The Shaykh's approach to those who ask him to interpret a dream

The Shaykh : Then, when I expanded in my pursuit of knowledge and looked into some of the Sunnah, I learned that dreams are of three categories, as stated in the authentic hadith: So now, when someone tells me about a dream, I am reluctant to listen to a dream narrative. But sometimes, as they say, one must listen to what cannot be avoided. I give him this lesson and the benefit he can derive from his dream story, which is this lesson based on the Sunnah. As for interpreting a dream, I do not say to him: "A dream is of three types: a dream from Allah, which is one of the good tidings and a part of the forty-six parts of prophecy; a dream from Shaytan, which is one of Shaytan's tricks with human beings; and a dream from the talk of the self, meaning the person has something on his mind during the day, so his subconscious, as the philosophers say, works at night and imagines things that happened during the day." So I tell the dreamer, "My brother, first, how do we know that your dream is one of the three? Is it from the first category, from Allah... or from the other two, from Shaytan's tricks or from the talk of the self? Where is the evidence that one is more likely than the other? This is very rare. And then, the truth is, if it were a dream from Allah, I would say: 'We are not knowledgeable about the interpretation of dreams.' The second thing I criticize the dreamer for is saying, 'My brother, if one of you sees a dream, if it is a dream that pleases him, let him tell it only to the righteous and the advisors among people. Why? Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This is one of the unseen causes that do not enter into human logic or intellect. If it is interpreted correctly or incorrectly, it will come to pass as it was interpreted. Therefore, if a person must see a dream and must relate it, and if he is convinced that the dream is good, he should cast it upon someone he believes is knowledgeable and an advisor so that he may interpret it for good. And if it is a dream he dislikes, he should not tell anyone about it. When he wakes up, let him spit to his left three times and seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, for it will not harm him. These are the admonitions we offer to everyone who sees a dream. As for whether we can interpret dreams, this is not a science. There may be a person who is like Ibn Sirin, gifted by Allah, and Allah singles out with His grace whom He wills. It is possible that this is the case. But it is not a science, it is not a science that can be acquired in any way.