Question: Assalamu alaykum, is it true that some people see the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in their dreams? and how would I know that who I saw is the Prophet? and can you provide us some description about him peace be upon him? Thank you brothers very much.
Answer
We start in the name of Allah, Praise and thanks are due to Him, and may Allah, raise the rank of our beloved Prophet Muhammad, his kind relatives and companions and protect his nation from that which he feared for them. Thereafter;
Seeing the Prophet in the dream is a true matter confirmed in the hadith. But before we talk about this, let’s talk about some physical attributes of our master Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, and seeing him in one’s dream.
The Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said: the one who sees me in a dream has truly seen me for indeed the devil can not take my shape to deceive people.
The Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, was not short and not tall; rather he was medium leaning toward tallness in height. His abdomen did not protrude beyond his chest. His face was by birth tinged with redness. His eyebrows were thin. His teeth were beautifully arranged with a slight gap between them. His eyes were broad and had very black pupils, very white base and plenty of eyelashes. He had a thick beard. His hair was black. His forehead was clear with no hair on it. He had plenty of hair on his head and was not bald; his hair was curly. He used to grow it long to his ear lobe and sometimes to his shoulders. He had only about twenty white hairs. He used to walk steadily and whenever he wanted to turn he used to turn with his entire body. His hands and legs were broad, that is not slim although they were soft as silk. His shoulders were wide which reflected his distinguished charisma and strength.
The one who sees the Prophet in his dream in this form ought to be congratulated and delighted because he earned the good news of dying as a Muslim and that he shall see the master of the creations, while awake, before he dies. Some scholars said the one who sees the Prophet in his dream but not in his original form will still earn the good news of dying as a Muslim, but it is not of the same value as seeing him in his original form.
How can we not yearn for Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wasallam when he is the one who said: [Whoever sees me in a dream shall really see me while awake.]
And how can we not celebrate the birth – the Mawlid- of Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wasallam when he is the best of Allah’s creations.
It has been mentioned that there was once a man from the Basrah who used to hold a Mawlid celebration every year. He had a neighbour who was Jewish, when one day his Jewish wife said to her husband: “Why is it that our Muslim neighbour spends a great amount of money every year during this particular month?” Her husband answered: “He assumes that his Prophet was born during this month.”
The Jewish lady went to sleep that night and dreamt of a man who looked highly majestic, dignified, and full of haybah and light, as though he was the full moon walking between his companions, and so she asked one of them: “Who is this man that is so full of light?” He said: “This is the Arab Prophet, the Chosen one.” She then asked: “Would he speak to me if I approached him?” They said to her: “He is not one of those tyrannical and imperious leaders.” The Jewish lady then said: “O Muhammad” and so he replied back to her with a gentle and lenient reply. Amazed from the Prophet’s response, she says: “You reply back to me in such a gentle way and I am not a follower of your religion.” The Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam said to her: “I have spoken to you in this manner because Allah has revealed to me that you shall be guided to the Religion of truth, Islam.” The lady then said compassionately: “You are certainly a generous Prophet and of great distinguished manners for I testify that no one is God except Allah and that you O Muhammad are the Messenger of Allah.”
She then intends and vows in her heart that if she wakes up in the morning, to donate everything she owns in the path of Allah seeking His reward and acceptance, out of complete joy and happiness for her conversion to Islam.
When she woke up from her astonishing dream, she uttered the two Shahadahs, I testify that no one is God except Allah and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah in real life.
In the morning she saw her husband already preparing the feast that she had intended and he was full of energy and enthusiasm. She says to her husband: “I notice that you are in quite a good enthusiastic mood.” He replies: “This is due to your conversion to the Religion of Islam on his hands (meaning Muhammad) yesterday.” She says to him completely shocked and surprised by his statement: “Who exposed this secret to you and informed you about it?” He then says: “The one whom I also embraced Islam on his hands yesterday.” Meaning Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him was the one who informed him in the dream about the conversion of his wife to Islam.
Dear brothers in Islam, It has been narrated through a sahih chain that a man by the name of Al-Hasan Ibn Hayy who lived during the time of the righteous Salaf, was among the pious and practicing scholars who truly implemented the Islamic knowledge. He was among those who relayed the Ahadith of the Prophet. While this righteous man, Al-Hasan Ibn Hayy, was on his death bed, his brother who was equally pious heard him reciting verse 69 of Surat An-Nisa’, the meaning of which is the following:
[Those who obey Allah and the Messenger sallallahu ^alayhi wasallam, will be in the company of those whom Allah has bestowed His Grace upon, such as the Prophets, the Siddiqin (i.e. highly ranked righteous Muslims), the martyrs and other God-fearing Muslims; Truly excellent companionship! ]
His brother who was by his side exclaimed: “O my brother, are you engaged in making tilawah? He replied: “No, but I see the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wasallam in his grave smiling at me and giving me the glad tidings of entering Paradise, I also see the angels of Allah subhanahu wa-ta^ala and the Hurul-^In.”
Therefore the promise mentioned in the Hadith “Shall really see me while awake” refers to an actual and real seeing of the Prophet while awake before death. This means that the one who sees the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wasallam in the dream, receives the glad tidings of dying as a believer.
We ask Allah to grant us seeing our beloved and choicest prophet Muhammad in our dream tonight. And Allah knows best
