What Do My Dreams Really Mean? | Barzakh | Other Side Ep.4 | Dr. Omar Suleiman | Ramadan Series

Summary

In "What Do My Dreams Really Mean?" Dr. Omar Suleiman explores the spiritual significance of dreams from an Islamic perspective, highlighting how they offer a glimpse into the unconscious mind and the unseen world of Barzakh. The video delves into the concept of dreams as potential messages from Allah or encounters with the deceased, while distinguishing between dreams influenced by divine guidance, those from Shaytan, and habitual reflections of our thoughts. Dr. Suleiman emphasizes the importance of understanding these dreams without allowing them to distract from fulfilling religious duties and recognizing dreams as 1/46th of prophethood, derived from the initial dreams revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Through fascinating narrations and wisdom from Islamic teachings, the video offers insights into the spiritual dimension of dreams and their role in guiding the faithful.

Highlights

• Dr. Suleiman discusses the three types of dreams: divine, from Shaytan, and reflections of our own thoughts. 🌓
• Inspiring stories of how dreams have guided individuals in their faith and life's journey. 🌟
• The significance of seeing Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in a dream, a true blessing from Allah. 🌙
• How dreams serve as a reminder to stay engaged with life and faith, not just dwell in the dream world. 🛤️
• The connection between dreams and the realm of Barzakh, providing spiritual insight beyond our physical world. 👁️

Key Takeaways

• Dreams can be insights from Allah, reflections of our subconscious, or distractions from Shaytan. 🌙
• Interpreting dreams requires discernment; not all carry divine messages. Recognize their place in Islam but don't let them cloud the reality of the Qur'an and Sunnah. 📜
• Prophetic dreams are a fraction of prophethood, symbolizing truth and guidance from Allah. 🌟
• The dreams of the pious often reflect their devotion, revealing their spiritual focus and desires for the hereafter. 🙏
• Meeting deceased loved ones in dreams can be a divine grace, but remember, it's ultimately God's will. ☁️

Overview

Dreams, those nightly trials where our minds weave tales from the unseen, are packed with spiritual meanings in Islam. Dr. Omar Suleiman unpacks their potential as divine messages or reflections of subconscious thoughts, emphasizing that while dreams hold significant weight, they shouldn't overshadow the reality and teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah.

Dr. Suleiman shares engaging anecdotes, even tales of early Muslims who received profound insights or warnings through their nighttime visions. Such stories depict dreams as profound heart-to-mind PDF transfers that though not prophetic, sometimes wear the 1/46th badge of prophethood, hinting divine truths and guidance from Allah.

