Unpleasant dreams fall into two categories. Some are dreams from Allah, Mighty and Majestic, which may be correctly interpreted and come to pass as interpreted, or incorrectly interpreted and not come to pass as interpreted. These, too, are not described as one of forty-five, forty-six, or seventy parts of prophethood. Others are nightmares from Satan, through which he distresses a person, but which cannot themselves cause any harm. A person who sees something he dislikes in a dream is therefore instructed to seek refuge with Allah from the evil of what he has seen. If he does so with firm conviction in what has been related concerning this, what he has seen will not harm him.
The meaning is that Allah only enables him to seek refuge from what he has seen with true certainty when it is either a means by which Satan distresses him or a dream whose meaning differs from the unwelcome interpretation he has given it. Allah may also avert the unwelcome things a person sees in his dream—even when that dream is from Allah—through his seeking refuge from them, just as He averts adverse destiny through supplication, in accordance with His prior knowledge that He would avert it by that means. We have discussed this in the subsection entitled “Sann” in the General Topics section of al-Bayān. Success comes through Allah alone.
Section on Racing
According to Mālik’s school, competitions involving horses, camels, and archery are permissible. The basis for their permissibility is the saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic:
“Prepare against them whatever strength and steeds of war you can, to strike fear into the enemy of Allah and your enemy.” [Al-Anfāl: 60]
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Indeed, strength is archery.” He also said: “No prize is permitted except in archery, camel racing, or horse racing.”
Some scholars permit racing only with horses and camels, on the basis of the report that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “No prize is permitted except in camel racing or horse racing.” Muhammad ibn al-Hasan permitted footraces, while some of al-Shāfiʿī’s followers permitted races involving donkeys and mules. This is an anomalous view, because the purpose of racing is training for combat against the enemy. This cannot be achieved with mules and donkeys, since they are not suited to charging