The phrase Asra bi-fulan translates to taking someone away during the night. The term abd refers to a servant. Hence, alladhī asra bi ‘abdihi signifies ‘The One who took His servant away during the night.’ Scholars argue that asra, which means to take away, necessitates it being linked with a tangible form or a physical entity. Associating this solely with the soul or the self is deemed incorrect. Additionally, abd, which means servant, denotes an entity comprising both soul and body, and its use cannot be restricted to just the soul or the body alone. Dreams encompass conditions relating only to the soul, with the body and its parts not participating, so the act of asra and the term abd do not fit dream experiences.
On the surface, this argument might seem compelling, yet it lacks foundation in knowledge, reasoning, or linguistic principles. Is a new language crafted or a separate lexicon developed specifically for recounting dreams? It would be hard to identify a greater act of neglect towards language and expression than this viewpoint.
It is a fundamental rule in all languages that the expressions used to describe actions in a state of wakefulness are equally applied to dreams and imagination. One only has to attempt retelling their dream in any language to recognize that the articulation of dream states does not differ from that of wakeful experiences. The only requirement might be to initially specify or clarify that the narrative pertains to a dream.
In the Holy Qur’an, the dreams of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Prophet Abraham (PBUH) are documented in Surah Al-Fath and Surah As-Saffat, respectively. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) envisioned himself and his companions entering Masjid al-Haram, shaving their heads, and trimming their hair. Prophet Abraham (PBUH) saw himself sacrificing his son Ishmael (PBUH). Both dreams were validated and revealed through Allah’s Messengers. The nouns and verbs utilized in their description are identical to those used for conscious events. The pertinent verses are as follows:
لَقَدْ صَدَقَ اللّٰهُ رَسُوْلَهُ الرُّءْيَا بِالْحَقِّ لَتَدْخُلُنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ اِنْ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ اٰمِنِيْنَ مُحَلِّقِيْنَ رُءُوْسَكُمْ وَمُقَصِّرِيْنَ لَا تَخَافُوْنَ فَعَلِمَ مَا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوْا فَجَعَلَ مِنْ دُوْنِ ذٰلِكَ فَتْحًا قَرِيْبًا.
[So, rest assured O Believers!] it is a fact that God had shown His messenger an absolutely true dream. Indeed, if God wills, you will definitely enter the Sacred Mosque with complete peace in a way that you will shave your heads and have hair-cuts; [you will have no fear. It was only that God knew what you did not; so, before this, He blessed you with a victory near at hand. (48:27)
قَالَ يٰبُنَيَّ اِنِّيْ٘ اَرٰي فِي الْمَنَامِ اَنِّيْ٘ اَذْبَحُكَ فَانْظُرْ مَاذَا تَرٰي قَالَ يٰ٘اَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ سَتَجِدُنِيْ٘ اِنْ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ مِنَ الصّٰبِرِيْنَ.
Abraham said to him [one day]: ‘My son! [Since the past few days,] I dream that I am slaughtering you. So reflect; what is your opinion?’ He said: ‘Father! Do as you are being directed. God willing, you will find me steadfast.’ (37:102)
From these verses, it is evident that the Prophet (PBUH) dreamt that Muslims were entering the sacred enclosure of the Kaaba, shaving their heads, and trimming their hair. Similarly, Prophet Abraham (PBUH) dreamt that he was sacrificing his son. The pronouns and verbs expressed in these dreams involve human actions, including those of absence, presence, and addressing, using verbs like ‘enter,’ ‘shave,’ ‘shorten,’ and ‘sacrifice,’ which apply to beings composed of body and soul. If our scholars were to impose their interpretations here too, they would have to view these occurrences as waking events and interpret the phrases Laqad Sadaqallahu Rasūlahu al-ru’yā and Innī Arā fī al-Manām as perceptive experiences in a state of wakefulness.
Consider several hadiths where the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) vividly described his dreams through actions:
‘I saw two men’ - رايت رجلين
‘both of them took me away’ - اتياني
‘Both of them took hold of my hand’ - فاخذا بيدي
فاخرجاني إلى الارض المقدسة - ‘Both of them took me to the Holy Land’
‘I am migrating’ - اني اهاجر
‘I wielded a sword’ - اني هززت سيفًا
‘I was asleep, and I performing Tawaf’ - انا نائم اطوف بالكعبة
These narrations include:
عن سمرة بن جندب، قال: كان النبي صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم إذا صلى صلاةً اقبل علينا بوجهه، فقال: من راى منكم الليلة رؤيا؟ قال: فإن راى احد قصها، فيقول: ما شاء اللّٰه، فسالنا يومًا، فقال: هل راى احد منكم رؤيا؟ قلنا: لا، قال: لكني رايت الليلة رجلين اتياني، فاخذا بيدي فاخرجاني إلى الارض المقدسة.
