How can I tell whether a dream comes from God?

A dream from God has its own language of images and signs, and the dreamer often senses that it was no ordinary dream. The final confirmation comes with time, because such a dream comes true.

Not every dream has a meaning. Much of what we see at night is only an echo of the day, of our worries and wishes. Yet Islam teaches that God can still speak to people today through true dreams. So it is a fair question how to tell the two apart.

A dream from God has its own inner language. It often speaks in images and signs that carry a deeper meaning. Many people who have such a dream feel clearly on waking that it was different from an ordinary dream. It stays vivid in their memory and does not let them go.

The most important sign, however, is fulfilment. The verse above tells of the King of Egypt, who saw seven fat cows being eaten by seven lean ones. His advisers took it for confused dreams. But Joseph (as) interpreted it as seven years of plenty that would be followed by seven years of hardship. It happened exactly so, and because the land had prepared, it was saved.

So one should not turn every dream into a message, and there is no need to fear a disturbing dream. One seeks refuge with God and lets it go. A true dream, on the other hand, reveals itself in time.