Are Muslims Seeing Dreams and Visions of Jesus?

The Qur’an and the sahih collections do not count how many Muslims dream of Jesus. They do say what a dream is. A dream a person likes is from God, a dream a person dislikes is from Satan, and a third kind is one’s own mind. Sahih al-Bukhari 6994Sahih al-Bukhari 6994 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated Anas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever has seen me in a dream, then no doubt, he has seen me, for Satan cannot imitate my shape.Sahih al-Bukhari 6994 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source (5) says that of a dream of Muhammad, not of Jesus. Scripture tests the message. A dream that denies the cross, or that Jesus is God, is another gospel.

Key Points

• No verse in the Qur’an, and no report in Sahih al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim, gives a number of Muslims who have seen Jesus in a dream. Reports that circulate in conversation are not that census.
• Sahih al-Bukhari 6985Sahih al-Bukhari 6985 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If anyone of you sees a dream that he likes, then it is from Allah, and he should thank Allah for it and narrate it to others; but if he sees something else, i.e., a dream that he dislikes, then it is from Satan, and he should seek refuge with Allah from its evil, and he should not mention it to anybody, for it will not harm him."Sahih al-Bukhari 6985 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source (2) says a liked dream is from Allah and a disliked dream is from Satan. Sahih Muslim 2263aSahih Muslim 2263a · Abdul Hamid SiddiquiAbu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: When the time draws near (when the Resurrection is near) a believer's dream can hardly be false. And the truest vision will be of one who is himself the most truthful in speech, for the vision of a Muslim is the forty-fifth part of Prophecy, and dreams are of three types: one good dream which is a sort of good tidings from Allah; the evil dream which causes pain is from the satan; and the third one is a suggestion of one's own mind; so if any one of you sees a dream which he does not like he should stand up and offer prayer and he should not relate it to people, and he said: I would love to see fetters (in the dream), but I dislike wearing of necklace, for the fetters is (an indication of) one's steadfastness in religion. The narrator said: I do not know whether this is a part of the hadith or the words of Ibn Sirin.Sahih Muslim 2263a · Abdul Hamid SiddiquiOpen source (4) adds a third kind, a suggestion of one’s own mind.
• Sahih al-Bukhari 7017Sahih al-Bukhari 7017 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "When the Day of Resurrection approaches, the dreams of a believer will hardly fail to come true, and a dream of a believer is one of forty-six parts of prophetism, and whatever belongs to prothetism can never be false." Muhammad bin Seereen said, "But I say this." He said, "It used to be said, 'There are three types of dreams: The reflection of one's thoughts and experiences one has during wakefulness, what is suggested by Satan to frighten the dreamer, or glad tidings from Allah. So, if someone has a dream which he dislikes, he should not tell it to others, but get up and offer a prayer." He added, "He (Abu Huraira) hated to see a Ghul (i.e., iron collar around his neck in a dream) and people liked to see fetters (on their feet in a dream). The fetters on the feet symbolizes one's constant and firm adherence to religion." And Abu `Abdullah said, "Ghuls (iron collars) are used only for necks."Sahih al-Bukhari 7017 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source (3) calls a believer’s dream one of forty-six parts of prophetism. Muslim 2263a says the forty-fifth part. The two reports do not use the same fraction.
• Sahih al-Bukhari 6994Sahih al-Bukhari 6994 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated Anas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever has seen me in a dream, then no doubt, he has seen me, for Satan cannot imitate my shape.Sahih al-Bukhari 6994 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source (5) says Satan cannot imitate Muhammad’s shape. It does not say that about Jesus.
• Acts 2:17Acts 2:17 · King James VersionAnd it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:Acts 2:17 · King James VersionOpen source (7) quotes Joel 2:28Joel 2:28 · King James VersionAnd it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:Joel 2:28 · King James VersionOpen source (8): God will pour out his Spirit, and people will dream dreams and see visions. Deuteronomy 13:1–5Deuteronomy 13:1–5 · King James Version^13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, ^13:2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; ^13:3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. ^13:4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. ^13:5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.Deuteronomy 13:1–5 · King James VersionOpen source (9) says a dreamer who turns people to other gods is not to be followed, even if the sign comes to pass.
• Galatians 1:8Galatians 1:8 · King James VersionBut though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.Galatians 1:8 · King James VersionOpen source (10) says that if an apostle or an angel preaches another gospel, let him be accursed. Jesus is God. The Gospel already says he was crucified and raised.

