The Dream of the Grave

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

I once had some reservations about a certain “shaykh”, so I did my istikharah, and left it at that.  I had a long, vivid dream.  I dreamt I was lying down in a shallow grave.  I sat up and I was surrounded by a centre group of people who all belonged to the same majlis.  I saw Shaykh Zakariya ibn ‘Umar Bagharib (q.s.) there, and I saw a particular shaykh.  I could see right through them to the chair they sat on.  They did not look too pleased.  In the background, there were people.  They were indistinct; although they had turbans and wore the traditional dress of the shuyukh of the thariqa’.  There were many of them.  I was told that this shaykh whom I could see through, had passed away and I felt great loss in my heart.  This is strange since I never really thought I had a close relationship with him. 

I saw this “shaykh” of whom I had doubts and he was smiling broadly.  He looked at me and said, “I love it!”  And he was referring to a certain position of authority he had acquired.  He was sitting down, dressed in the regalia of the thariqa’, with the turban and the walking stick, and a woman unrelated to him came and kissed his hand.  There were several such scenes and he was basking in the attention. 

Finally, I saw the shaykh I was told had passed away.  The shaykh had appointed this person.  I asked, “Why him?” 

And he replied, “There was nobody else.”