The Ones Who Still See the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in Their Dreams

The Companions Who Never Stopped Seeing

Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) once said, “I served the Prophet ﷺ for ten years in Madinah, and I never saw anyone more beautiful or blessed than him.”
He was a young boy when he entered the Prophet’s home, and a grown man when he left it. For ten years he watched him every day, the light on his face, the mercy in his voice, the perfection of his manners.

And then the Prophet ﷺ returned to his Lord.

Anas lived on for nearly ninety more years. Imagine what that longing must have felt like, the silence of nights once filled with his voice, the ache of remembering his footsteps, the emptiness of living in a world without him.

Al-Muthanna ibn Sa‘id narrates that Anas said,

And when he said that, he wept.

For ten years, he served him in this world.
For ninety years, he saw him in his dreams.
And now, by Allah’s mercy, he is with him again.

Before his passing at over a hundred years old, Anas asked to be buried with the relics he still possessed from the Prophet ﷺ, a few strands of his blessed hair and his walking stick. Imagine that reunion in the Barzakh, after a lifetime of yearning, and ninety years of nightly reunion in dreams.

The Door Was Never Closed

But here lies the hope:
You and I were not deprived of him.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

Right now, wherever you are, if you whisper,
“Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad,”
he ﷺ responds to you.

The connection is not poetic or metaphorical. It is real.

He also said,

Every time we send blessings upon him, our names are mentioned in his presence. The very lips that once recited the Qur’an in his home, that smiled upon Anas, now move in response to your greeting.

The Gift of Seeing Him in Dreams

Not all are granted the vision of seeing the Prophet ﷺ in dreams.
Some of the most righteous never did.
Others, far from observance, are granted it as mercy: a push to return, a spark to begin again.

Yet for those who do, it is no small thing.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

Such a vision is not imagination, it is a true meeting between souls. But even this is not the ultimate goal of the seeker.

The goal is not simply to see him,
but to resemble him.

To speak gently when provoked.
To forgive when wronged.
To stand at night in gratitude when no one is watching.

To live so closely to his Sunnah that if he were to appear before you in this life or the next he would recognize you as one of his own.

Applying This Teaching to Our Personal Lives

1. Send Salawat Daily
Make salawat your heart’s rhythm morning, evening, after prayer, and especially on Fridays. Neuroscience shows that rhythmic repetition calms the nervous system and lowers stress, just as dhikr purifies the heart in Islam.

2. Cultivate Mercy in Speech
Speak as the Prophet ﷺ spoke softly, sincerely, and with compassion. Emotional regulation research shows that gentle tone reshapes neural pathways toward empathy.

3. Practice Night Gratitude
Stand for two rak‘ahs in silence at night, thanking Allah for His gifts. Studies show that nightly reflection enhances neuroplasticity and deepens emotional stability.

4. Forgive Freely
He ﷺ forgave even those who harmed him. Releasing resentment reduces cortisol levels and supports heart health both physically and spiritually.

5. Embody the Sunnah Daily
Let your actions be your da‘wah. Eat, walk, greet, and pray as he did. When your manners reflect his, the distance between your heart and his presence narrows.

A Meeting Yet to Come

Perhaps one day, when our hearts beat in rhythm with his Sunnah, Allah will honor us with seeing him in our dreams, or when we wake in the next world and meet him at last.

Until then, every “Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad” is a step closer.

And maybe, like Anas ibn Malik (RA),
we too will one day see him again and again
until reunion becomes forever.

FAQ

1. Can anyone see the Prophet ﷺ in a dream?
Yes, but it is a gift from Allah. It is not earned by status alone, but by sincerity, love, and divine mercy.

2. Is every dream of the Prophet ﷺ true?
If the Prophet ﷺ appears as described in authentic narrations, it is true, for Shaytan cannot imitate his form.

3. How can I strengthen my connection to the Prophet ﷺ?
By following his Sunnah, sending salawat, and studying his seerah regularly.

4. What should I do if I dream of the Prophet ﷺ?
Thank Allah, increase in salawat, and reflect on what the dream may encourage you to do, usually, to grow in love, patience, and worship.

5. Why do some people never see him?
Not seeing him in dreams does not mean disconnection. Allah may test some with longing to raise their rank, and gift others a glimpse to awaken their hearts.

Footnotes

1. Brewer, J. A. et al. (2011). Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity. PNAS.

2. Siegel, D. J. (2012). The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are. Guilford Press.

3. Davidson, R. J., & McEwen, B. S. (2012). Social influences on neuroplasticity: Stress and interventions to promote well-being. Nature Neuroscience.

4. Worthington, E. L. (2013). Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Theory and Application. Routledge.

References:

• Qur’an 33:56

• Sahih al-Bukhari 6994

• Sunan Abu Dawud 2041

• Sunan Abu Dawud 1531