—and then tells it to someone who does not love him, that person may devise a scheme that blocks him from the good he has seen, exactly as the brothers of Joseph (upon him be peace) did. Joseph son of Jacob (upon him and his father be peace) said to his father, “My dear father, I saw in a dream eleven stars, and the sun and the moon—I saw them prostrating to me.” He meant that the eleven stars—i.e., the constellations—and the sun and the moon were all bowing to him. His father replied, “My son, do not relate your vision to your brothers, lest they plot against you. Surely Satan is an open enemy to man” (Q 12:5). Therefore, never relate a favourable dream to anyone who is not among your loved ones and true friends—those who wish for you what they wish for themselves.
The second category consists of ominous dreams. These are the dreams that disturb and frighten a person. Such a dream must never be related to anyone at all—neither friend nor foe. If you awaken from it, lightly spit to your left three times and say, “I seek refuge in Allah from Satan’s evil and from the evil of what I have seen.”
Should you wish to go back to sleep, lie on the other side, not on the side on which you experienced the hateful dream; it will then cause no harm. Whoever sees something he dislikes should proceed as follows: first, upon waking, lightly spit to the left three times and say, “I seek refuge in Allah from Satan’s evil and from the evil of what I have seen.” If he still intends to resume sleep, he should turn onto the opposite side after sitting up for a moment, and he must not relate the dream to anyone, for it will not harm him. When he does this, it will not hurt him, by Allah’s leave.
The Companions used to become ill and troubled by disturbing dreams, but when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught them this guidance, they acted upon it and felt at ease. Many people, however, are afflicted with the opposite: they pursue harm for themselves. They see a dream they dislike, then go around telling it to others, asking them to interpret it. This is a mistake. If you see a dream you dislike, you already possess one of the finest remedies—indeed,