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What to do after a bad dream in Islam — and after a good one

The Prophet ﷺ taught clear, simple steps for the moment you wake from a dream: one set for a dream you love, another for a dream you dislike. Here they are, each with its source.

✦ The three kinds of dreams

«الرُّؤْيَا ثَلَاثَةٌ: فَرُؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةِ بُشْرَى مِنَ اللهِ، وَرُؤْيَا تَحْزِينٍ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ، وَرُؤْيَا مِمَّا يُحَدِّثُ الْمَرْءُ نَفْسَهُ، فَإِنْ رَأَى أَحَدُكُمْ مَا يَكْرَهُ فَلْيَقُمْ فَلْيُصَلِّ، وَلَا يُحَدِّثْ بِهَا النَّاسَ»

“Dreams are of three kinds: a good dream, which is glad tidings from Allah; a dream that causes sadness, which is from Shaytan; and a dream about what a person has been telling himself. If one of you sees something he dislikes, let him get up and pray, and not tell people about it.”

Sahih Muslim 2263

After a good dream

  1. 1
    Praise Allah for it (say al-hamdu lillah) — it is from Him.Sahih al-Bukhari 6985
  2. 2
    Take it as glad tidings and encouragement, not as a ruling or a guarantee.Sahih Muslim 2263
  3. 3
    Tell it only to someone you love or someone wise, who will wish you well and interpret it kindly.Sahih Muslim 2261; Sunan Abi Dawud 5020; Qur’an 12:5

After a bad dream

  1. 1
    Seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan and from the evil of what you saw — for example, “a‘udhu billahi min ash-shaytan ir-rajim”, three times.Sahih al-Bukhari 6985; Sahih Muslim 2261; Sahih Muslim 2262
  2. 2
    Spit lightly (a dry puff, without saliva) to your left three times.Sahih Muslim 2261; Sahih Muslim 2262
  3. 3
    Turn over from the side you were sleeping on.Sahih Muslim 2262
  4. 4
    If you wish, get up and pray.Sahih Muslim 2263
  5. 5
    Do not tell it to anyone and do not seek an interpretation for it.Sahih al-Bukhari 6985; Sahih Muslim 2261; Sahih Muslim 2268
  6. 6
    Remember the Prophet’s promise ﷺ: if you do this, it will not harm you.Sahih al-Bukhari 6985; Sahih Muslim 2261
✦ Take the quiz: ru’ya, hulm or hadith al-nafs?Interpret your dream →

Ru’ya, hulm and hadith al-nafs

Ru’ya (a good dream)Glad tidings from Allah. It usually brings calm and a good feeling on waking.
Hulm (a bad dream)From Shaytan, to sadden or frighten you. The etiquette above takes away its harm.
Hadith al-nafs (the mind’s own chatter)What you were thinking or worrying about while awake. It needs no special action.
Sahih Muslim 2263; Sahih al-Bukhari 7017

Good to know

  • Dreams are not a source of religious rulings. They do not make anything lawful or unlawful, and scholars warn against acting on them against the Shari‘ah or accusing anyone because of them.
  • Most dreams are of the third kind. Not every vivid dream is a message.
  • If nightmares keep coming back, keep up your bedtime remembrance — and also speak to a doctor: recurring nightmares can be linked to stress, trauma or medication, and help exists.

Questions people ask

Should I tell anyone my bad dream?+

No. The Prophet ﷺ said to tell no one about a dream you dislike, and that it will not harm you (Sahih al-Bukhari 6985; Sahih Muslim 2261). He also told a man not to tell people how Shaytan played with him in his sleep (Sahih Muslim 2268).

What does “spit to the left” mean?+

The hadith use the word nafth: a light puff of breath with little or no saliva, three times to the left (Sahih Muslim 2261, 2262). It is a sign of rejecting Shaytan, not an act of disgust toward anyone.

Who can I tell a good dream to?+

Someone who loves you or someone wise (Sahih Muslim 2261; Sunan Abi Dawud 5020). The Qur’an recounts that Ya‘qub told Yusuf not to relate his dream to his brothers (Qur’an 12:5).

Was it a prophetic dream? Find out what kind of dream you had→

Sources

Hadith numbers follow the standard numbering: Fath al-Bari for al-Bukhari, Muhammad Fuad Abd al-Baqi for Muslim.

This page gathers what the authentic hadith say; it is not a fatwa. Only Allah knows the unseen. For a question about your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.