This episode of "Barzakh" is a journey through the intersection of dream and reality, encouraging believers to cherish their moments of sleep as a brush with the hereafter, while navigating life alert to both its temporal and eternal calls. A well of inspiration for dreamers looking to balance their celestial insights with earthly responsibilities.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 01:30: Introduction to Dreams The chapter, titled 'Introduction to Dreams,' opens with a series of questions about dreams, inviting the reader to ponder their significance. It asks what we dream of, what dreams consist of, and whether dreams have served as warnings, guides, or sources of confusion. The passage suggests that dreams could either reflect our own thoughts or serve as messages from unseen forces.
• 01:30 - 03:00: Story of Amir from Gaza The chapter opens with a reflection on the nature of dreams, particularly those involving deceased loved ones, and ponders whether these dreams are visits from the beyond or explorations of the soul to another realm.
• 03:00 - 05:00: Prophet's Teachings on Dreams This chapter introduces Amir, a 28-year-old man from Gaza, residing at al Nasser hospital. Despite having suffered significant physical trauma, including losing an eye and undergoing several surgeries, Amir's demeanor remains unexpectedly cheerful. His doctor expresses surprise and curiosity about Amir's positive outlook amidst his severe injuries.
• 05:00 - 06:30: Types of Dreams in Islam The chapter explores different types of dreams as understood in Islam. It begins with a personal account from a 28-year-old who has been hospitalized for 40 days. Despite his situation, he reflects on five seconds of his life in a dream, which he describes as the best moments he has ever experienced. This personal narrative sets the context for a broader discussion on the significance and interpretations of dreams within Islamic tradition, emphasizing their impact on personal well-being and spirituality.
• 06:30 - 08:00: Importance of True Dreams The chapter titled 'Importance of True Dreams' discusses how the Prophet Muhammad valued good dreams. Anas radiAllahu 'Anhu narrates that the Prophet enjoyed hearing about such dreams from his companions, indicating that they held significance in their daily lives.
• 08:00 - 09:30: Soul Connections in Dreams This chapter explores the significance of dreams in understanding soul connections, as highlighted by the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam). It begins with a reference to a good dreamer being of good character, drawing from a hadith where the Prophet would listen more intently to the dreams of individuals known for their righteousness. A notable story is shared of a woman describing a dream to the Prophet, where she observed herself and twelve men in paradise, although the men were covered in blood. The dream continues with a divine command as Allah instructs angels to take the souls to the 'River of Barzakh'. The narrative touches on the interpretation and deeper meanings of dreams and their connections to the afterlife.
• 09:30 - 11:00: Dreams from Allah vs. Shaytan The chapter discusses a dream involving twelve men with faces like the full moon, seated on golden chairs with food and dates. The dream is described to the Prophet Muhammad (SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam). Shortly after, news arrives of the martyrdom of the same twelve men whom the Prophet had sent on an expedition. The chapter questions whether these men are entering Jannah (paradise) or Barzakh (the realm between this world and the hereafter).
• 11:00 - 12:30: Gifts and Messages in Dreams The chapter 'Gifts and Messages in Dreams' explores the concept of dreams being a passage into the unconscious mind. It suggests that dreams can reveal deep insights into our concerns, desires, and the essence of our inner selves.
• 12:30 - 15:00: Dreams of Deceased Communicating In this chapter titled 'Dreams of Deceased Communicating', the text delves into the significance of dreams and their interpretations, particularly within the context of Islam. It emphasizes that while dreams are meaningful and reflective of one's subconscious, they shouldn't be overemphasized to the point where reality and religious duties are neglected. The lesson draws from the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), highlighting his guidance that the community should remain awake to spiritual and religious realities rather than be absorbed entirely by dreams, as his own heart remained active in devotion even during sleep.
• 15:00 - 16:30: Meeting the Prophet in Dreams This chapter delves into the significance of dreams in Islam, particularly focusing on the concept of meeting the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in dreams. It explains the prophetic statement that the most truthful people in speech have the truest dreams, suggesting that sincere and truthful hearts are guided by such dreams. The chapter also touches upon the gravity of fabricating dreams, especially as times become more deceptive approaching the day of judgment.
• 16:30 - 18:00: Conclusion The chapter titled 'Conclusion' emphasizes the concept that the apparent reality ('dunya') might often be deceiving, and what might seem false may have a profound truth. It highlights the significance of dreams as a form of divine communication, as stated by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He mentioned that true dreams, by Allah's will, rarely fail to manifest and hold a unique truth within themselves. There's also a noteworthy explanation provided by the Prophet regarding dreams being 1/46th of Prophethood. This number is linked to the 23 years of revelation received during his prophethood, where the initial six months were marked by dreams, emphasizing their importance in spiritual communication.

