Yusuf, the king, Ibrahim and the Prophet ﷺ
Dreams in Islam: the dreams the Quran tells of
The true dreams the Quran records, in Arabic with the English of Saheeh International.
Yusuf’s dream
Where his story begins. Eleven stars, the sun and the moon bowing to him; his father Ya‘qub tells him not to relate it to his brothers (Quran 12:4–5).
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إِذۡ قَالَ يُوسُفُ لِأَبِيهِ يَٰٓأَبَتِ إِنِّي رَأَيۡتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوۡكَبٗا وَٱلشَّمۡسَ وَٱلۡقَمَرَ رَأَيۡتُهُمۡ لِي سَٰجِدِينَ ٤
idh qāla yūsufu li-abīhi yāabati innī ra-aytu aḥada ʿashara kawkaban wal-shamsa wal-qamara ra-aytuhum lī sājidīna
[Of these stories mention] when Joseph said to his father, "O my father, indeed I have seen [in a dream] eleven stars and the sun and the moon; I saw them prostrating to me."
قَالَ يَٰبُنَيَّ لَا تَقۡصُصۡ رُءۡيَاكَ عَلَىٰٓ إِخۡوَتِكَ فَيَكِيدُواْ لَكَ كَيۡدًاۖ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنَ لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ عَدُوّٞ مُّبِينٞ ٥
qāla yābunayya lā taqṣuṣ ru'yāka ʿalā ikh'watika fayakīdū laka kaydan inna l-shayṭāna lil'insāni ʿaduwwun mubīnun
He said, "O my son, do not relate your vision to your brothers or they will contrive against you a plan. Indeed Satan, to man, is a manifest enemy.
The two prisoners
Interpretation as a gift from Allah. In prison, two young men told Yusuf their dreams, and he answered that interpretation was from what his Lord had taught him (Quran 12:36–37).
وَدَخَلَ مَعَهُ ٱلسِّجۡنَ فَتَيَانِۖ قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَآ إِنِّيٓ أَرَىٰنِيٓ أَعۡصِرُ خَمۡرٗاۖ وَقَالَ ٱلۡأٓخَرُ إِنِّيٓ أَرَىٰنِيٓ أَحۡمِلُ فَوۡقَ رَأۡسِي خُبۡزٗا تَأۡكُلُ ٱلطَّيۡرُ مِنۡهُۖ نَبِّئۡنَا بِتَأۡوِيلِهِۦٓۖ إِنَّا نَرَىٰكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ ٣٦
wadakhala maʿahu l-sij'na fatayāni qāla aḥaduhumā innī arānī aʿṣiru khamran waqāla l-ākharu innī arānī aḥmilu fawqa rasī khub'zan takulu l-ṭayru min'hu nabbi'nā bitawīlihi innā narāka mina l-muḥ'sinīna
And there entered the prison with him two young men. One of them said, "Indeed, I have seen myself [in a dream] pressing [grapes for] wine." The other said, "Indeed, I have seen myself carrying upon my head [some] bread, from which the birds were eating. Inform us of its interpretation; indeed, we see you to be of those who do good."
قَالَ لَا يَأۡتِيكُمَا طَعَامٞ تُرۡزَقَانِهِۦٓ إِلَّا نَبَّأۡتُكُمَا بِتَأۡوِيلِهِۦ قَبۡلَ أَن يَأۡتِيَكُمَاۚ ذَٰلِكُمَا مِمَّا عَلَّمَنِي رَبِّيٓۚ إِنِّي تَرَكۡتُ مِلَّةَ قَوۡمٖ لَّا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَهُم بِٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ هُمۡ كَٰفِرُونَ ٣٧
qāla lā yatīkumā ṭaʿāmun tur'zaqānihi illā nabbatukumā bitawīlihi qabla an yatiyakumā dhālikumā mimmā ʿallamanī rabbī innī taraktu millata qawmin lā yu'minūna bil-lahi wahum bil-ākhirati hum kāfirūna
He said, "You will not receive food that is provided to you except that I will inform you of its interpretation before it comes to you. That is from what my Lord has taught me. Indeed, I have left the religion of a people who do not believe in Allāh, and they, in the Hereafter, are disbelievers.
The king’s dream
Seven fat cows, seven lean. The king of Egypt dreamed of seven fat cows eaten by seven lean ones, and seven green ears of grain and seven dry. His advisers dismissed it; Yusuf explained it as seven years of plenty followed by seven of famine (Quran 12:43–49).
وَقَالَ ٱلۡمَلِكُ إِنِّيٓ أَرَىٰ سَبۡعَ بَقَرَٰتٖ سِمَانٖ يَأۡكُلُهُنَّ سَبۡعٌ عِجَافٞ وَسَبۡعَ سُنۢبُلَٰتٍ خُضۡرٖ وَأُخَرَ يَابِسَٰتٖۖ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمَلَأُ أَفۡتُونِي فِي رُءۡيَٰيَ إِن كُنتُمۡ لِلرُّءۡيَا تَعۡبُرُونَ ٤٣
waqāla l-maliku innī arā sabʿa baqarātin simānin yakuluhunna sabʿun ʿijāfun wasabʿa sunbulātin khuḍ'rin wa-ukhara yābisātin yāayyuhā l-mala-u aftūnī fī ru'yāya in kuntum lilrru'yā taʿburūna
And [subsequently] the king said, "Indeed, I have seen [in a dream] seven fat cows being eaten by seven [that were] lean, and seven green spikes [of grain] and others [that were] dry. O eminent ones, explain to me my vision, if you should interpret visions."