How Do Muslims View Jesus?

Jesus in the Qur’an and the Gospels is the wider comparison. The Qur’an calls Jesus the Messiah, a word from God, born of Mary. On the usual reading of Qur’an 4:157Qur’an 4:157 · Saheeh InternationalAnd [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allāh." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.Qur’an 4:157 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (1), he was not crucified. Qur’an 43:61Qur’an 43:61 · Saheeh InternationalAnd indeed, he [i.e., Jesus] will be [a sign for] knowledge of the Hour, so be not in doubt of it, and follow Me. This is a straight path.Qur’an 43:61 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (1), in Saheeh International, says he will be a sign for knowledge of the Hour. The brackets that name Jesus are the translator’s. Ibn Kathir’s abridgment reads the miracles at his hands as signs that the Hour is near. Neither sentence is a count of dreams. (13)

What Do Muslims Believe? is the confession in their own texts: one God, Muhammad as messenger, and Jesus as a prophet who is not the Son. Christians confess that the one God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that Jesus is God.

What Do They Say About Dreams in Islam?

Sahih al-Bukhari 6985Sahih al-Bukhari 6985 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If anyone of you sees a dream that he likes, then it is from Allah, and he should thank Allah for it and narrate it to others; but if he sees something else, i.e., a dream that he dislikes, then it is from Satan, and he should seek refuge with Allah from its evil, and he should not mention it to anybody, for it will not harm him."Sahih al-Bukhari 6985 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source (2), Muhammad Muhsin Khan, reports Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “If anyone of you sees a dream that he likes, then it is from Allah, and he should thank Allah for it and narrate it to others; but if he sees something else, i.e., a dream that he dislikes, then it is from Satan, and he should seek refuge with Allah from its evil, and he should not mention it to anybody, for it will not harm him.”

Sahih al-Bukhari 6985 · Muhammad Muhsin Khan

Sunni hadith

Sahih al-Bukhari 7017Sahih al-Bukhari 7017 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "When the Day of Resurrection approaches, the dreams of a believer will hardly fail to come true, and a dream of a believer is one of forty-six parts of prophetism, and whatever belongs to prothetism can never be false." Muhammad bin Seereen said, "But I say this." He said, "It used to be said, 'There are three types of dreams: The reflection of one's thoughts and experiences one has during wakefulness, what is suggested by Satan to frighten the dreamer, or glad tidings from Allah. So, if someone has a dream which he dislikes, he should not tell it to others, but get up and offer a prayer." He added, "He (Abu Huraira) hated to see a Ghul (i.e., iron collar around his neck in a dream) and people liked to see fetters (on their feet in a dream). The fetters on the feet symbolizes one's constant and firm adherence to religion." And Abu `Abdullah said, "Ghuls (iron collars) are used only for necks."Sahih al-Bukhari 7017 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source (3) says that when the Day of Resurrection approaches, a believer’s dreams will hardly fail to come true, and that a dream of a believer is one of forty-six parts of prophetism. In the same report, Muhammad ibn Sirin says it used to be said that dreams are three: the reflection of one’s thoughts, what Satan suggests to frighten the dreamer, or glad tidings from Allah. Sahih Muslim 2263aSahih Muslim 2263a · Abdul Hamid SiddiquiAbu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: When the time draws near (when the Resurrection is near) a believer's dream can hardly be false. And the truest vision will be of one who is himself the most truthful in speech, for the vision of a Muslim is the forty-fifth part of Prophecy, and dreams are of three types: one good dream which is a sort of good tidings from Allah; the evil dream which causes pain is from the satan; and the third one is a suggestion of one's own mind; so if any one of you sees a dream which he does not like he should stand up and offer prayer and he should not relate it to people, and he said: I would love to see fetters (in the dream), but I dislike wearing of necklace, for the fetters is (an indication of) one's steadfastness in religion. The narrator said: I do not know whether this is a part of the hadith or the words of Ibn Sirin.Sahih Muslim 2263a · Abdul Hamid SiddiquiOpen source (4) says the vision of a Muslim is the forty-fifth part of prophecy, and it names the same three kinds: good tidings from Allah, an evil dream from Satan, and a suggestion of one’s own mind. Sahih al-Bukhari 6990Sahih al-Bukhari 6990 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated Abu Huraira: I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "Nothing is left of the prophetism except Al-Mubashshirat." They asked, "What are Al-Mubashshirat?" He replied, "The true good dreams (that conveys glad tidings).Sahih al-Bukhari 6990 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source (6) says nothing is left of prophetism except the true good dreams, called al-mubashshirat.

