DREAMS OF POWER AND STRENGTH

Dr Umar Azam BA PhD DCL Dip.FJ Dip.IM

MANCHESTER, UK

January 2003

I N T R O D U C T I O N

I am pleased to reveal that I have, Mash'Allah, had dreams of strength and power on numerous occasions.  These dreams are very valuable for three main reasons.  Firstly, Allah is the Omnipotent Sovereign.  If a person is humble before Allah Most High (respects Allah Almighty honestly and from the heart) and remembers that Allah is the Friend and Helper of those who believe, Allah blesses that person with a certain strength and honour.  Other people will be able to detect these qualities in that person because of the inherent natural Authority.  I hope that, Insh'Allah, I am such a kind of person that Allah Most High has very mercifully given a certain ability to.  Moreover, these dreams of strength and power are noble because they acknowledge that I have done religious deeds (i.e. written and distributed Islamic books, helped people when they are in trouble, taught people knowledge that can change their lives for the better etc.) on an exceptional or record-breaking scale.  Finally, such dreams are essential in encouraging me to carrry on with tasks that initially seem daunting, or even impossible.

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* THE DREAMS OF POWER AND STRENGTH *   

PS These dreams have not been presented in chronological order.        

DREAM NO 1                                 24 MARCH 1997

I saw an ox with horns.  It was a strong and handsome animal.

INTERPRETATION

'An ox or bull with horns symbolises a big and powerful deputy of the King who wields great power and exercises great control.  Such a person enjoys the liberty of granting benefits to others.'  Ibn Sireen, p.106

DREAM NO 2                                             c. LATE 1994/EARLY 1995

I had a dream that I was at a railway station.  I saw a stationary train.  With my right hand I moved the end carriage forwards and the whole train, many carriages in length, moved forward.  Then the whole train came back when I reversed the process!  The entire train was as light as a toy for me, even though it was a mass [many tonnes] of metal.

INTERPRETATION

'Powerful hands symbolise the wielding of great power.'  Ibn Sireen, p.63

DREAM NO 3                                                 DATE NOT RECORDED

In my dream, I saw two cows which were very aggressive, like the queens of all beasts; they could even attack lions!  I saw them running amok.  I was with a friend who was afraid of the power of these cows, but I was not.  The cows were of some aristocratic breed and colour - 'Radnorshire Lilac' was how the dream described them!

INTERPRETATION

'A Herd of Black Cows' is the nearest interpretation I could find in Ibn Sireen's book.  'They symbolise many prosperous years, depending on how fat they are.' p.107

DREAM NO 4                                         SUNDAY 21 MARCH 1992

My friends and I were fighting against polytheists;  Allah Most High gave us victory!

DREAM NO 5                            WEDNESDAY 26 FEBRUARY 1997

I dreamt that I was on the verge of making an atom bomb.  People who knew me as a person knew that  I had this capability, and the dream confirmed that to make an atom bomb was easy for me! I already had one of the components - medium-sized bag of 'Bombay Mix' snacks, made of gramflour!  There was to be only one more component in the atom bomb!

INTERPRETATION

I had been preparing the paper THE PHILOSOPHY OF ISLAM [it is one of the contents of this website: please see to the left.]  This dream is saying that my Islamic work has, Masha'Allah, tremendous power [symbolised by the atom bomb], but is beneficial and natural, not harmful [symbolised by the gramflour from lentils in the 'Bombay Mix'].

DREAM NO 6                        17 JANUARY 1997

I saw huge mountains, but the level of the sea was so high that only the tips of the mountains could be seen.

INTERPRETATION

'The sea or the ocean symbolise a vast kingdom a powerful dynasty, provided that no filth, muck, sediment or frightening waves are seen.'  Ibn Sireen p.33

'Mountains and hills represent people, their ranks and positions depending on the size, height and mass of such mountains and hills.  The person who sees such a dream will attain honour and dignity.' Ibn Sireen, p.41

DREAM NO 7                      DATE NOT RECORDED

I dreamt that I was climbing a mountain.

INTERPRETATION

See interpretation for Dream No 6 above.

DREAM NO 8                                    6 JUNE 1997

From my position on the Earth, I saw bands [or belts] of planets and stars in the heavens.  I was given the message, 'There is a star for each.....'  

