What is the ruling on one who interprets dreams while he is not qualified to do so?
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The questioner : A shaykh frequently interprets dreams for the general public, yet they do not know about dream interpretation, neither by divine gift nor by acquired knowledge. So, what do they produce in their dream interpretations? Is this considered an overstepping, or is it considered...?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is not permissible for a person to enter into the interpretation of dreams without evidence, because this is a ruling, and a good dream is a part of the forty-six parts of prophecy.
The questioner : Sometimes, O Shaykh, a person sees, for example, a good dream, and his father or brother interprets it for him, and it appears to him that it is good?
The Shaykh : This is a guess, a guess.
The questioner : Is there any harm in it?
The Shaykh : It is not befitting; rather, one should keep it general and say, "This is good," without detailing it. May Allah reward you. As for evil, if it is presented to him—meaning a disliked dream—he should advise the dreamer and say, "We advise you that if you see a disliked dream in yourself or in someone else, you should say, 'I seek refuge in Allah from the evil of Shaytan and from the evil of what I saw,' and not tell anyone."
The problem is that interpreters differ. You find one person narrating his dream to one person and saying the meaning is such-and-such, and to another person it is the opposite. But if it is for the first interpreter, if he interprets it as bad, it turns out bad, and if he interprets it as good...
The questioner : ... ؟
The Shaykh : No, no, I prefer that a person never attach himself to dreams, because if he attaches his heart to dreams, Shaytan will play with him. A man once narrated a dream to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: His head is cut off, and it runs away from him, and he chases it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: So, what I see is that a person should not attach himself to dreams and should forget them, because if he follows them with his soul, he will suffer great hardship. Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is not permissible for a person to enter into the interpretation of dreams without evidence, because this is a ruling, and a good dream is a part of the forty-six parts of prophecy.
The questioner : Sometimes, O Shaykh, a person sees, for example, a good dream, and his father or brother interprets it for him, and it appears to him that it is good?
The Shaykh : This is a guess, a guess.
The questioner : Is there any harm in it?
The Shaykh : It is not befitting; rather, one should keep it general and say, "This is good," without detailing it. May Allah reward you. As for evil, if it is presented to him—meaning a disliked dream—he should advise the dreamer and say, "We advise you that if you see a disliked dream in yourself or in someone else, you should say, 'I seek refuge in Allah from the evil of Shaytan and from the evil of what I saw,' and not tell anyone."
The problem is that interpreters differ. You find one person narrating his dream to one person and saying the meaning is such-and-such, and to another person it is the opposite. But if it is for the first interpreter, if he interprets it as bad, it turns out bad, and if he interprets it as good...
The questioner : ... ؟
The Shaykh : No, no, I prefer that a person never attach himself to dreams, because if he attaches his heart to dreams, Shaytan will play with him. A man once narrated a dream to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: