All major world religions would agree that dreams are a way for God to communicate with us. They provide us with information and knowledge of the unseen, glad tidings, and even warnings of what’s to come. On a higher note, dreams are the language of God in which He speaks to His creation and more precisely to His chosen prophets and messengers.
The importance of dreams in the Bible and the Quran
The entire history of Egypt during the time of Joseph and Akhenaten was shaped by a dream. Joseph interpreted a dream for Akhenaten, predicting 7 years of abundance followed by 7 years of famine in Egypt. This interpretation was pivotal, leading Akhenaten to believe in Joseph and embrace Monotheism, abandoning polytheistic deities and opposing the priests of that era.
In the bible, we read in Genesis 40:8,
"And they said to him: 'We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter for it.' So Joseph said to them, 'Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.'"
In the above story, these types of dreams served as warnings. Another type of dream brings glad tidings, such as Joseph's dream of seeing the planets, the sun, and the moon prostrating to him. Some dreams even appear as commands, like Abraham's dream that is recorded in the Quran:
"Then when the boy reached the age to work with him, Abraham said, 'O my dear son! I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice you. So tell me what you think.' He replied, 'O my dear father! Do as you are commanded. Allah willing, you will find me steadfast.' " (37:102)
In addition to that, Prophet Muhammad had said that the true dream or vision is the final and remaining part of prophethood ("Goal of the Wise," page 283, door 24). It is also one of the signs that a person is a true Messenger from God. As mentioned in the bible,
"Listen to my words: When there is a prophet among you, I the Lord reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams." (Numbers 12:6)
Or in Proverbs 29:18 it says:
"Where there is no vision, the people perish..."
In fact, many parts of the Bible are actually dreams. Like in Samuel 28:15,
"Samuel said to Saul, 'Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?' 'I am in great distress,' Saul said. 'The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.'"
Or in Job 33:14-15,
"For God does speak—now one way, now another—though no one perceives it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds,".
Dreams have long been seen as a means of divine communication, alerting individuals to potential missteps in their lives. In the biblical story of Job, for example, terrifying dreams served as more than mere nightmares. These visions were perceived as a method through which God conveyed the need for self-reflection and change.
And in Matthew 1:20:
"But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.'"
Here in this example, after this dream, Joseph listened to the Angel, who told him not to fear marrying Mary because it was all part of God’s plan. By believing his dream, Joseph helped fulfill an important prophecy concerning the birth of Jesus.
Dreams also hold significant importance in Buddhism. In Mahayana Buddhism, some schools believe that the dream world is as real as the waking world. According to the Prajnaparamita Sutra and related texts, dreams (svapna in Sanskrit) are classified into five categories.
1. Dreams caused by physical imbalance (kāyavaiṣamya), where hot vapors dominate, leading to dreams of fire, yellow, and red.
2. Dreams caused by cold vapors, leading to visions of water and white.
3. Dreams caused by windy vapors, leading to visions of flights and black.
4. Dreams reflecting thoughts and reflections from the day, where one re-sees what was seen and heard.
5. Dreams sent by gods to teach about future events.
Thus, in Buddhism, dreams are a crucial aspect of understanding the mind, gaining insight, and even foreseeing significant events.
Another notable example of the importance of dreams in Buddhism is the story of Queen Maya, the mother of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha). Before his birth, she had a vivid dream in which a white elephant descended from the heavens and entered her side. This dream was interpreted by Brahmin scholars as a divine sign that her child would become a great leader, either a universal monarch or a fully enlightened Buddha.
Dreams of the companions of the Qaim
Aba Al-Sadiq underlines the importance of dreams and confirms that they have an important role in God's religion. An entire chapter of the Goal of the Wise is dedicated to the topic of dreams, with several of Aba Al-Sadiqs companions sharing dreams they had about this faith. Since the beginning of the call, believers have testified that they have had dreams confirming its truthfulness. Therefore many of his companions pay attention to their dreams and share them with each other. The following is a selected dreams from one of the companions of Aba Al-Sadiq.
“It happened around October 2014, before Aba Al-Sadiq announced his vicegerency. “Aba Al-Sadiq was standing surrounded by people that were harassing him. He stayed patient. And suddenly the clouds above our heads opened up and I saw a golden bracelet descending from the sky. A voice appeared from the sky saying, "Whoever this bracelet fits on his ankle is the rightful owner of it." Many people tried to put it on without success. The only one it fit was Abdullah Hashem. As he placed it on his ankle, a flash of bright light and a heavy sound emanated from Abdullah. When it settled, I saw that he had turned into a king, complete with crown, scepter, and robe. All those who had harassed him felt ashamed. However, he did not punish them but rather raised their heads and forgave them. As I saw this, I shouted, "This is my brother Abdullah!"
When I woke up, I went upstairs to him. We sat down, and I started by saying, "I had a dream last night, and I have good news for you." He looked at me with a big smile on his face. I wondered about his reaction, and he said, "Don't worry, just continue." So, I continued telling him the dream. When I finished, he said, "I had a dream last night too. I heard God's voice telling me that you would bring me glad tidings, and my wife is a witness to that, as I told her my dream before you told me yours." I had goosebumps all over my body.
In conclusion, we can clearly see how God can use dreams to guide people to the straight path or to warn them of future events. Brother Nima’s dream shows us how God can even inform us about the coming of the Savior of mankind, preparing our hearts to accept and pledge allegiance to him.
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