When I woke up from this dream, I couldn't recall for each ...what? [!]

INTERPRETATION

'Seeing the stars gathered or collected in a certain place means that the observer of the dream will gain leadership of noble personalities, thus tending to their needs and fulfilling them.'  Ibn Sireen

 DREAM NO 9                                     JUNE 1997

I dreamt the message that the countless planets in the Universe provide the fresh air which accompanies every dawn on Earth, as well as the breeze [and other unknown phenomena related to climate] which herald each new day.

DREAM NO 10                                                        NOVEMBER 1996

There was what seemed to be a pet tiger sitting beside the television set of my parents' house.  My wife * stroked the tiger but it tried to 'paw' her [when the big cats become angry, they stretch out threateningly with their right paws].  I chided my wife for irritating the tiger [she was stroking the tiger firmly with both of her hands on both sides of its head simultaneously].  Imyself was in awe and fear of the tiger.

* A wife who I cannot relate to in waking life [an unknown wife].

INTERPRETATION

There is no entry for 'stroking a tiger' in Ibn Sireen's book, but there is one for 'Riding a Tiger: One will attain dignity, honour and happiness.  A strong and powerful opponent will be subdued.' p.117

DREAM NO 11                   EID-UL-FITR: TUESDAY 7 APRIL 1998

I dreamt that Salford University manufactures sophisticated military equipment for Britain's defence forces!  Then the dream acknowledged that I, too, had done important work at the University of Salford.

CONTEXT

I had visited Salford University on Thursday 26 March 1998, and managed to request students to complete 53 documents [44 application forms for the PRACTICAL ISLAMIC ADVICE booklet and nine forms containing comments on this Booklet].  The students had welcomed my work and were friendly and respectful to me, so I had a very satisfying time doing the paperwork!

DREAM NO 12                   EVE OF EID-UL-ADHA: MON 6/4/1998

I dreamt that I hadpinned a girl down, and I said to her: Í can go to the next Galaxy whenever I want!

ÇONTEXT

Two girl students at Preston College wrote on the comments forms of my PRACTICAL ISLAMIC ADVICE that they did not believe the following two dreams of mine:

a] that Ihad dreamt that Allah Almighty had made a Paradise especially for me and given it a Special Name;

b] that Allah Most High will be giving me Palaces as large as the planet Earth for writing and distributing PRACTICAL ISLAMIC ADVICE.

Perhaps this dream was a message to me from Allah Almighty that  these girls are deluded.

DREAM NO 13                              WEDNESDAY 4 JANUARY 1998

I dreamt that there was a person who had already passed Allah's Test [on Earth], was already Blessed, yet he was still living worldly life unremarkably!  So he was in the admirable position of having made passing the Test and Being Blessed seem so easy because of his capable character.

DREAM NO 14                              THURSDAY 5 JANUARY 1998

I had a dreamt that someone [I think he was a medical doctor] told my father: Ýou have children who have managed to reach the [ultimate] heights in both deen [religious matters] and duniya *  [worldly matters], yet you don't appreciate their success!  So you must be ill!

* When my brother or sisters or I  had done something wrong as children, our parents used to chide us by saying in Punjabi: 'deen-duniya di koiee hosh hee nai' [you've no consciousness of religion or the world!'

CONTEXT

Later that same day, I had a heated argument with my father!  It started when I told him that my brother Zaheer's book VISION OF PARADISE [it is one of the contents of this Website; please see texts to the left on this page] was going to be published in Lahore, Pakistan.  I expected my father to congratulate me.  But, instead, he became furious and asked what the use of publishing VISION OF PARADISE was, when neither my brother nor I were married, had children, or good jobs.  I tried to make him understand that writing an Islamic booklet and then getting it published are worthy achievements, but he did not listen.  This dream confirms that I am correct in believing that religious success overrides all other matters.

DREAM NO 15                                               27 JANUARY 1998

I had an inspirational message that I was really MAJOR Umar Azam!

CONTEXT

When doing 'óutdoor' Islamic work, I frequently stopped the younger generation of Muslims on the streets, and inside college and University libraries, and gave them a free PRACTICAL ISLAMIC ADVICE booklet, and asked them to complete an application form [in confidence] for the booklet [for my Archive].  This dream is telling me that my efficiency and organisation, and leadership, when striving in the way of Allah Almighty, is typical of high command in the armed forces!

