretation of the dream was her marriage to the Prophet SAW).
These examples indicate that earlier nations were indeed interested in dreams and their interpretation, despite their disbelief and corruption, and that their dreams could range between glad tidings and warnings.
It should also be noted that many other such dreams are recorded in the Islamic heritage books, but most of them lack authentic or even weak chains. Therefore, I have refrained from mentioning them here.
Dreams in Islam and Their Honor
In Islam, dreams hold a great and noble status. One such example is that they were the very first glad tidings given to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) of his forthcoming mission as a Prophet and Messenger, before the revelation began in the Cave of Hira. For a period of time (the duration of which is not specified, though some say six months), he (SAW) saw good dreams that came true.
Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim report from Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
“The first thing with which the Messenger of Allah (SAW) was initiated in regard to revelation was true dreams in sleep; he would never see a dream except that it came true like the bright light of dawn…” (And in al-Tirmidhi: “He continued in this state for as long as Allah willed.”)
The phrase “like the bright light of dawn” means that the dreams were as clear as the light of day after the darkness of night. This may mean that they occurred exactly as seen or that they were vivid and unmistakably true, distinguishing them from false dreams. Both possibilities are correct.
The Prophet (SAW) Encouraging the Companions to Share Dreams
Narrations indicate that the Prophet (SAW) encouraged the Companions to ask him about dreams and their interpretation. In Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, it is reported from Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him):
“When the Prophet (SAW) had prayed, he would turn to us and say: ‘Who among you saw a dream last night?’ If someone had seen a dream, he would narrate it, and the Prophet (SAW) would interpret it as Allah willed. One day he asked: ‘Did any of you see a dream?’ We said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘But I saw…’”
This shows that the Prophet (SAW) would interpret dreams for his companions, and if no one narrated a dream, he would share his own and interpret it.
Dream Interpretation Before and After Islam
The interpretation of dreams before Islam relied on intuition and conjecture, whereas in Islam it became part of the faith and a Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW). As for being part of faith, it is based on the hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
“The dream of a believer is one part out of forty-six parts of Prophethood.”
As for being a Sunnah, the Prophet (SAW) said in an authentic hadith:
“If one of you sees a good dream, let them interpret it and share it.”
Roles of Dreams During the Prophet’s Lifetime
Many true dreams were narrated during the Prophet’s (SAW) lifetime that served important religious purposes. Some brought glad tidings of victory and strength for the Muslims, others affirmed the righteousness of certain companions, and others advised those who were negligent.
One example is in Sahih Muslim from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him):
“I saw in my sleep as if we were in the house of Uqbah ibn Rafi‘, and we were brought dates from Ibn Tab (a kind of dates called so). I interpreted it as elevation for us in this world, a good end in the Hereafter, and that our religion has become good.”
Another example is the dream affirming the righteousness of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), reported in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri and Abu Hurayrah:
“I saw people being presented to me wearing shirts; some reached their chests, others were shorter. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab passed by wearing a shirt that he was dragging.”
They asked: “What did you interpret it as, O Messenger of Allah?” He said:
“Religion.”
Another example is the dream advising Abdullah ibn ‘Umar to pray at night. He himself said:
“In the lifetime of the Prophet (SAW), if a man saw a dream, he would relate it to the Prophet (SAW). I wished that I could see a dream to relate to him. I was a young unmarried man, and I used to sleep in the mosque. I saw in a dream as if two angels took me and led me to the Fire, which was like a well with two horns, and it had people whom I recognized. I began saying: ‘I seek refuge in Allah from the Fire!’ Then another angel met them and said: ‘Do not be afraid.’ I related it to Hafsah, and she related it to the Prophet (SAW), who said: ‘What an excellent man Abdullah is, if only he prayed at night.’”
From that time onward, Abdullah ibn ‘Umar used to sleep very little at night.
Dreams in Islamic Legislation
Dreams also played a role in Islamic legislation. The call to prayer (Adhan) was prescribed after the Prophet (SAW) approved the dream of Abdullah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him), who saw the words of the Adhan in his sleep. The Prophet (SAW) then instructed Bilal to call to prayer using those words.
What Distinguishes Dreams in Islam
The most significant feature of dreams in Islam compared to other nations is that dreams in Islam are part of the religion and serve major faith-related purposes, unlike the dreams of other nations, which were often considered mere reflections of the psyche or associated with pagan practices and astrology.
The Prophet (SAW) left the door of dream interpretation open, emphasizing its enduring connection with Islam and the Muslims until the Day of Judgment. He said in an authentic hadith:
“The message and Prophethood have ended; there is no prophet after me.”
This was hard on the people, so he said:
“But there remain the glad tidings.”
They asked: “What are the glad tidings?” He said:
“The good (true) dream of a Muslim; it is one of the parts of Prophethood.”
Finally, authentic reports mention a dream that foretold the burial of the Prophet (SAW) and his two companions, Abu Bakr and Umar, in the house of Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). She said:
“I saw in my dream as if three moons fell into my lap. I told this to Abu Bakr, who said: ‘If your dream is true, then three of the best men on earth will be buried in your house.’ When the Prophet (SAW) died, Abu Bakr said: ‘This is the best of your moons, O Aishah.’ And he was buried there along with Abu Bakr and Umar.”
And Allah knows best.
🔔 Want a personalized, Qur’an-based interpretation of your dreams?
Click here to book a private session for dream interpretation or spiritual Ruqyah.
Islamic Dream Interpretation and Ruqyah 
Leave a comment