42/2. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2268d — Avoid Narrating Disturbing Dreams
No One Should Speak Of How The Shaitan Toyed With Him In His Sleep
Hadith About Not Telling People Disturbing Dreams
Sahih Muslim : 2268d
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2268d
وَحَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ جَاءَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ رَأَيْتُ فِي الْمَنَامِ كَأَنَّ رَأْسِي ضُرِبَ فَتَدَحْرَجَ فَاشْتَدَدْتُ عَلَى أَثَرِهِ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِلأَعْرَابِيِّ " لاَ تُحَدِّثِ النَّاسَ بِتَلَعُّبِ الشَّيْطَانِ بِكَ فِي مَنَامِكَ " . وَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَعْدُ يَخْطُبُ فَقَالَ " لاَ يُحَدِّثَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ بِتَلَعُّبِ الشَّيْطَانِ بِهِ فِي مَنَامِهِ " .
Jabir Narrated from:
There came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) a desert Arab and said: Allah's Messenger, I saw in the state of sleep as if my head had been cut off and I had been moving on haltingly after it. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to that desert Arab: Do not narrate to the people the vain sporting of satan with you in your sleep and (the narrator) also said: I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in his subsequent address: None amongst you should narrate the vain sporting of devil with him in the dream.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2268dIn-book reference : Book 42, Hadith 30USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 29, Hadith 5641
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2268d
This Hadith about disturbing dreams gives the same lesson in a stronger public form. A desert Arab told Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم that his head had been cut off in sleep and that he moved after it. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told him not to tell people about the devil’s vain sporting with him in his dream. The narrator then heard the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم say in a later address that none of you should narrate the devil’s vain play with him in sleep. The focus is not on giving a meaning to the dream. The focus is on not spreading it. For anyone searching “do not narrate bad dreams hadith,” this text points to restraint and calm speech.
What we learn from this hadith
- A disturbing dream does not need to be made public.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم gave this guidance both to one person and in a public address.
- The text teaches restraint when a dream is only a cause of fear or confusion.
