The Islamic solutions to nightmare

Islaam proffers solutions to all man’s problems. Allaah has not left us in the dark as to what to do when we are confronted with ‘spiritual problems’. Many Muslims have recounted how their ‘spiritual problems’ started after a terrible dream. A Muslim should take the right steps after a nightmare to avoid slipping into a […]

Islaam proffers solutions to all man’s problems. Allaah has not left us in the dark as to what to do when we are confronted with ‘spiritual problems’. Many Muslims have recounted how their ‘spiritual problems’ started after a terrible dream.
A Muslim should take the right steps after a nightmare to avoid slipping into a ‘spiritual problem’.
What should be done by one who has had a nightmare
1. He/she should spit dry air (nafthu) in his left side three times.
2. He/she should say ‘Audhu biLLAAH  minash-shaytaan rajeemi three times, and also seek Allaah’s protection from the bad dream.
3. He/she should not tell anyone about it.
4. He/ she should change from the side in which he/she was sleeping to another side. (e.g from right side to left side or from left side to right side)
5. He/she should stand up and pray two raka’at of naafilah if he wishes.
The evidences
From Abuu Qataadah Bn Rib’iyy  who reported that the prophet (sallaLLAAHU alayh wa sallam) said: “Dream is from Allaah and nightmare is from Shaytaan. So, if anyone of you sees a detested dream, let him spit dry air on his left side three times when he wakes up; and let him also seek Allaah’s refuge from the bad dream; (if he does that) the bad dream wouldn’t harm him (or wouldn’t become reality).”(Bukhaary and Muslim)
 In another chain of narration of the hadeeth, the prophet (sallaLLAAHU alayh wa sallam) said: “the good dream is from Allaah, so if anyone of you see something he likes in his dream he shouldn’t disclose it except to one he loves. And when he sees something he detests he shouldn’t narrate it to anyone. He should spit lightly to his left side three times and let him seek Allaah’s refuge from Shaytaan from the effect of what he has seen in the nightmare, for if he does that, the bad dream wouldn’t affect him.” (Muslim)
Also, Jaabir Bn Abdullaah reported that the Prophet (sallaLLAAHU alayh wa sallam) said: “If one of you see what he dislikes in his sleep, let him spit lightly to his left side three times, let him seek Allaah’s refuge from Shaytaan three times and let him change from the side with which he was sleeping (when he had the nightmare).” (Muslim)
Abuu Hurairah reported that the prophet (sallaLLAAHU alayh wa sallam) said: “When the Day of Reckoning approaches, a Muslim’s dream may not be deemed false. But the most truthful of you in dream is the most truthful of you in (his day to day) speech.  And a Muslim’s good dream is the 45 percent of prophethood. Dream is divided into three: A good dream is a glad tiding from Allaah, a sad dream from Shaytaan and a dream that occurs as a result what a man did before he slept. But if one of you see a dream he detests, he should stand up and offer two raka’at of naafilah and shouldn’t narrate the bad dream to anyone. (Muslim)