Narrated by Samura bin Jundub (RA): The Prophet (PBUH) used to face us after completing the prayer and would ask, ‘Who among you had a dream last night?’ If anyone had seen a dream, they would narrate it, and he would say whatever Allah willed. One day, he asked, ‘Did anyone see a dream last night?’ We said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘But I saw last night in which two men came to me, took hold of my hand, and led me to the Holy Land.’ (Sahih Bukhari, No. 1386)
عن ابي موسى، عن النبي صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم، قال: رايت في المنام اني اهاجر من مكة إلى ارض بها نخل، فذهب وهلي إلى انها اليمامة، او هجر، فإذا هي المدينة يثرب.
Narrated by Abu Musa Al-Ash‘ari (RA): The Prophet (PBUH) said, ‘I saw in a dream that I was migrating from Mecca to a land with palm trees. My mind went to the idea that it might be Yamama or Hajar, but it turned out to be Medina (Yathrib).’ (Sahih Muslim, No. 6072)
عن ابي موسى، عن النبي صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم قال: رايت في رؤياي اني هززت سيفًا فانقطع صدره، فإذا هو ما اصيب من المؤمنين يوم احد.
Narrated by Abu Musa Al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (PBUH) said, ‘I saw in a dream that I shook a sword and its blade broke. This was manifested in the form of the loss that the Muslims suffered in the Battle of Uhud.’ (Sahih Bukhari, No. 4081)
...ان ابا هريرة رضي اللّٰه عنه، قال: بينا نحن عند رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم إذ قال: بينا انا نائم رايتني في الجنة فإذا امراة تتوضا إلى جانب قصر، فقلت: لمن هذا القصر؟ قالوا: لعمر فذكرت غيرته فوليت مدبرًا.
Narrated by Abu Huraira (RA): We were in the company of Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) when he said, ‘While I was sleeping, I saw myself in Paradise, and there I saw a woman performing ablution beside a palace.’ I asked, ‘Whose palace is this?’ They said, ‘It is ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab’s.’ Then I remembered ‘Umar’s sense of honor, and so I turned back and left.’ (Sahih Bukhari, No. 3242)
عن عبد اللّٰه بن عمر، ان رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم، قال: بينا انا نائم اطوف بالكعبة.
Narrated by Abdullah bin Umar (RA): The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, ‘While I was sleeping, I saw myself performing Tawaf around the Kaaba.’ (Sahih Bukhari, No. 7128)
حدثنا سمرة، قال: قال رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم: اتاني الليلة آتيان فاتينا على رجل طويل لا اكاد ارى راسه طولاً وإنه إبراهيم صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم.
Narrated by Samura (RA): The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, ‘Two persons came to me last night and took me to a very tall man whose head I could hardly see because of his height, and that man was Abraham (PBUH).’ (Sahih Bukhari, No. 3354)
Also, reflect on a dream narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar (RA), which contains nouns and verbs such as Malikayn Atayani (two angels approached me), Fantalaqā bī (and they took me with them), Faqāla lī (and they said to me), paralleling expressions we would use for actual events.
عن ابن عمر، قال: كنت غلامًا شابًا عزبًا في عهد النبي صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم، وكنت ابيت في المسجد، وكان من راى منامًا قصه على النبي صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم، فقلت: اللهم إن كان لي عندك خير فارني منامًا يعبره لي رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم، فنمت، فرايت ملكين اتياني فانطلقا بي فلقيهما ملك آخر، فقال لي: لن تراع، إنك رجل صالح، فانطلقا بي إلى النار فإذا هي مطوية كطي البئر وإذا فيها ناس قد عرفت بعضهم، فاخذا بي ذات اليمين، فلما اصبحت، ذكرت ذلك لحفصة.
Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) narrated: During the time of the Prophet (PBUH), I was a young unmarried man, and I used to sleep in the mosque of the Prophet. It was a common practice that whoever had a dream would narrate it to the Prophet (PBUH). I prayed, ‘O Lord, if there is any good in me in this matter, show me a dream that the Prophet (PBUH) can interpret for me.’ Then I slept and saw two angels who came to me and took me along with them. Then a third angel joined them. He said to me, ‘Do not be afraid; you are a good man.’ Then the two angels took me towards Hell, which was like a well with layers upon layers. In it were people whom I recognized. Then the two angels took me towards the right side. (Sahih Bukhari, No. 7030)