In the Quran, there are three dreams mentioned of three separate Prophets;
1. Ebrahim (a.s) slaughtering his son.
2. Yusuf (a.s) and his brothers.
3. Muhammad (s.a.w) seeing himself performing Hajj.
What’s interesting here is that, all these three dreams are connected.
Also notice that one dream is from the descendants of Ismail a.s, (Prophet Muhammad s.a.w),
and the other dream is from the descendants of Ishaq a.s. (Yusuf a.s)
Ibrahim a.s being the father of both nations.
What’s more is that, understand that these Prophets came centuries after the other, yet the dreams they all had, tie together and compliment one another.
How?
I’ll start with the final dream of all these dreams, the climax dream, is of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) performing Hajj.
The Prophet sees himself shaving his head, آمِنِينَ مُحَلِّقِينَ رُءُوسَكُمْ وَمُقَصِّرِينَ. ‘with safety, your heads shaved and (hair) shortened’ – Suratul Fath – Aayah 27.
Now, when do the pilgrims shave their heads at Hajj? After they slaughter an animal.
Slaughtering the animal, is the story of which dream? Which Prophet? Prophet Ibrahim (a.s)
The entire Hajj in fact, the very institution of it is based on the sacrifices of Ibrahim a.s.
The Prophet s.a.w’s dream actually perfects and completes the mission and dream of Ibrahim a.s. which is now truly fulfilled.
There’s one more dream left, the dream of Yusuf a.s. (The Sun and the Moon performing Sajdah before him, etc.)
The interpretation of that particular dream was that, in the end, Yusuf a.s’ brothers who threw him into the well when he was a child, will eventually be humbled before Yusuf a.s when they reunite decades later.
When they did reunite all those years later, did Yusuf a.s take revenge for what they did to him?
What did Yusuf a.s say to them? قَالَ لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ, ‘He said (to them) no harm shall come to you today’ – Surah Yusuf – Aayah 92.
These very exact words, لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ was said by Prophet Muhammad s.a.w when he fulfilled the Du’a of Ibrahim a.s, at the time when the Prophet cleansed the Ka’bah.
The idol-worshippers taken out, standing there are the Prophet’s brethren, Quraysh, defenceless, about to face the consequences and be punished for their years of crimes and persecution of the Muslims.
Yet the Prophet s.a.w says he will say what his brother Yusuf a.s said, لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ. ‘No harm shall come to you today’.
How incredible is all that. The two dreams of Ibrahim and Yusuf a.s are culminated to perfection in the dream that was given to the Prophet s.a.w.
The dream of the Prophet s.a.w signified the fulfilment and victory of Islam which began with the dream of Ibrahim a.s.