Question 383:
Many people claim to have seen the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) in their dreams, how do we know that their claim is true? It should be noted that some of these people are not upon the correct aqeedah and deen.
Answer:
It was asked to Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih Al Uthaymeen rahimahullah:-
This letter is from the brother Muhammad Al Hasan from the faculty of Usool-ud-Deen,Riyadh, he has a number of questions, he says in the first question :
A man saw in his dream: our master, Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and he said to him – ‘Pray for me Oh Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)’ , so is this a vision in reality or (mere) imagination ? We hope to benefit, May Allah grant you taufeeq.
The Answer:
The vision of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is true, because the shaytaan is not able to take his likeness, but it is neccessary that you bring the attributes of the one seen in the vision to what has come in the ahadeeth regarding the attributes of the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) , so if the attributes match with the attributes of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) then it is a true (vision) and if it opposes it then whoever he has seen – he is not the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)
and regarding this issue – what many of the people fall in, they see an imagination and believe that he is the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) or it is said to them that he is the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). Moreoever, if they describe the attributes of the one whom they have seen, then his attributes does not agree with the attributes of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and through this, it is clarified that whatever he has seen is not correct.
In every case, It is a must to know that the attributes of the one whom he has seen in the dream matches with the attributes of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) , so if it is not in agreement then verily the one whom he has seen in his dream is not the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).
Source: Noor ‘ala-darb. Cassette no.4: http://zadgroup.net/bnothemen/upload/ftawamp3/Lw_004_17.mp3
Translated by : Abu Muhammad Nezam Uddin Al Hindi