Understanding Dreams After a Loved One’s Passing: An Islamic Perspective

Finding Comfort and Guidance After a Loved One’s Passing

Question: My husband, Alhamdulillah, is a Hafiz of the Qur’an and adheres to the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah. He has this question: It has been almost three weeks since my father’s passing, and for the past two nights, I have been having dreams in which he is walking around the house, and people are saying that he has passed away. On the first night, he appeared very weak but was still moving around, and on the second night, he looked healthy and was walking around, yet people were still saying that he had passed away. What could be the reason for such dreams, and what should we do? My heart is feeling uneasy.

Answer: First of all, may Allah, the Lord of all worlds, forgive your father’s human shortcomings and admit him to Jannat al-Firdaus. Secondly, regarding the dream that your husband saw, and which has caused uneasiness and worry, please tell him there is no need to be anxious or distressed about the dream. 

The life and deeds that your father was granted by Allah have ended, and whatever he could do with Allah’s help in this world, he has now departed from this life. This is the same fate awaiting all of us—we have been given life by Allah and a chance to act, and now it is our turn to improve our lives. For those who have passed, the most we can do is pray for their forgiveness and salvation. There is no need to worry excessively about them; rather, you should be more concerned for yourself as you are still alive and have the opportunity to act. Sometimes, a person dreams about what they have been thinking about during the day, or occasionally, Satan tries to disturb a person by appearing in someone’s likeness in a dream. Hence, there is no need to be overly concerned in this matter.

Respondent: Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi Hafizahullah 

Jeddah Dawah Center, Saudi Arabia  

Interpreter: Hasan Fuzail