What Do My Dreams Really Mean? | Barzakh | Other Side Ep.4 | Dr. Omar Suleiman | Ramadan Series Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 (energetic music) (logo whooshes) - What do you dream of? And what are your dreams made of? Have your dreams warned you, guided you, or left you in confusion? What do your dreams tell you about yourself? Are they a mirror to what's been consuming your thoughts, or are they a message to you from the unseen?
• 00:30 - 01:00 When you dream of your dead loved ones, is it they who are visiting you, or is your soul traveling to their realm? Your dreams can be a window into your subconscious, or a doorway into the world on the other side that awaits you. And every night, your soul departs your body to visit your next stop, only to come back and give you another chance to repent to Allah before it's too late.
• 01:00 - 01:30 (gentle upbeat music) There was this 28-year-old young man in Gaza named Amir who was staying in an Nasser hospital. And this video shows him missing an eye and having gone through multiple surgeries. And his doctor who's interviewing him says to him, "What's going on? Why do you seem so happy even as you were struck so brutally?"
• 01:30 - 02:00 So he says, "Look, I'm 28 years old, and I've been in the hospital for 40 days, and those were the best five seconds of my life."
• 02:00 - 02:30 - This reminds me so much of an incident from the time of the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam where Anas radiAllahu 'Anhu says that the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam used to love good dreams. So he would say to his companions every day,
• 02:30 - 03:00 "Who amongst you had a good dream last night?" And Anas radiAllahu 'Anhu said, if the person was known to be of good character, the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam paid more attention to their dreams. So this woman comes to the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam and she says, "ya rasulullah, I saw myself entering Jannah." And then she named 12 men that she saw there. She said they were covered in blood and then Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala says to a group of angels, "idh-habu bihim ila nahr-il-Barzakh." "Take them to the river of Barzakh." And so they go into that river and they come out
• 03:00 - 03:30 wa wujoohuhum kal-qamar, and their faces were like the full moon. Then they had golden chairs and plates with fresh food and dates. And she said, I sat and I ate with them. And then right as the woman finishes telling the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam her dream, a man comes to the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam with the news of the shahadah of those exact same 12 men that the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam had earlier sent on an expedition. So what happened here? Are these people actually entering Jannah? Are they entering Barzakh?
• 03:30 - 04:00 Are they meeting other souls in reality? Dreams are referred to in psychology as "the royal entry into the unconscious". Dreams will tell us a lot about ourselves, what populates our unconscious, what we're concerned with in reality, where our hearts are really connected. And if you look at the dreams of the righteous, they're always dreaming about the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam or visions of paradise for other righteous people, because their dreams reflect what fills their hearts, their minds, and their souls.
• 04:00 - 04:30 And your dreams also reflect what fills you. So yes, our dreams are full of meaning, even the ones that come from ourselves. Now there's room for their importance in Islam, but we also don't inflate them to where we start ignoring our clear reality. Basically, don't live in your dreams to the point that you don't actually pursue the living directives from the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Your prophets SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam did not want a sleeping ummah. After all, he was the man 'Alaihi-ssalatu Wassalam whose heart never slept even when his eyes were closed.
• 04:30 - 05:00 And when your heart is awake, amazing things can happen. The Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam said, "Assdaqukum hadeethan, assdaqukum ru'ya." "The most truthful of you in speech are those with the truest dreams." So a siddeeq, who we spoke about, will have dreams with true guidance because they are truthful hearts. And the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam said, that "Of the worst lying is to lie about a dream." And as the day of judgment gets closer and times become more deceptive, where what appears
• 05:00 - 05:30 to be true in front of us in this dunya is actually a lie and sometimes vice versa, the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam said that Allah rewards us with dreams that "will hardly fail to come true". And there has always been an element of truth in dreams to the point that the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam described them as 1/46th of prophethood. Now you might say, how does that number make sense? Of the 23 years of revelation to the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam, for the first six months, Allah exclusively communicated
