DON’T RELATE IT!

 FAJR REMINDER: DON’T RELATE IT!

By: Umm ‘Affān

Rajab 8, 1447 (29-December-2025)

When Prophet Yūsuf (‘Alayhi Salām) was a young boy, he woke up one morning and shared with his father a dream he had.

يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِي سَاجِدِينَ

“O my father! Verily, I saw (in a dream) eleven stars and the sun and the moon - I saw them prostrating themselves to me.”

[Sūrah Yūsuf (12) Verse 4]

Prophet Ya'qūb (‘Alayhi Salām), who had the gift of interpreting dreams, was filled with joy. He perceived the dream as a divine sign that his son had been selected for a significant purpose.

Abū Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said,

أَصْدَقُكُمْ رُؤْيَا أَصْدَقُكُمْ حَدِيثًا وَالرُّؤْيَا ثَلَاثَةٌ فَرُؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةِ بُشْرَى مِنْ اللَّهِ وَرُؤْيَا تَحْزِينٌ مِنْ الشَّيْطَانِ وَرُؤْيَا مِمَّا يُحَدِّثُ الْمَرْءُ نَفْسَهُ فَإِنْ رَأَى أَحَدُكُمْ مَا يَكْرَهُ فَلْيَقُمْ فَلْيُصَلِّ وَلَا يُحَدِّثْ بِهَا النَّاسَ

“The most truthful of you are those with the truest dreams. There are three kinds of dreams: a righteous dream, which is good news from Allāh; a distressful dream from Shayṭān; and a dream arising from oneself. If one of you sees something he dislikes, let him stand to pray and not speak to people about it.”

[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2263]

In another Ḥadīth, Jābir reported that the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said,

إِذَا رَأَى أَحَدُكُمْ الرُّؤْيَا يَكْرَهُهَا فَلْيَبْصُقْ عَنْ يَسَارِهِ ثَلَاثًا وَلْيَسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ الشَّيْطَانِ ثَلَاثًا وَلْيَتَحَوَّلْ عَنْ جَنْبِهِ الَّذِي كَانَ عَلَيْهِ

“If one of you sees a dream he dislikes, let him blow on his left side three times and seek refuge in Allāh from Shayṭān three times. Let him turn to the other side on which he was sleeping.”

[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2262]

The phrase “Seek refuge in Allāh from Shayṭān three times” refers to saying 'Auzubillāhi minna Shayṭān ir-Rajīm' three times.

Yūsuf (‘Alayhi Salām) told his father about his dream. However, Prophet Ya'qūb (‘Alayhi Salām) was concerned about how his other sons would react if they found out about it, as they were envious of him. He understood that jealousy can be a powerful and destructive emotion that can lead to significant harm. Consequently, he cautioned Yūsuf (‘Alayhi Salām) against sharing his dream with his brothers.

So, Allāh reveals Prophet Ya'qūb's response to Yūsuf (‘Alayhi Salām) regarding his dream:

قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ لَا تَقْصُصْ رُؤْيَاكَ عَلَىٰ إِخْوَتِكَ فَيَكِيدُوا لَكَ كَيْدًا إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لِلْإِنسَانِ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ | وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَجْتَبِيكَ رَبُّكَ وَيُعَلِّمُكَ مِن تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ وَيُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ يَعْقُوبَ كَمَا أَتَمَّهَا عَلَىٰ أَبَوَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

He (the father) said: “O my son! Relate not your vision to your brothers, lest they arrange a plot against you. Verily! Shayṭān (Satan) is to man an open enemy! Thus will your Lord choose you and teach you the interpretation of dreams (and other things) and perfect His Favour on you and the offspring of Ya'qūb (Jacob), as He perfected it on your fathers, Ibrāhīm (Abraham) and Ishaque (Isaac) before! Verily, your Lord is All-Knowing, All-Wise.”

[Sūrah Yūsuf (12) Verses 5-6]

From this, we learn the importance of concealing one's expectations or forthcoming blessings until they are revealed. Therefore, if you dream of something good, it is wise to keep it to yourself for protection.

