The Mirror of the Heart: True Dreams in Islam

DAILYREFLECTION

In the time of the Prophet ﷺ, dreams were not just whispers of the mind. They were windows into unseen realities, reflections of the heart’s purity.

Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet ﷺ used to love good dreams. Each morning, he would ask his companions, “Who among you saw a good dream last night?”

He would listen closely, but when a person known for truthfulness and good character spoke, the Prophet ﷺ would lean in even more. Because he knew — when a heart is sincere, its dreams begin to speak truth too.

One day, a woman came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I saw myself entering Jannah.”

She continued, “And I saw twelve men there, their clothes covered in blood. Then I heard Allah, the Most High, say to the angels: ‘Take them to the river of Barzakh.’ So they entered the river, and when they came out, their faces were shining like the full moon. Then golden chairs were brought to them, and plates of fresh fruit and dates were placed before them. I sat and ate with them.”

The Prophet ﷺ listened with calm attention.
And as soon as she finished, a man entered the gathering carrying news from the battlefield. “Twelve men have just been martyred,” he said. The companions fell silent. The same twelve names the woman had just seen in her dream. The Prophet ﷺ smiled gently, his face full of light.

Dreams are mirrors, and they reflect what lives inside the heart. The purer the heart, the clearer the reflection. The Prophet ﷺ said that in the later days, as falsehoods multiply and lies become common, the truthful person will be blessed with more true dreams.

Truth attracts truth.
When your heart is honest, the unseen opens its windows to you. That’s why the Prophet ﷺ called truthful dreams “one part of forty-six parts of prophethood.” They are not just visions, they are a mercy. A reminder that even when the world becomes clouded with deceit, Allah still speaks to the hearts that refuse to lie.

So if you ever wake up from a dream that feels alive, a message, a comfort, a gentle nudge, remember: Dreams are not random. They often come to those who guard their tongues, who keep their hearts clean, who live as though Allah is always watching, and who need a reminder just when their hearts begin to drift.

Sometimes, the unseen brings you what you need right when you need it most. In a world full of noise and illusion, where truth is buried under layers of propaganda, algorithms, and AI, let us be the ones who polish our hearts instead of our feeds. Let us guard our honesty, purify our intentions, and look within more than we look around.

Because as the world drowns in falsehood, truth will only grow rarer and therefore, more luminous.

REFLECT ON THIS:

When the world grows loud with lies, what steps can we take to make our inner world more truthful so that our hearts can again mirror the unseen?

^{Share your reflections in the poll at the end of the email.}

WATERMELONWATCH

• Turkish President Erdoğan said the U.S. and other parties must press Gaza Strip ceasefire obligations on Israel, underscoring growing frustration at the sluggish pace of aid and dispute over compliance.

• The World Health Organization warned that humanitarian aid remains far below what is needed in Gaza, with over 600,000 people still facing catastrophic food insecurity and a $7 billion healthcare rebuild estimated, yet some aid routes remain blocked.

• The International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion that Israel must allow unimpeded UN-led aid into Gaza and ensure Palestinians’ basic needs are met, reinforcing international legal pressure amid the humanitarian crisis.

• Clearing Gaza’s surface of bombs will take up to 30 years, aid group says — Humanity & Inclusion stated the task of clearing unexploded ordnance in Gaza Strip is likely to take 20-30 years and described the area as a “horrific, unmapped minefield.”

• The Marco Rubio visit to Israel signalled a push to form a multinational security force in Gaza under the ceasefire plan, with the caveat that participating countries must be acceptable to Israel, pointing to international cooperation opportunities if political hurdles can be overcome.

QURANCORNER

Each day, you’ll be introduced to one of the 300 most common Qur’anic words. The Qur’an has about 77,430 words in total, all built on just 2,000 root words. By learning these frequently recurring ones, you’ll recognize 70–80% of the Qur’an’s vocabulary and begin connecting more deeply as you read.

Al-Ḥaqq (ٱلْحَقّ) - The Truth / The Reality

Al-Ḥaqq isn’t just something that’s correct, it’s what lasts, what pierces through doubt, what stands when everything else falls. It is one of the Names of Allah, and one of the descriptions of His Word, His promise, and the Day of Judgment. Al-Ḥaqq reminds us that this world may twist, deceive, and fade, but truth doesn’t. And the truth is with Him.