These reports are Sunni hadith. Which Muslims Accept Which Hadith? A Shia reader who does not take Bukhari as proof still does not have a Qur’an verse that counts dreams of Jesus.

Can We See Jesus in Our Dreams?

The books do not forbid a dream in which Jesus appears, and they do not record one. Sahih al-Bukhari 6994Sahih al-Bukhari 6994 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated Anas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever has seen me in a dream, then no doubt, he has seen me, for Satan cannot imitate my shape.Sahih al-Bukhari 6994 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source (5) is about Muhammad: whoever has seen him in a dream has seen him, for Satan cannot imitate his shape. That sentence is not said of Jesus. A dream of Jesus, on these reports, still falls under the three kinds: glad tidings, a fright from Satan, or one’s own mind.

What Was Muhammad’s First Revelation? is the cave of Hira. That account is a waking press and a command to recite, which Bukhari 3 distinguishes from a dream. It is not a report that Muslims are seeing Jesus.

What Does It Mean If Jesus Comes to You in a Dream?

The hadith give a test inside their own frame. A dream one likes is to be thanked for and told. A dream one dislikes is not to be told, and the dreamer seeks refuge. They do not say that the appearance of Jesus by itself makes the dream glad tidings, or that it corrects the Qur’an.

Deuteronomy 13:1–5Deuteronomy 13:1–5 · King James Version^13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, ^13:2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; ^13:3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. ^13:4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. ^13:5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.Deuteronomy 13:1–5 · King James VersionOpen source (9) is about a prophet or a dreamer of dreams who gives a sign, and the sign comes to pass, and who then says to go after other gods. Israel is not to heed that dreamer. The LORD is proving whether they love him with all the heart. The passage is about turning from the LORD to other gods. It is not a rule about every picture that appears in sleep. A message that replaces the God of the Gospel with another account of Jesus is the kind of turn the chapter names.

Galatians 1:8Galatians 1:8 · King James VersionBut though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.Galatians 1:8 · King James VersionOpen source (10) says that even if an apostle, or an angel from heaven, preaches another gospel, let him be accursed. The gospel Paul means is the one he had already preached: Christ crucified and risen. A dream is not an apostle and not an angel, and the verse still sets the preached gospel over any later messenger.

Which Sin Will God Never Forgive?

Qur’an 4:48Qur’an 4:48 · Saheeh InternationalIndeed, Allāh does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allāh has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin.Qur’an 4:48 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (1), Saheeh International, says Allah does not forgive association with him, and that he forgives what is less than that for whom he wills. Qur’an 4:116Qur’an 4:116 · Saheeh InternationalIndeed, Allāh does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allāh has certainly gone far astray.Qur’an 4:116 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (1) says the same about association, and that the one who associates others with Allah has gone far astray. Association, shirk, is the sin those verses set apart. Mark 3:28–29Mark 3:28–29 · King James Version^3:28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: ^3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:Mark 3:28–29 · King James VersionOpen source (11) says all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Ghost never has forgiveness. The two books name different acts. Neither verse is about a dream.