قَالُوٓاْ أَضۡغَٰثُ أَحۡلَٰمٖۖ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِتَأۡوِيلِ ٱلۡأَحۡلَٰمِ بِعَٰلِمِينَ ٤٤
qālū aḍghāthu aḥlāmin wamā naḥnu bitawīli l-aḥlāmi biʿālimīna
They said, "[It is but] a mixture of false dreams, and we are not learned in the interpretation of dreams."
The dream fulfilled
Years later, it came true. His parents and brothers bowed before Yusuf, and he said: this is the explanation of my dream of before; my Lord has made it real (Quran 12:100).
وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيۡهِ عَلَى ٱلۡعَرۡشِ وَخَرُّواْ لَهُۥ سُجَّدٗاۖ وَقَالَ يَٰٓأَبَتِ هَٰذَا تَأۡوِيلُ رُءۡيَٰيَ مِن قَبۡلُ قَدۡ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّي حَقّٗاۖ وَقَدۡ أَحۡسَنَ بِيٓ إِذۡ أَخۡرَجَنِي مِنَ ٱلسِّجۡنِ وَجَآءَ بِكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡبَدۡوِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ أَن نَّزَغَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ بَيۡنِي وَبَيۡنَ إِخۡوَتِيٓۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي لَطِيفٞ لِّمَا يَشَآءُۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ١٠٠
warafaʿa abawayhi ʿalā l-ʿarshi wakharrū lahu sujjadan waqāla yāabati hādhā tawīlu ru'yāya min qablu qad jaʿalahā rabbī ḥaqqan waqad aḥsana bī idh akhrajanī mina l-sij'ni wajāa bikum mina l-badwi min baʿdi an nazagha l-shayṭānu baynī wabayna ikh'watī inna rabbī laṭīfun limā yashāu innahu huwa l-ʿalīmu l-ḥakīmu
And he raised his parents upon the throne, and they bowed to him in prostration. And he said, "O my father, this is the explanation of my vision of before. My Lord has made it reality. And He was certainly good to me when He took me out of prison and brought you [here] from bedouin life after Satan had induced [estrangement] between me and my brothers. Indeed, my Lord is Subtle in what He wills. Indeed, it is He who is the Knowing, the Wise.
Ibrahim’s vision
A test of father and son. Ibrahim saw in a dream that he was sacrificing his son, who answered: father, do as you are commanded. When both submitted, Allah called that the vision was fulfilled, and ransomed the son (Quran 37:102–107).
فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ ٱلسَّعۡيَ قَالَ يَٰبُنَيَّ إِنِّيٓ أَرَىٰ فِي ٱلۡمَنَامِ أَنِّيٓ أَذۡبَحُكَ فَٱنظُرۡ مَاذَا تَرَىٰۚ قَالَ يَٰٓأَبَتِ ٱفۡعَلۡ مَا تُؤۡمَرُۖ سَتَجِدُنِيٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ ١٠٢
falammā balagha maʿahu l-saʿya qāla yābunayya innī arā fī l-manāmi annī adhbaḥuka fa-unẓur mādhā tarā qāla yāabati if'ʿal mā tu'maru satajidunī in shāa l-lahu mina l-ṣābirīna
And when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he said, "O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so see what you think." He said, "O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allāh wills, of the steadfast."
Badr and the return to Makkah
Two dreams of the Prophet ﷺ. Before Badr, Allah showed him the enemy as few, to keep the believers from losing heart (Quran 8:43), and later showed him the believers entering Masjid al-Haram in safety, which came true (Quran 48:27).
لَّقَدۡ صَدَقَ ٱللَّهُ رَسُولَهُ ٱلرُّءۡيَا بِٱلۡحَقِّۖ لَتَدۡخُلُنَّ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدَ ٱلۡحَرَامَ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ءَامِنِينَ مُحَلِّقِينَ رُءُوسَكُمۡ وَمُقَصِّرِينَ لَا تَخَافُونَۖ فَعَلِمَ مَا لَمۡ تَعۡلَمُواْ فَجَعَلَ مِن دُونِ ذَٰلِكَ فَتۡحٗا قَرِيبًا ٢٧
laqad ṣadaqa l-lahu rasūlahu l-ru'yā bil-ḥaqi latadkhulunna l-masjida l-ḥarāma in shāa l-lahu āminīna muḥalliqīna ruūsakum wamuqaṣṣirīna lā takhāfūna faʿalima mā lam taʿlamū fajaʿala min dūni dhālika fatḥan qarīban
Certainly has Allāh showed to His Messenger the vision [i.e., dream] in truth. You will surely enter al-Masjid al-Ḥarām, if Allāh wills, in safety, with your heads shaved and [hair] shortened, not fearing [anyone]. He knew what you did not know and has arranged before that a conquest near [at hand].