• 05:30 - 06:00 to him through true dreams. And if you take six months of 23 years, that's 1/46th. The difference of course is we don't become prophets through our dreams. And unlike the prophets whose dreams are always true, the rest of us have some dreams that are true and others that are not. The Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam said the following, he said, there are three types of dreams: there is ar-ru'ya as-saliha, which is a true vision from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala. Then he said, there is a distressful
• 06:00 - 06:30 nightmare that comes to you from Shaytan. And then he said, there's hadithu-n-nafs and this is the majority, which is just our regurgitated thoughts. He said, SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam if someone sees something they "dislike, then don't seek its interpretation. Instead, let him stand up and pray and not speak to other people about it." In another narration, the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam warns that the interpretation of a bad dream is tied to a bird's leg. So I want you to imagine that it's flying above you. And he's saying, don't make it come to be by seeking its interpretation
• 06:30 - 07:00 and causing it to fall upon you. Instead, to seek refuge from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala. But beyond the different categories of dreams, the fact is that dreams still remain a door into communication from the unseen, whether it's a message from Allah through angels or direct inspiration of events that come to be or meeting our deceased relatives. In one narration, when the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam was told of a dream about him, he explicitly said, "Verily, the souls meet." What does that mean?
• 07:00 - 07:30 Do our souls actually meet in our dreams or is this symbolic? And if they do actually meet, who goes where? Do our souls travel to the Barzakh or do dead souls come back to the dunya? For one, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala can certainly connect souls across dimensions, even when they're living in this dunya. So look at the example of Umar radiAllahu 'Anhu shouting out to Sariya radiAllahu 'Anhu, one of his commanders who was thousands of miles away and he has an army ambushing him from behind the mountain. And somehow Umar perceives that all the way in Medina
• 07:30 - 08:00 and says, "ya Sariyatu-l-jabal!", "Oh Sariya, look behind the mountain." And Sadia hears that all the way in Persia, and he is able to go to the mountain with his troops and fight off the attacks instead. And ibn-ul Qayyim Rahimahullah said, "Indeed, living souls can meet in ways Allah only knows", whether they're sleeping or they're awake. And it's not just soul connections within dimensions in dunya. Allah will also certainly allow souls to meet across space in the next dimension of Barzakh.
• 08:00 - 08:30 And every night you encounter the Barzakh in your sleep because every night you die a minor death. Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala says, "Allahu yatawafa al-anfusa heena mawtiha, wallatee lam tamut fee manamiha." that souls are taken out during sleep and then they are returned. So yes, your souls are in another world, but tethered to the body still, which is why the body is still alive, although their level of consciousness has reached its lowest state.
• 08:30 - 09:00 And the deeper the sleep, the more your level of consciousness and awareness of this dunya fades away. And the deeper that it potentially slips into the Barzakh. On the other hand, the more shallow the sleep, the less likely it is that you're having true dreams, and the more likely it is that you're just replaying thoughts in your head and going through hadeethu-nnafs. Ibn-ul Qayyim Rahimahullah explains how the soul travels to the Barzakh in Kitabu-r-rooh. So, when you actually die, the soul exits from your mouth as the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam said, and the eyes follow it as it completely departs your body.
• 09:00 - 09:30 And SubhanAllah you can see in the face of a shahid often, their mouths open and their eyes looking up with a smile as if they see themselves leaving this world. But Ibn-ul Qayyim Rahimahullah says, that the sleeper soul, which is still tethered to the body, exits like a ray through the nostrils, but only partially and a truthful soul traverses to the heavens and back while a lying soul meets the shayateen midair, which corrupts its visions. And this is where ibn Abbas RadiyaAllahu 'Anhuma
• 09:30 - 10:00 said, that the believing souls of the living and the dead meet in the dream world and they ask each other about certain things. Allah withholds the dead souls and sends back the living souls to their bodies. Now, how can you distinguish between all of these dreams? Well, there are certain signs for you to look out for. If the dream is coming from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala, then it's going to be either commanding you to do good or forbidding you from evil because that's what Allah 'Azawajal always commands you to do. Or they're going to come true because Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala
• 10:00 - 10:30 only communicates in truth, or they're going to increase you in iman because Allah 'Azawajal will send you what potentially increases your faith as is the norm of our relationship with Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala. And of course, what would be greater than seeing the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam himself, and that is certainly from Allah, ash Shaytan cannot take the form of the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam. Now if the dream is from the Shaytan, well think about what the Shaytan wants to make you do. Number one, it makes you afraid because Allah 'Azawajal says,
• 10:30 - 11:00 "yukhawwifu awliya'ah", the Shaytan tries to stir up fear or he tries to stir up desire or encourage you towards something that's sinful, or he gives you something that's contrary to the Revelation, even if it appears to be a good dream. So you can't see yourself receiving some sort of new revelation or some sort of new sign from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala that's not already established in the deen. But if it's a dream from our residual memories just stored up in the brain, being uploaded to our consciousness during sleep, then it's going to be meaningless,
• 11:00 - 11:30 or it might be about some of our unresolved conflicts or some of our tensions. We might have a mix of flashbacks and memories. And sometimes you can still have good things there because you're constantly uploading to your thoughts, good things. So you might still be seeing the masjid, the Qur'an, but you might also see a combination of that with a bunch of other things that don't make sense at all. And that's hadeethu-n-nafs. Now when it comes to true dreams and the meeting of the souls, the dead don't get to control who to go to see,
• 11:30 - 12:00 nor do the living determine who they get to see from the dead. These are gifts from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala for very specific reasons. So if you have a dead relative, don't get mad if you feel like they're visiting someone else more than you in their dreams. It's entirely up to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala whether or not to send your soul back to you after sleep and whether to send souls to meet each other when you sleep. So what do we see in these types of dreams, where we communicate with other souls? Sometimes you just see people that you loved,
• 12:00 - 12:30 strolling in paradise in their favorite dress or with the most beautiful appearance ever, and they're smiling right at you in a dream. And sometimes they look distressed because they need something from you to reach another level. Sometimes you might see someone appear to you to even ask you to go handle a financial debt, as was the case of Thabit ibnu Qays RadiAllahu ta'ala 'Anhu, who after the battle of Yamama, again a shahid, he appears in a dream and he asks his companion to go find a shield of his
• 12:30 - 13:00 that was stolen in the battlefield. And he tells him the exact location where it is. And he says, then go ask Abu Bakr RadiAllahu ta'ala 'Anhu to pay off a debt that I had with that shield. So the shield was found in the exact same place he said it would be. And Abu Bakr RadiAllahu ta'ala 'Anhu, actually acted upon that dream. Sometimes it's a word of advice. Many of the students of Imam Sufyan Ath-Thawri Rahimahullah would see him in their dreams after he died and he was still giving them advice.
• 13:00 - 13:30 Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah Rahimahullah said, "I saw my teacher, Sufyan Ath-Thawri Rahimahullah in a dream, and I said, "Awssini, give me advice." He said, you need to keep the company of fewer people. Others just saw him in Jannah and in some dreams they asked him how he got there. Ibn al-Jawzi Rahimahullah narrates that someone had seen Sufyan Ath-Thawri in a dream. And he was asked, "What did Allah do to you?" So he said, "I had only been put into the grave, and in an instant I was in front of the Lord of the Worlds. I entered and straightaway met someone
• 13:30 - 14:00 who said to me, "Sufyan." I said, yes. He said, "do you remember a day that you preferred Allah over your desires?" I said, yes. And upon answering, I was immediately served these big plates of food from Jannah." Another man, Su'ayd ibn-ul Khims Rahimahullah said, "in a dream I just saw Sufyan ath-Thawri Rahimahullah flying from date palm tree to date palm tree, and the entire time he was reciting, "Alhamdulillah-i-llathi sadaqana wa'dah." All praises be to Allah who fulfilled his promise to us.
• 14:00 - 14:30 And SubhanAllah, how sweet when you see a deceased parent or a teacher or a friend enjoying the sweetness of paradise? Sometimes you may even see someone telling you that your time is coming soon and so they're actually excited about your coming arrival. All of these are possibilities, but again, you can't live in your dreams. You live life in the choices that you make when you're awake, that all affect what your next stop is actually going to be. And it's important that people not turn their bad dreams
• 14:30 - 15:00 into self-fulfilling prophecies or turn their good dreams into the litmus test of righteousness. Because while we sleep, our hearts never should. But the best dream you can have, the best soul you can meet is the best of Allah's creation, Rasulullah, SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam. And to meet him in a dream is a truly special gift. "La'alleee a'malu saalihan
• 15:00 - 15:30 feemaa tarakt kallaa innahaa kalimatun huwa qaaa'iluhaa wa minw waraaa'ihim barzakhun ilaa yawmi yub'athoon"
• 15:30 - 16:00 Captioning provided by MUHSEN (www.muhsen.org)