How to See Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in a Dream – Amal of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jailani

Many Muslims have a deep desire to see Rasul Allah ﷺ in a dream. Seeing Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in a true dream is established in authentic hadith. Rasul Allah ﷺ said:

مَنْ رَآنِي فِي الْمَنَامِ فَقَدْ رَآنِي، فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَا يَتَمَثَّلُ بِي

“Whoever sees me in a dream has truly seen me, because Satan cannot take my form.”

This meaning is established in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.

Amal Mentioned by Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani رحمه الله

In Al-Ghunyah li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq (غنية الطالبين), commonly known as Ghunyat al-Talibin, Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani رحمه الله records a narration concerning an amal to be performed on Thursday night, meaning the night before Friday (Laylat al-Jumu‘ah).

The practice mentioned is as follows:

1. Perform two rak‘ahs of Nafl Salah on Thursday night.
2. In each rak‘ah, after Surah al-Fatihah, recite:
   • Ayat al-Kursi — 1 time
   • Surah al-Ikhlas — 15 times
3. After completing the two rak‘ahs, recite the following 1,000 times:

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ النَّبِيِّ الْأُمِّيِّ

Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin an-Nabiyyil-Ummiyy.

Meaning:
“O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad, the Unlettered Prophet.”

The narration recorded in Ghunyat al-Talibin then contains the words:

فَإِنَّهُ يَرَانِي فِي لَيْلَتِهِ، وَلَا تَتِمُّ لَهُ الْجُمُعَةُ الْأُخْرَى إِلَّا وَقَدْ رَآنِي

Meaning:

“He will see me during that night, and the following Friday will not be completed except that he will have seen me.”

Source

This amal is mentioned in:
Ghunyat al-Talibin — غنية الطالبين by Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani رحمه الله

The book’s full Arabic title is: الغنية لطالبي طريق الحق عز وجل

It is important to understand that Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani رحمه الله records this as a narration. Therefore, it is more accurate to say:

“An amal mentioned in Ghunyat al-Talibin by Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani رحمه الله”

rather than saying that Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani رحمه الله personally created or guaranteed this practice.

Is This Hadith Authentic?

There is an important scholarly point regarding this narration.

Although the practice is found in Ghunyat al-Talibin, hadith scholars have criticised narrations containing similar prescribed prayers for seeing Rasul Allah ﷺ in a dream, and some scholars classified related narrations as weak
However, sending abundant Salawat and Durood upon Rasul Allah ﷺ, remembering Allah, reciting the Qur’an, making sincere dua, and following the Sunnah are all virtuous acts in themselves.

Can Rasul Allah ﷺ Really Be Seen in a Dream?

Yes. The possibility of seeing Rasul Allah ﷺ in a dream is clearly established through authentic hadith.

Rasul Allah ﷺ said:

مَنْ رَآنِي فِي الْمَنَامِ فَقَدْ رَآنِي فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَا يَتَمَثَّلُ بِي

“Whoever sees me in a dream has truly seen me, for Satan cannot impersonate me.”

This is why righteous Muslims throughout Islamic history have considered seeing Rasul Allah ﷺ in a dream to be a great blessing.

A Muslim should nevertheless focus primarily on loving Rasul Allah ﷺ, following his Sunnah, sending Salawat upon him, obeying Allah سبحانه وتعالى, and avoiding sins, rather than treating a dream itself as the main objective.