Visions and Prophecy

The Quran is full of inspirations from Allah swt by visions to the sent prophets, including Abraham pbuh, Muhammad pbuhap and Yusuf pbuh.

{And when we told you, “Verily, your Lord encompasses people,” and We made the visions which We showed you as a temptation for mankind as well as the Accursed Tree in the Quran. We warn them, but it increases them in nothing except great oppression.}^[1]

{Allah has fulfilled the vision for His messenger in truth. You shall indeed enter the Inviolable Mosque, if Allah wills, secure, [having your hair] shaven and cut, not fearing. So He knew that which you knew not, and He has given you an imminent victory.”}^[2]

{And when [his son] was old enough to walk with him, [Abraham] said, “Oh my dear son, I have seen in my sleep that I sacrifice you. So look, what do you see?” He said, “Oh my father. Do that which you are commanded. Allah willing, you shall find me amongst the steadfast.”}^[3]

Then Allah swt praises Abraham pbuh because he believed his vision,

{“You have believed the vision. Verily! Thus do We reward the good.”}^[4]

{When Joseph said unto his father, “Oh my father. Verily, I saw in a dream eleven planets and the sun and the moon, I saw them prostrating themselves unto me.”}^[5]

And in the Quran Allah swt inspires unto the mother of Moses pbuh in the vision,

{And We inspired the mother of Moses, saying, “Suckle him and when you fear for him, then cast him into the river and fear not nor grieve. Verily, We shall bring him back unto you and shall make him of Our messengers.”}^[6]

It must be attended to that the visions of the prophets pbut were seen by them before they were sent, and after they were sent as well. Meaning that the inspiration of Allah swt to them started by the visions, and after they had been sent as messengers this pathway (visions) which is from the ways of Allah swt’s inspiration has not stopped for them.

And the Messenger Muhammad pbuhap had seen visions before his sending. And they would occur just as he sees them.^[7] And if the sent prophets had not believed and worked by these visions which they had seen before they were sent, then they would not have reached the high level and position which they had achieved, nor would they achieve how close they came to Allah swt, and Allah swt would not have selected them for his message in the first place,

{You have already believed the vision. Verily, thus do We reward the good.}^[8]

In a matter of fact, they pbut believed in the visions of the believers who were with them. And here is the Messenger of Allah Muhammad pbuhap, who would ask his companions about their visions and care to listen to them after Fajr, as if that listening to these visions was a remembrance and worship to Allah swt. The hypocrites would even deny upon him that he would listen to and believe each speaker,

{And of them are those who hurt the Prophet and say, “He is a hearer of everything.” Say, “A hearer of good for you, who believes in Allah and is true to the believers, and a mercy for those of you who believe. And for those who hurt the Messenger of Allah there is a painful doom.”}^[9]

Imam Al-Retha pbuh said,

“In the mornings of the Messenger of Allah pbuhap, he would ask his companions, ‘Are there any good tidings?’ Meaning the visions.”^[10]

Verily, the prophet Muhammad pbuhap would consider them from the good tidings of prophecy, and it is narrated that the prophet pbuhap said,

“There is nothing left from the good tidings of prophecy except for the true visions, the Muslim would see them or they would be shown to him.”^[11]

Rather he pbuhap would consider them prophecy. It is narrated that the Prophet pbuhap said,

“There is no prophecy after me, except for the good tidings.” So he was told, “Oh Messenger of Allah what are the good tidings?” So he said, “the true visions.”^[12]

The Messenger of Allah pbuhap said,

“True visions are good tidings from Allah, and they are part from the parts of the prophecy.”^[13]

It must be paid attention to that the saying of the Messenger Muhammad pbuhap that nothing is left from the prophecy except for the true vision does not mean that whoever sees a true vision is a sent prophet from Allah. It means that the true vision is true news which is brought from the Kingdom of Heavens to the man who sees it.

❦❦❦