Is Lucid Dreaming Prohibited in Islam?

Dreams; an Islamic Perspective

The verdict on something is based on the way it is seen. Hence to think of having the ability to control dreams makes them no longer dreams, which can only come after one has gone to sleep. Controlling one’s dreams means that the sleeper is in a state of awareness whilst he is dreaming! And this is something that cannot happen, because the sleeper is not aware of himself and does not know that he is dreaming. That is because sleep is akin to death, and sleep is called death in the Quran and Sunnah. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

{It is Allah Who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during their sleep. He keeps those (souls) for which He has ordained death and sends the rest for a term appointed. Verily, in this are signs for a people who think deeply.} [Az-Zumar 39:42]

Types of Dreams

All these events that those who believe in it see and talk about are natural things that happen to people. Sometimes a person’s dream may be so clear and logical that it is as if he is awake. And sometimes the dreams come from the devils toying with the sleeper. Sometimes a person is in a state between sleep and wakefulness, but this is not an intermediate state; rather sometimes he is asleep and sometimes he is awake, and it cannot be anything but these two alternatives. 

All the types of dreams that these studies speak about are things that indeed happen to all people. But analyzing them and claiming to have control of them is a figment of the imagination. 

Lucid Dreaming: A Modern Myth Dressed as Science

It is very unfortunate that this is a myth that is dressed up as science, like Darwinism. It may be opening the door to the devils to toy with you, and you may think that it is a kind of self-control and discovering hidden worlds, when it is nothing more than devils. 

Some true dreams may come under the heading of thinking to oneself, so you focus on a particular thought or on a scene from a particular dream, then you relax until you go to sleep when you were just thinking about that thing. So it is natural that you may see something having to do with it in your dream. 

Moreover, they do not stop at the point of controlling dreams; rather they are promoting many things that are contrary to Islamic teaching, such as saying that you can have sex with any woman you want, or you could find out about some matters of the unseen. This comes under the heading of spreading immorality and disbelief, because no one knows the unseen except Allah. 

The Dangers of Lucid Dreaming Apps and Modern Practices

The matter was further compounded when they put an app on the iPhone so that you could control your dreams. This app is accompanied with relaxing music which supposedly helps this lucid dream to appear. 

This study is more akin to speculation. In fact many of those who tried it bear witness to that. Hence we advise you to keep away from it and to focus on something that is of benefit.

For more details, please see the following answers: 9574 , 25768 , 111974 , 130734 .

And Allah knows best.