STRAIGHTPATH July 26, 2011
VISIONS
“The vision is a way of Allah’s Revelation”
By Labbayk Ahmed
The Quran is full of inspirations from Allah (s.w.t) one of them
being Prophetic visions, including Abraham (a.s),
Mohammed (pbuh) and Joseph(a.s).
In fact Allah (s.w.t) praises Abraham (a.s) because he believed
in his vision: “Thou hast already believed the vision. Verily! Thus
do We reward the good.” The Holy Quran (37:105)
Also in the Quran, Allah (s.w.t) inspires the mother of
Moses (a.s) in the vision: “And We inspired the mother of Moses,
saying: Suckle him and, when thou fearest for him, then cast him
into the river and fear not nor grieve. Lo! We shall bring him
back unto thee and shall make him (one) of Our
messengers.” The Holy Quran (28:7)
It is also explained in the Quran that the visions of the
Prophets (PBUT) were seen by them before they were sent, and
after they were sent as well. Meaning that the Divine Inspiration
of Allah (s.w.t) to them started by the visions, and after they had
been sent as messengers. Therefore the path of visions is from
Allah (s.w.t)’s inspiration and did not stop for them.
The Messenger Mohammed (Pbuhahf) had seen visions
before he was sent and they would occur just as he sees them. If
the sent prophets had not believed and worked according to these
visions, then they would not have reached the high level and
position which they had achieved, nor would they achieve the
closeness they had to Allah (s.w.t), and Allah (s.w.t) would never
have selected them for His Divine Message in the first place:
“Thou hast already believed the vision. Verily! Thus do We
reward the good.” The Holy Quran (37:105)
In fact, they (PBUT) believed in the visions of the believers
who were with them. And here is the messenger of Allah
Mohamed(pbuhahf), who would ask his companions about their
visions and care to listen to them after the dawn prayer, as if that
listening to these visions was a remembrance and worshipping to
Allah (s.w.t).
The hypocrites would even deny upon him that he would
listen to and believe each speaker:
Aishah said:
'The beginning of
revelation to the
messenger of Allah
(SAW) was in the form
of true righteous
dreams in his sleep.
He never had a dream
but that it came true
like the bright
daylight.' (Bukhari)
22
“And of them are those who vex the Prophet and say: He is
only a hearer. Say: A hearer of good for you, who believeth in
Allah and is true to the believers, and a mercy for such of you as
believe. Those who vex the messenger of Allah, for them there is
a painful doom”.The Holy Quran (9:61)
Imam al Retha a.s said “in the mornings of the messenger
of Allah PBUHAHF, he would ask his companions “are there
any good tidings?” meaning the visions by his question” Al Kafi
vol8 page90
Verily, that the prophet Muhammad (PBUHAHF) would
consider the visions from the good tidings of prophecy, and it is
narrated that the prophet PBUHAHF said “there are none left
from the good tidings of prophecy except for good visions, the
Muslim would see them or they would be shown to him” Sahih
Muslim vol2 page38
It’s narrated from the Prophet: “If the Time has approached,
the vision of the Muslim won’t be accused of lying and the most
truthful among you in vision, is the most truthful in his speech.
Thus the vision of the believer is a part of forty five parts of
prophecy”. Sharh Usool Al-Kafi- Al-Mazndrani, part 11, page
476.
The Prophet said: “Who saw me in his sleep has indeed seen
me, as the Satan doesn’t appear in my image, neither the image of
any of my guardians, neither in the image of any of their Shia.
And the true vision is a part of the seventy parts of
prophecy”. Bihar Al-Anwar, part 85, page 176
In conclusion, visions are a way of Allah’s revelation.Thus
there is no deterrent for some believers who are devoted to Allah
in their worship to reach the rank of prophecy, and so Allah may
reveal to them through this way (the vision) and make them
acquainted on some of the truth and unseen by His grace.
Certainly the Imams (a.s) reached to the Prophetic rank; yet
as so many narrations confirm, the truth and unseen reached to
them through the vision and revelations.