DREAM NO 16            SATURDAY 1 FEBRUARY 2003  

There was some flowery-patterned plant and I found something naturally shaped in the name of 'Muhammed' [PBUM] -in Arabic- in it.  I showed this natural phenomenon to my mother and she was very interested in this miracle [See ASPECTS OF ISLAM section of this Website].  [In another scene] I saw an outline which also spelled the name of 'Muhammed' [PBUM] but whose shaped formed the sturdy and powerful features of the head of a bull. *

*  I experienced this dream soon after producing the work ROMANTIC DREAMS [now on this site].

DREAM NO 17                             c. AUGUST 1995

A friend said to me in an admiring way: 'You are the original!'

INTERPRETATION

This dream could refer to either my original character or my original Islamic work.

DREAM NO 18                               c. SEPTEMBER 1997

I dreamt that I was driving through some kind of safari park or wilderness (the land could even have been my own private property) and I saw a few lionesses.  Although they looked quite tame, I was very glad that Iwas in my car, as I felt scared of the power of these lionesses.

INTERPRETATION

'Drinking the milk of a lioness: the person seeing this is to become prosperous.  He will also overpower his enemy.  To acquire one means the acquiring of vast lands and estates.  IBN SIREEN, p.116

DREAM NO 19                               7 DECEMBER 1997

I dreamt that I was stil in the 5th Form of my secondary school (Manchester Central High School for Boys).  While having a shower, I was thinking that there was still a minor part of the fifth year remaining.  I felt that I had achieved so much at such a young age.  I also felt relieved that Ihad done much better than far older people.

CONTEXT

I had this dream when I was 37 years old.  I had by then written a few works on Islam [now on this site], and received thousands of letters and comments from my readers as well as organisations and institutions.  This dream informed me that I had made more progress in those 37 years than most people do in their lifetimes!

INTERPRETATION

'Complete wudhu [ablution] or ghusl [bath]: these suggest complete pardon from sins and evil'.  IBN SIREEN, p.36

DREAM NO 20                            16 SEPTEMBER 1997

I was in the house of one of my private tuition pupils [Naveed Julani] and I wrote down some sort of poem on a piece of paper and put it on a table, like a message, before I  left.  This poem had been written in my own honour!  It was as if Allah Most High had inspired me to write down the verses, so I just wrote down what was revealed naturally and what Allah Almighty had willed.  When I woke up, I could only remember the word 'appointed'.

INTERPRETATION

Masha'Allah, the Islamic work that I do has a certain auithority about it.  This authority has been bestowed by Allah Almighty because Allah is the One who has appointed me to do the Islamic work [I get the ideas and capability through inspiration, Alhamdolillah!].

[b] I was driving on the thick snow on the very top of the mountains of the Peak District in Derbyshire.  Two of my sisters were in the car too, and it was if I was taking them for a drive through all the ice and snowon the spectacular summits.  The peaks of the various mountains were level, like a bumpy road, and didn't rise and fall as could be expected.

CONTEXT

I was a regular guest of Kash Sahota of BBC Radio Derby and went to Derby to give interviews about various topics of Islam.  I used to enjoy driving there very much, and it gave me pleasure to know that I was going more than seventy miles to spend a few minutes in the cause of Islam.

DREAM NO 21                       DATE NOT RECORDED

I dreamt that my older sister was surprised [in an admiring way] that I had managed to achieve publication of my book DREAMS IN ISLAM [now on this site].  The dream suggested that she felt that Ihad done something heroic.

