Dua for Bad Dreams: What the Prophet ﷺ Taught to Do
Contents
You wake at 3 am, heart pounding, the dream still clinging to you. That is the moment many of us search for a dua for bad dreams. The Prophet ﷺ gave us a short, calm routine for it, and a promise: the dream “will not harm him”.
At a glance
- Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 6995 (also Sahih Muslim 2261 and 2262)
- Narrated by: Abu Qatada; also Jabir and Abu Hurayrah in Sahih Muslim
- Grade: Sahih (in Bukhari and Muslim)
- Topic: Dreams and seeking refuge
- Practise it: After a bad dream, spit lightly to your left three times, seek refuge with Allah, and turn over
The dua for bad dreams: what the Prophet ﷺ taught
Abu Qatada (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
الرُّؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةُ مِنَ اللَّهِ، وَالْحُلْمُ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ، فَمَنْ رَأَى شَيْئًا يَكْرَهُهُ فَلْيَنْفِثْ عَنْ شِمَالِهِ ثَلاَثًا، وَلْيَتَعَوَّذْ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ، فَإِنَّهَا لاَ تَضُرُّهُ، وَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لاَ يَتَرَاءَى بِي
“A good dream is from Allah, and a bad dream is from Satan. So whoever has seen (in a dream) something he dislikes, then he should spit without saliva, thrice on his left and seek refuge with Allah from Satan, for it will not harm him, and Satan cannot appear in my shape.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 6995 · Narrated by Abu Qatada · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
Sunnah.com translates the first step as spitting “without saliva”: a light puff of breath to the left, not real spitting. The hadith tells us to seek refuge with Allah from Satan, but it gives no fixed words. Many people say A‘udhu billahi minash-shaytanir-rajim (“I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the accursed”). That is a common wording, not one stated in these hadith.
Three more steps from Sahih Muslim
Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated a version that gives a number for seeking refuge and adds one more action:
إِذَا رَأَى أَحَدُكُمُ الرُّؤْيَا يَكْرَهُهَا فَلْيَبْصُقْ عَنْ يَسَارِهِ ثَلاَثًا وَلْيَسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ ثَلاَثًا وَلْيَتَحَوَّلْ عَنْ جَنْبِهِ الَّذِي كَانَ عَلَيْهِ
“If anyone sees a dream which he does not like, he should spit on his left side three times, and seek refuge with Allah from the Satan three times, and let him turn over from the side on which he was sleeping.”
Sahih Muslim 2262 · Narrated by Jabir · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
So we seek refuge three times, then simply turn onto the other side before going back to sleep. Another narration from Abu Qatada tells us what to do with the dream afterwards:
الرُّؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةُ مِنَ اللَّهِ فَإِذَا رَأَى أَحَدُكُمْ مَا يُحِبُّ فَلاَ يُحَدِّثُ بِهَا إِلاَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّ وَإِنْ رَأَى مَا يَكْرَهُ فَلْيَتْفِلْ عَنْ يَسَارِهِ ثَلاَثًا وَلْيَتَعَوَّذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شَرِّ الشَّيْطَانِ وَشَرِّهَا وَلاَ يُحَدِّثْ بِهَا أَحَدًا فَإِنَّهَا لَنْ تَضُرَّهُ
“Good dreams are from Allah, so if any one of you sees which he likes he should not disclose it to one but whom he loves, but if he sees something which he does not like he should spit on his left side thrice and seek refuge with Allah from the mischief of the Satan and its mischief (i.e. of the dream), and he should not relate it to anyone, then it would not harm him.”
Sahih Muslim 2261g · Narrated by Abu Qatada · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
A bad dream is kept to ourselves. A good dream may be shared, but only with someone we love. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated one more option for a dream that still unsettles us:
وَالرُّؤْيَا ثَلاَثَةٌ فَرُؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةِ بُشْرَى مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرُؤْيَا تَحْزِينٌ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ وَرُؤْيَا مِمَّا يُحَدِّثُ الْمَرْءُ نَفْسَهُ فَإِنْ رَأَى أَحَدُكُمْ مَا يَكْرَهُ فَلْيَقُمْ فَلْيُصَلِّ وَلاَ يُحَدِّثْ بِهَا النَّاسَ
“Dreams are of three types: one good dream which is a sort of good tidings from Allah; the evil dream which causes pain is from the satan; and the third one is a suggestion of one’s own mind; so if any one of you sees a dream which he does not like he should stand up and offer prayer and he should not relate it to people.”
Sahih Muslim 2263a · Narrated by Abu Hurayrah · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
Standing to pray is not required after every dream. It is there for the nights when the fear will not settle.
What it means
The explanation on HadeethEnc sorts what a sleeper sees into three kinds: a good vision from Allah, self-talk from what we think about while awake, and a frightening dream through which the devil tries to sadden us. It explains that the steps in these hadith are a means Allah made to protect us from the harm of that last kind.
Reflection: the routine is short on purpose. In a few seconds we act, seek refuge, and turn over, and then we are told not to spread the dream or dwell on it. A frightening dream is not a message we have to decode. It is something we leave with Allah.
How to practise it
- When you wake from a bad dream, spit lightly (a puff of breath) to your left three times.
- Seek refuge with Allah from Satan three times. The hadith give no fixed words; A‘udhu billahi minash-shaytanir-rajim is a common wording.
- Turn onto your other side before you go back to sleep.
- Don’t tell anyone about it. Keep good dreams for people you love.
- If you still can’t settle, get up and pray (the hadith gives no number of rak‘ahs), then lie down again with your dua for sleeping.
Questions people ask
Should I tell anyone about a bad dream?
No. In Sahih Muslim 2261 the Prophet ﷺ said that the one who sees a dream he dislikes should not relate it to anyone, and it will not harm him. A good dream may be shared, but only with someone you love.
Does a bad dream mean something bad will happen?
The hadith promise the opposite: whoever follows these steps, the dream “will not harm him”. A frightening dream is from Satan, not a sign to fear. If bad dreams keep disturbing your sleep, talk to someone you trust and see a doctor.
Is there a dua for bad dreams for kids?
The same steps apply. With young children, keep it simple: blow lightly to the left together, say “A‘udhu billah” together, and help them turn over. This is a suggestion for teaching children, not a separate dua in the hadith.
Key lessons
- The dua for bad dreams is really a short routine: spit lightly, seek refuge, turn over.
- Good dreams are from Allah; frightening dreams are from Satan.
- A bad dream is kept private, and it will not harm us.
- Prayer is there for the nights when fear won’t settle.
Part of our Dua series: see all our dua articles in one place.
Tonight, before you sleep, read the three steps once more. Then, if a bad dream wakes you, they will come to you without thinking.
Save this to Pinterest so you have the steps ready the next time a bad dream wakes you
Share the reward. Send this article to someone who needs it today — teaching a hadith or dua can become a lasting good deed for you, in shaa Allah.
