There are many reports which indicate that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was seen by many people. However, the majority of those reports have weak chains of narrators. Above all, seeing the Prophet in a dream or in wakefulness is not an article of faith. Sheikh `Atiyyah Saqr, former head of Al-Azhar Fatwa Committee, states that: Al-Bukhari and Muslim and other compilers of Hadith report that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, “Whoever sees me in a dream will see me in his wakefulness, and Satan cannot imitate me in shape.” This hadith indicates clearly that a Muslim can see the Prophet while he is awake.
Imam As-Suyuti reports that he saw the Prophet in his wakefulness. Many other trustworthy scholars report the same.
Examining the various reports on the possibility of seeing the Prophet, I can deduce the following:
1. It is possible to see Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in one’s dream, just as one’s dreaming of a beloved person.
2. Whoever sees the Prophet in his dream, will see him in his wakefulness; that is according to the promise stated in the hadith. Muslim scholars, however, differ if this promise of seeing the Prophet will be fulfilled in this world or it will come true in the Hereafter.
3. There is no textual proof that goes against seeing the Prophet while one is awake. In principle, it is possible to see him whether vision-like or in actual shape.
4. Many stories state that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was seen by many people. However, the majority of these reports have weak chains of narrators. Consequently, if there are people who do not believe in such stories, they should not be thought badly of or be accused of disbelief. Seeing the Prophet is not an article of faith where denying it renders a believer a disbeliever.
5. One who claims to see the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) should be a trustworthy and reliable person who is of sound mind and eligible to stand as a witness.
6. Whoever claims to see the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) should not use this to achieve personal gain or exploit it for any purpose that contradicts the bases of religion.