The problem of remembering dreams and nightmares

My dear sister, Wa `Alaykumus-Salam war-Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh (peace be upon you).

Welcome to our Alukah Network.

I ask Allah to grant you safety from every evil.

My dear, dreams are a daily activity which a person sees during his sleep. Scientists and researchers differed in interpreting dreams and their implications. This subject has become of great importance if dreams affect the real life of people after wakefulness.

Dr. `Adnan Hubullah, professor of psychology and neuropathies, defines dreams by: "Dream is a scenario which tests man and its psychological condition when surveillance is absent at night, and this scenario is the expression of his suppressed desires."

Except for dreams, a person will not be able to sleep because it is one of the needs of his psychological balance. Without happy or sad dreams, a person shall subject to psychological disturbances and may transgress to physical sickness.

As dreams are a sign of good psychological health, nightmares are considered a sign for some diseases, such as worry and depression which are accompanied by disturbances in sleep.

I shall exclude sickness, worry, and depression which sometimes cause nightmares and go back to what has been reported in our religion about prevention and immunity which should be applied. Prevention and immunity are great blessings if we keep to them, we will guarantee our psychological comfort, quietness, and tranquility, and Allah shall protect us from the devils of humans and Jinn.

I have some questions to ask before answering your question:

Do you keep to your obligatory Salah?

Do you keep to the morning and the afternoon Adhkar (invocations and Remembrances said at certain times on a regular basis)?

Do you keep the supplications of sleep?

I advise you, my dear, to get rid of these nightmares and dreams by keeping to the morning, the afternoon, and the sleeping Adhkar.

Adhkar before going to sleep:

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Satan puts three knots at the back of the head of any of you if he is asleep. On every knot he reads and exhales the following words: "The night is long, so stay asleep." When one wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is undone; and when one performs ablution, the second knot is undone, and when one prays the third knot is undone and one gets up energetic with a good heart in the morning; otherwise one gets up lazy and with a mischievous heart." [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim].

Supplication upon sleeping:

"The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to hold his hands together and blow over it then recited Surat Al Ikhlas, Surat Al Falaq, and Surat An-Nas, and then rub his hands over whatever parts of his body, starting with his head, his face, and his front side of his body. [He was doing that three times]." [Reported by Al Bukhari].

"My Lord, with Your Name I place my side and with You, I raise it, so if you hold myself, bestow mercy to it and when You let it go, protect it as You protect Your Righteous Servants." [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim].

"O Allah, You created myself and it is for You to take it to its ultimate goal. Its life and death is due to you. If You give it life, safeguard it, and if You bring death, grant it pardon. O Allah, I beg of You safety." [Reported by Muslim].

"O Allah, protect me from Your punishment on the Day you raise up Your slaves." [Reported by Abu Dawud and Al Albany graded it as authentic].

"Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya (With Your name, O Allah, I die and I live)." [Reported by Al Bukhari].

(Glory be to Allah) Thirty times. (All praise be to Allah) Thirty times. (Allahu Akbar) Thirty times. [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim].

"O Allah! Knower of the seen and the unseen, Creator of the heavens and the Earth, the Lord of everything and its King, I bear witness that there is no god but You. I seek refuge in You against the evil of myself and against the evil of Satan and its act of disbelief, and I seek refuge in You against committing evil or drag it to a Muslim. "Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the dominion; and He is Able to do all things."" [Al Albany graded it as authentic].

"Allahumma aslamtu wajhi ilaika, wa fauwadtu Amri ilaika wa alja'tu zahri ilaika, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilaika, lamalja'a wa la mann'a minka illa ilaika. Amantu bikitabikal-ladhi anzalta wa bi nabiyyikal-ladhi arsalta'. If you should die then (after reciting this) you will die on the religion of Islam (i.e., as a Muslim); so let these words be the last you say (before going to bed)" While I was memorizing it, I said, "Wa birasulikal-ladhi arsalta (in Your Messenger whom You have sent).' The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "No, but say: Wa binabiyyi-kalladhi arsalta (in Your Prophet whom You have sent)." [Reported by Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and At-Tirmidhy, and Al Albany graded it as authentic].

Invocation upon waking at night: "No god but Allah the One, the Prevailing, the lord of the heavens and the earth and that is in between the All-Mighty, and the Oft-Forgiving." [Reported by An-Nasa'y and Al Albany graded it as authentic].

Invocation to be said upon having a nightmare: "I seek refuge with the complete words of Allah from His Anger and His Punishment and the evil of His People, and from the evil insinuations of devils and from their presence (at death)." [Reported by At-Tirmidhy and Al Albany graded it as authentic].

What should a person who sees a nightmare or a dream do?

"He should seek refuge with Allah against Satan and against the evil of what he has seen three times." [Sahih Al Bukhari].

"He should not narrate it to anyone." [Sahih Al Bukhari].

"He should turn over from the side on which he had been lying." [Sahih Muslim].

"He should offer Salah if he wants to." [Sahih Muslim].

It was reported in Sahih Al Bukhari on the authority of Abu Qatadah who said: "I heard the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) saying: A good dream is from Allah, and a bad dream is from Satan. So if anyone of you sees (in a dream) something he dislikes, when he gets up he should blow thrice (on his left side) and seek refuge with Allah from its evil for then it will not harm him." Abu Salamah said: I used to see vision is heavier to me than a mountain, but after I had heard this Hadith, I did not care for it.

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May Allah grant you good physical and psychological health.