Caliphs and rulers

Seeing a just caliph in a dream is like seeing righteous people. If heis seen content and cheerful, that is indicative of glad tidings, but if he isseen angry, that indicates that the dreamer is doing something that leadsto corruption of religious commitment. One of the dream interpreters said: If he is seen content, that indicates that Allah, is pleased with the dreamer; if he sees him angry, that is indicative of Allah's anger. If he rebukes the dreamer with sweet words,that is indicative of righteousness. If he disputes with him in words ofwisdom, it indicates that his needs will be met by him. If he dreamsthat he is riding behind him and he is qualified to be caliph, he will beappointed after he dies. If he dreams that he is eating with him, he willbe honoured in a way commensurate with the food that he has eaten. If he dreams that he is sleeping in the same bed as him with no barrierbetween them, it indicates that he is taking good care of him, but thereis some risk in that. The dream interpreters said: Then if the ruler gets up and the dreamerremains sleeping, his dream indicates that the ruler has a grudge againsthim and he may end up dead, because sleep is the brother of death. If hedreams that he fell asleep before the ruler, he will be safe. I dreamt thatI was sleeping alongside one of the judges in the same bed and he was afriend of mine, but he became an enemy. If he dreams that he is sleepingon the ruler's bed, he will get from him or from one of those around hima slave woman or a wife or money to help him to get married or buy aslave woman. If he is sleeping on the bed of someone unknown, he will beappointed to a position of authority. If he dreams that he entered theruler's house, he will be involved in the ruler's family affairs and willget some provision from him. If he dreams that he has intercoursewith one of the womenfolk of the ruler, he will get close to him and befavoured by him; or it was said that he will gossip about his womenfolk. If he dreams that he himself becomes a caliph and he is not qualifiedfor that, he will become infamous. This is the principle if the one whois appointed to the position of authority is not suited to it, in which caseit signifies infamy. Someone who was in a position of authority in Qafsah said to me:I dreamt that I became a ruler and I was riding with the symbols ofrulership on my head. I said: You will become infamous. And the judgedismissed him beca use of his dishonest dealings. One of the dream interpreters said: Whoever dreams that he was appointed as a caliph will attain glory and honour - meaning if he isqualified for it. He said: If he dreams that he became a particular caliph,if he is qualified for that, then he will attain high status, otherwise hewill be humiliated or struck with calamity. Someone else said: if he dreams that he became a king and he isnot qualified for that, he will die shortly, because no human being hasany authority over a r uler and the same applies to the deceased. If thedreamer is a slave, he will be freed, because no one has authority overthe free man. If a leader dreams that he is walking on foot, this indicatesthat he is keeping his secrets and gaining the upper hand ove r his enemyand his subjects are pleased with him. If his subjects sprinkle muskon him, they will make him hear sweet words. If they throw fire athim, they are praying against him. If the fire hits him, a calamity willbefall him. If they throw stones at him , they will make him hear harshwords. If he walks in the marketplace (in his dream) with someone else inhumility, this is indicative of strong authority. If some of the commonfolk come to him and whisper in his ear, he will die suddenly. Theevidence for th at is that when Shaddaad ibn 'Aad was walking in hisland, he was met by the Angel of death, peace be upon him, in the formof an ordinary man and he whispered in his ear, then he took his soul.