What the Gospel Says About Dreams

Acts 2:17Acts 2:17 · King James VersionAnd it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:Acts 2:17 · King James VersionOpen source (7) is Peter on the day of Pentecost, quoting Joel 2:28Joel 2:28 · King James VersionAnd it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:Joel 2:28 · King James VersionOpen source (8). God will pour out his Spirit on all flesh. Sons and daughters will prophesy, young men will see visions, and old men will dream dreams. In Acts that outpouring is the Spirit sent after Jesus has been crucified, raised, and exalted. The dreams in the quotation are not a second canon. They sit under the gospel Peter is preaching in that chapter: Jesus, whom they crucified, God has made both Lord and Christ.

Jesus is God. John 1:1John 1:1 · King James VersionIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.John 1:1 · King James VersionOpen source (12) says the Word was God, and John 1:14John 1:14 · King James VersionAnd the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.John 1:14 · King James VersionOpen source (12) says the Word was made flesh. A dream can be received as a dream. It does not become a verse, and it does not replace the cross. Did Jesus Die on the Cross? Is Jesus God?

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Muslims Believe Dreams Are a Kind of Prophecy?

Sahih al-Bukhari 7017Sahih al-Bukhari 7017 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "When the Day of Resurrection approaches, the dreams of a believer will hardly fail to come true, and a dream of a believer is one of forty-six parts of prophetism, and whatever belongs to prothetism can never be false." Muhammad bin Seereen said, "But I say this." He said, "It used to be said, 'There are three types of dreams: The reflection of one's thoughts and experiences one has during wakefulness, what is suggested by Satan to frighten the dreamer, or glad tidings from Allah. So, if someone has a dream which he dislikes, he should not tell it to others, but get up and offer a prayer." He added, "He (Abu Huraira) hated to see a Ghul (i.e., iron collar around his neck in a dream) and people liked to see fetters (on their feet in a dream). The fetters on the feet symbolizes one's constant and firm adherence to religion." And Abu `Abdullah said, "Ghuls (iron collars) are used only for necks."Sahih al-Bukhari 7017 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source (3) calls a believer’s dream one of forty-six parts of prophetism. Sahih Muslim 2263aSahih Muslim 2263a · Abdul Hamid SiddiquiAbu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: When the time draws near (when the Resurrection is near) a believer's dream can hardly be false. And the truest vision will be of one who is himself the most truthful in speech, for the vision of a Muslim is the forty-fifth part of Prophecy, and dreams are of three types: one good dream which is a sort of good tidings from Allah; the evil dream which causes pain is from the satan; and the third one is a suggestion of one's own mind; so if any one of you sees a dream which he does not like he should stand up and offer prayer and he should not relate it to people, and he said: I would love to see fetters (in the dream), but I dislike wearing of necklace, for the fetters is (an indication of) one's steadfastness in religion. The narrator said: I do not know whether this is a part of the hadith or the words of Ibn Sirin.Sahih Muslim 2263a · Abdul Hamid SiddiquiOpen source (4) says the forty-fifth part. Sahih al-Bukhari 6990Sahih al-Bukhari 6990 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated Abu Huraira: I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "Nothing is left of the prophetism except Al-Mubashshirat." They asked, "What are Al-Mubashshirat?" He replied, "The true good dreams (that conveys glad tidings).Sahih al-Bukhari 6990 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source (6) says the true good dreams are what remains of prophetism. The reports also say a dream can be Satan or one’s own mind.

Does the Qur’an Say Jesus Will Return in a Dream?

Qur’an 43:61Qur’an 43:61 · Saheeh InternationalAnd indeed, he [i.e., Jesus] will be [a sign for] knowledge of the Hour, so be not in doubt of it, and follow Me. This is a straight path.Qur’an 43:61 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (1) ties him to the Hour. It does not mention a dream. The return in Sunni hadith is a descent, in What Will Jesus Do When He Returns?.

Are Reports of Dreams the Same as a Hadith?

A hadith is a report with a chain, of the kind What Are Hadith and Sira? describes. A person’s account of last night’s dream is not a numbered report in Bukhari or Muslim unless those books record it. These books do not record a census of dreams of Jesus.

Keep Reading

• Jesus in the Qur’an and the Gospels
• What Do Muslims Believe?
• What Will Jesus Do When He Returns?
• Did Jesus Die on the Cross?
• Was Jesus a Muslim?
• Is Jesus God?
• What Was Muhammad’s First Revelation?