A Vision in Red: A Dream of Our Beloved Prophet ﷺ
As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh, and a blessed Ramadan to you all. About a year after Allah, the Most High, guided me to Islam, I was blessed with a dream of our beloved Messenger Muhammad ﷺ. The scene was peaceful and still. The sky held the deep red hue of sunset, and I found myself close to the earth. Standing before me was the Prophet ﷺ, looking upon me in silence. My heart knew it was him, yet I kept asking, over and over, "Are you the Prophet? Are you truly the Messenger?" I had been making sincere du'a to see him, knowing that no false being can take his form, but doubt still lingered in my heart. He ﷺ never gave a verbal reply. After a time, I awoke. For years, the question of his silence weighed on me. Why did he not answer? As my faith, alḥamdulillāh, grew stronger, understanding dawned upon me. I reflected on the words of Allah: "Perhaps, [O Muḥammad], you would kill yourself with grief that they will not be believers." (26:3) and "Indeed, [O Muḥammad], you do not guide whom you like, but Allāh guides whom He wills." (28:56) My du'a for the dream had stemmed from a place of uncertainty. Even as it was being answered, I was still seeking confirmation. I realized the first reason for his silence: true belief is a choice between a person and their Lord. No one, not even the Prophet ﷺ, can force that conviction upon another's heart. This brings me to this Ramadan, my fifth, alḥamdulillāh. While reflecting on the reality of the grave, I came upon two ahādīth: The Prophet ﷺ said: "When the deceased is placed in the grave, the sun is made to appear to him as if it is setting. He sits up, wipes the dust from his eyes and says: 'Leave me so that I may pray.'" He ﷺ also said: "The righteous believer is seated in his grave without fear or alarm. It is said to him: 'What was your way?' He says: 'Islam.' It is said: 'Who is this man?' He says: 'Muḥammad, the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ...'" These descriptions fit my dream perfectly-the red sky of dusk, being low to the ground, the profound calm, and seeing the Prophet ﷺ in silence. By His infinite mercy, Allāh ﷻ showed me a glimpse of that ultimate moment while I was still in this life, filled with doubt, so that inshā'allāh, when I am truly in that place, my answer will be, "That is the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ," and not one of confusion. Allāh's mercy is beyond all we can imagine. I am so grateful, and I pray I never forget this dream and the profound peace it has planted in my heart this blessed month. Subḥānaka Allāhumma wa biḥamdik, ashhadu an lā ilāha illā ant, astaghfiruka wa atūbu ilayk.