A Question from a Concerned Wife
Question:
Assalamu alaikum. My husband frequently dreams that he is in prison, and in
the dream he is extremely distressed. This happens almost every day. Please,
what could this mean? We are very frightened, especially me. May Allah reward
you with Jannatul Firdaus.
Answer
Wa alaikum assalam wa
rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
First and foremost,
there is no need to panic or assume that your husband's dreams mean that he
will actually be imprisoned. A dream is not proof that a particular event
will happen in the future. Therefore, you should not build fear, suspicion,
or major decisions about your family's future on the basis of this dream.
What
Could Repeatedly Dreaming of Prison Mean?
Dreams can have
different causes. A person may dream about something because of what he has
been thinking about, worrying about, experiencing, or fearing in his waking
life. A disturbing dream may also be from Satan, intended to frighten and
distress a person.
Therefore, repeatedly
seeing oneself in prison does not have one fixed interpretation that applies to
everybody.
In some
circumstances, the image of imprisonment may correspond to feelings a person is
experiencing in real life. For example, someone facing serious financial
difficulties, pressure at work, family responsibilities, unresolved problems,
or other forms of stress may feel as though he is trapped and unable to find a
way forward. Such emotional pressure can sometimes influence what a person
dreams about.
However, this should
be understood only as a possible psychological explanation, not as a
certain interpretation of the dream.
A person may also
experience disturbing dreams when he is excessively worried, thinking
continuously about a particular problem, or going through a difficult period in
his life.
Dreams
in Islam
Islam teaches that
dreams are not all of the same type.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ explained that dreams can include a good
dream from Allah, a distressing dream from Satan, and experiences connected
with a person's own thoughts.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
Arabic:
الرُّؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةُ مِنَ اللَّهِ،
وَالْحُلْمُ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ
Transliteration:
Ar-ru'yā aṣ-ṣāliḥatu min Allāh,
wal-ḥulmu
min ash-shayṭān.
English translation:
“A good dream is from Allah, while a bad dream is from Satan.”
Source:
Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim.
This is important
because a frightening dream should not automatically be interpreted as a
prediction of an impending disaster.
What
Should a Muslim Do After a Bad Dream?
The Prophet ﷺ taught Muslims how to respond when they
experience a dream that they dislike.
He ﷺ said that if a person sees something he
dislikes in a dream, he should seek refuge with Allah from its evil and from
Satan, spit lightly to his left three times, and not tell people about the
dream. He should also turn over onto his other side. Another narration mentions
getting up and praying.
Source:
Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim.
Therefore, if your
husband experiences such a dream, he should not wake up terrified and begin
assuming that the dream is a warning that he will soon be arrested or
imprisoned.
Instead, he should
seek Allah's protection, ignore the disturbing dream, and continue his life
with trust in Allah.
What
About Repentance?
It is always good for
a Muslim to examine his relationship with Allah and regularly seek forgiveness,
whether or not he has a particular dream.
If your husband has
any sins or mistakes that he knows he needs to correct, he should sincerely
repent to Allah and make whatever legitimate changes are necessary. But he
should not assume that the dream itself proves that Allah is warning him about
a particular sin or punishment.
Likewise, if he is
struggling with financial, professional, marital, or personal difficulties, it
may be helpful to address those problems directly rather than trying to decode
every recurring dream.
Helpful
Bedtime Practices
Before going to
sleep, Muslims are encouraged to observe the established acts of remembrance
and protection taught by the Prophet ﷺ.
Among them is
reciting Ayat al-Kursi (Qur'an 2:255) before sleeping.
It is also
authentically reported that the Prophet ﷺ
would recite Surat al-Ikhlas, Surat al-Falaq, and Surat al-Nas, then
blow lightly into his hands and wipe over his body before sleeping.
Source:
Sahih al-Bukhari.
Maintaining wudu
before sleeping is also a good practice.
Most importantly,
these acts should be performed as acts of worship and reliance upon Allah—not
because a particular dream necessarily predicts something bad.
Do
Not Let the Dream Control Your Life
The wife who asked
this question should also try not to repeatedly express fear to her husband
about the dream. If he wakes up frightened, she can reassure him calmly and
encourage him to seek refuge in Allah rather than increasing his anxiety.
If he is experiencing
significant stress in his waking life, it would also be wise to identify and
address the underlying source of that stress.
And if the dreams are
occurring very frequently and are causing substantial distress or interfering
with his sleep and daily life, seeking appropriate professional help for sleep
or stress is reasonable. Doing so does not contradict reliance upon Allah.
Final
Advice
Do not conclude from
this dream that your husband will go to prison.
Do not make
accusations against him because of the dream.
Do not search for
frightening interpretations and then allow them to dominate your thoughts.
Instead, put your
trust in Allah, follow the Sunnah concerning disturbing dreams, maintain your
daily adhkar, and address any real-life problems that may be contributing to
his anxiety.
Allah says:
Arabic:
أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ
الْقُلُوبُ
Transliteration:
Alā bi-dhikri Allāhi taṭma'innu
al-qulūb.
English translation:
“Surely in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find comfort.”
Qur'an 13:28
May Allah remove your
husband's difficulties, protect him from every form of harm, grant him
tranquillity and sound sleep, and fill your home with faith, safety, and peace.
May He turn every difficulty you fear into goodness and relief.
Āmīn.
Wallāhu a'lam — And
Allah knows best.
Zauren Fatawoyi Bisa
Al-Qur'ani da Sunnah
ﺳُﺒﺤَﺎﻧَﻚَ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻬُﻢَّ ﻭَﺑِﺤَﻤْﺪِﻙَ ﺃﺷْﻬَﺪُ ﺃﻥ ﻟَﺎ ﺇِﻟَﻪَ ﺇِﻻَّ ﺃﻧْﺖَ ﺃﺳْﺘَﻐْﻔِﺮُﻙَ ﻭﺃَﺗُﻮﺏُ ﺇِﻟَﻴْﻚ
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