Interpretation of the Dream in Verse 8:43
16-10-2021 | IslamWeb
Question:
As-salaamu 'alaykum.I have read that the dreams of Prophet peace be upon him are all truth.In surah 8:43 Prophet peace be upon him saw the army of Abu Jahl few in number, but there where much bigger. Can you please explain it, beacuse seems like contradiction?Jazakallah
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
Allah Says (what means): {[Remember, O Muhammad], when Allah showed them to you in your dream as few; and if He had shown them to you as many, you [believers] would have lost courage and would have disputed in the matter [of whether to fight], but Allah saved [you from that]. Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts.} [Quran 8:43]
Allah showed the polytheists as few in number in a dream to His Prophet in order to make his heart firm and reassure him and make it clear to him that the interpretation of his vision is that they will be victorious over them, that is why Allah Says: {… if He had shown them to you as many, you [believers] would have lost courage and would have disputed in the matter [of whether to fight]}. Al-Aloosi said: “The wisdom for which Allah had shown them few in number to the Prophet is so that he would inform his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, of this and this would make them firm.” [End of quote]
This does not conflict with the fact that his dream, is the truth, because the interpretation of the dream is what Allah Almighty has made clear of His Mercy to the believers and His Blessing upon them and giving them authority over their enemy; praise be to Him.
What the Prophet saw in a dream came true as the believers saw the unbelievers as very few in number at that time, so that they would have the courage and be confident that they would be victorious.
Shaykh Muhammad Al-Ameen Ash-Shanqeeti said in Al-‘Adhb An-Nameer: “The vision of the Prophet is the truth, and its interpretation is true, as Yussuf said: {My Lord has made it reality.} [Quran 12:100] Because the meaning of his vision is what will come in His Saying: {… and He made you [appear] as few in their eyes.} [Quran 8:44] Because Allah showed each of the two groups in the eye of the other as few in number when they are awake to the extent that when they met face to face at the hill called ‘Aqanqal Badr – which is the hill behind which the Quraysh had encamped – Ibn Mas’ood said: “I said to my companion: ‘Do you think that they are seventy? His companion replied: ‘I think they are a hundred.’ [while in reality they are more than 1000] as Allah made them very few in the eyes of the Companions.” [End of quote]
What the Prophet had seen in a dream, he as well as the Companions had seen it while awake (in reality), so that Allah’s Blessing will be accomplished on the believers with the clear victory.
Allah Knows best.