Reference: http://binothaimeen.net/content/6668
Fataawa noor ‘alad-Darb – Tape No.4
Question: A man saw our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in his dream, and he said to him: ‘Pray for me O Messenger of Allaah’. So is this dream real, or [just] imaginary? We request your guidance, and may Allaah grant you success.
Response: Seeing the Prophet ﷺ [in a dream] is true, because the Shaytaan is unable to appear in his form. However, it is necessary to compare the description of who was seen [in the dream] to that which is mentioned in the ahaadeeth about the description of the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ. So, if the description [of who was seen in the dream] matches the description of the Prophet ﷺ, then it is true, and if it is contrary to what he saw, then [who] he [saw] was not the Prophet ﷺ.
And some of the people experience this a lot; they see something from their imagination, and believe it to be the Prophet ﷺ, or it is said to them that he is the Prophet ﷺ. So when they describe who they saw, the description is contrary to the description of the Prophet ﷺ – and with that, it is clear what he saw was not true[ly the Prophet ﷺ].
Whatever the case, it is imperative that he ascertain the description of who he saw in the dream matches the description of the Prophet ﷺ; and if it does not match, then who he saw [in his dream] was not the Prophet ﷺ.