Moreover, we find in the Sunnah of Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) that a good dream may be shared with a well-wisher, as seen in Yūsuf (’Alayhi Salām) sharing his dream with his father.

Anas reported that the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said:

إِنَّ الرُّؤْيَا تَقَعُ عَلَى مَا تُعَبَّرُ وَمَثَلُ ذَلِكَ مَثَلُ رَجُلٍ رَفَعَ رِجْلَهُ فَهُوَ يَنْتَظِرُ مَتَى يَضَعُهَا فَإِذَا رَأَى أَحَدُكُمْ رُؤْيَا فَلَا يُحَدِّثْ بِهَا إِلَّا نَاصِحًا أَوْ عَالِمًا

“Verily, a dream will come to pass in the manner it is interpreted. The parable of this is a man who raises his foot until he places it down. Thus, if one of you sees a dream, let him not speak about it unless with one who wishes him well or with a scholar.”

[al-Mustadrak ‘alá as-Ṣaḥīḥayn 8177]

Historically, it is noted that Prophet Yūsuf’s brothers hated him intensely. They believed he was more beloved by their father than they were, which was the primary reason for their animosity towards him. For him (‘Alayhi Salām), it was difficult to feel secure in sharing his feelings and dreams with them. Consequently, he heeded his father’s advice by keeping what he had seen to himself.

Allāh informs us:

إِذْ قَالُوا لَيُوسُفُ وَأَخُوهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَىٰ أَبِينَا مِنَّا وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ إِنَّ أَبَانَا لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ

“When they said: ‘Truly, Yūsuf (Joseph) and his brother (Binyamin [Benjamin]) are loved more by our father than we, but we are ‘Usbah (a strong group). Really, our father is in a plain error.’”

[Sūrah Yūsuf (12) Verse 8]

Therefore, they resolved to kill Yūsuf (‘Alayhi Salām) so that they might solely enjoy their father’s love. Did they ultimately carry out this plan?

Let us also consider what occurred between the two sons of Prophet Ādam (‘Alayhi Salām) when one killed the other out of envy and wrongdoing.

Allāh states:

وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ ابْنَيْ آدَمَ بِالْحَقِّ إِذْ قَرَّبَا قُرْبَانًا فَتُقُبِّلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِمَا وَلَمْ يُتَقَبَّلْ مِنَ الْآخَرِ قَالَ لَأَقْتُلَنَّكَ قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ

“And (O Muḥammad ﷺ) recite to them (the Jews) the story of the two sons of Ādam [Hābīl (Abel) and Qābīl (Cain)] in truth; when each offered a sacrifice (to Allāh), it was accepted from one but not from the other. The latter said to the former: ‘I will surely kill you.’ The former said: ‘Verily, Allāh accepts only from those who are Al-Muttaqūn (the pious).’”

[Sūrah Al-Mā'idah (5) Verse 27]

Qābīl succumbed to envy and killed Hābīl, thus becoming the first murderer on Earth. 

Allāh says:

فَطَوَّعَتْ لَهُ نَفْسُهُ قَتْلَ أَخِيهِ فَقَتَلَهُ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

“So the Nafs (self) of the latter one encouraged him and made the murder of his brother seem fair to him; he murdered him and became one of the losers.”

[Sūrah Al-Mā'idah (5) Verse 27]

In this context, as reported by Abdullāh Ibn Mas’ūd, the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said:

لَا تُقْتَلُ نَفْسٌ ظُلْمًا إِلَّا كَانَ عَلَى ابْنِ آدَمَ الْأَوَّلِ كِفْلٌ مِنْ دَمِهَا لِأَنَّهُ أَوَّلُ مَنْ سَنَّ الْقَتْلَ

“No soul is wrongfully killed but that some responsibility for its blood lies upon the first son of Ādam, for he was the first to set the precedent of murder.”

[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3335, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1677]

Where envy and hatred exist, harm is inevitable. I beseech Allāh to keep us safe. Aameen.