CONTEXT

'Vanity Publishing' is a term used to describe the process whereby the author gives the publishers the money to publish his book, including promotion costs, and all the other costs relating to the publishing process as a whole.  'Publishing', in contrast, is conceived of as the 'normal' process by which the publisher bears the entire cost of producing and promoting the author's book and, moreover, pays the author a royalty for every copy of the book is sold [and even an advance payment].  Although I did  pay the publication and promotion costs for DREAMS IN ISLAM, I cannot believe that my book is an example of vanity publishing!  Just because a publisher does not think that a book will not sell sufficiently to make a monetary profit should not be the sole consideration in judging a book for publication.  My work is specialised and I believe in it for religious reasons.  Therefore, in my opinion, expenditure on research which is likely to be beneficial to members of society is justified when none of the mainstream publishers is willing to commit themselves to such expenditure.  The manuscript of DREAMS IN ISLAM is, I feel, too valuable to put away as useless in the same way as the draft of, for example, a pointless novel!  Libraries throughout the UK did purchase my book and, although I did make a significant financial loss from my venture, loan statistics from libraries showed that my book was well-used by readers, even being reported ass 'missing' so often!  And I got the satisfactio of seeing in print the work concerning which I received so many polite rejection letters from publishers.  Even if there have been no financial benefits, this dream informs me that the very act of achieving publication is a veritable succes!  Moreover, the Reward in the Hereafter that Allah Most High gives me for spending money on the publication of a holy book will, Insh'Allah, be too immense to be calculated!

DREAM NO 22       WEDNESDAY 11 DECEMBER 2002

I dreamt that I was doing two very difficult tasks with a heroic capability.  I was expending an extraordinary effort combined with considerable ability.          

CONTEXT

From 1984-2002, I privately tutored 'O'/GCSE pupils [English language/maths] as well as writing and distributing my Islamic works.

DREAM NO 23                    SUNDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2002/THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADHAN 1423

I dreamt that I saw the screen of a computer, and it was going to show my Website.  In the left-hand corner of the wide screen were massive [very broad]  turquoise leaves, symbolising a jungle.  The atmosphere was frightening and full of power.  A powerful and aggressive elephant would be coming out of the region of the leaves, and the atmosphere exuded an air of the anticipation of might.

CONTEXT

Before going to sleep, I had been liiking at a printout of the Home Page of my Website [this Site!] and the badges of the awards I have won.  I had felt content to see the PAKISTAN SERVICES and 4-ARABS trophies, and the word 'excellence' on the COMMUNITY WEB SITE AWARD [ARUNDEL ORGANISATION].  I felt that my Site is powerful and a credit to Islam, Masha'Allah!

DREAM NO 24                       SUNDAY 9 JUNE 2002

I dreamt that a landmark [for example, a work of nature or a building] could be seen in the distance from Manchester.  This landmark could actually be seen with the naked eye as far as its location in Staffordshire, near Stoke-on-Trent [a distance of forty miles or so]!

INTERPRETATION

'The Eye symbolises [the dreamer's] Deen [religion] and his rightful conduct.  The same applies to his ability to see...Any excellence in the eye or faculty of sight bespeaks of similar excellence in his Deen.'  IBN SIREEN, p.61

DREAM NO 25          THURSDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2002/Eve of EID UL-ADHA, 1422

I  dreamt that I went to a shop to buy a book on the life of the Holy Prophet [PBUM].  The assistant showed me five or so books on the subject, all written by different authors.  These hardback books were piled on top of one another.  But I didn't want to buy any of them.  I asked the assistant, 'Have you got a biography of the Prophet Muhammed [PBUM] written by an author who has won numerous awards for his Website?'

INTERPRETATION

This dream foretold the future,  I won the awards for my Site in December 2002, some ten months after this dream.  Imay write a biography of the Prophet [PBUM] in the future.

DREAM NO 26      SUNDAY 29 DECEMBER 2002

I dreamt that I was tutoring a girl pupil.  She did a piece of work for me and the prominent feature of that assignment was the diagram of a mountain.  This drawing was in the centre of the sheet of paper, surrounded by writing.

INTERPRETATION

According to IBN SIREEN, mountains represent the noble character of those who dream of them [See Dream Nos 6 and 7 above].  This dream means that my tuition is of high standard because of my lofty character [in many cases I have provided Islamic education additionally, without charges].

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C O N C L U S I O N

I hope these dreams of strength and power have been interesting to read, and that readers will get the will-power and inspiratiion to similarly exert yhemselves to the utmost in the cause of Islam.  As these holy dreams show, Allah Almighty is ever ready to acknowledge and encourage and reward those of His servants who try their best.

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ABBREVIATIONS

PBUM - PEACE BE UPON MUHAMMED

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BIBLIOGRAPHY