BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – The monarch on Wednesday warned Bruneians against blindly believing people who claim to have seen the Prophet Muhammad in a dream, as it could lead to misguided teachings about Islam.

Speaking at event to commemorate Nuzul Al-Quran — a day in the Islamic calendar when Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad — His Majesty addressed a recent live television segment which saw a local man going off-script and describing a dream of the Prophet. The interview quickly went viral on social media.

“Whoever sees the Prophet Mohammad in a dream, that is real because the devil can not take his form, but religious scholars prohibit or discourage from narrating the dream to others,” he said in titah at the International Convention Centre.

Dreaming of the Prophet is a complicated matter, and is something that should not be peddled or preached to others, he added.

The person with the dream; their background; and the content of the dream must be examined in order to determine its veracity, the sultan said, warning that stories are easily made up.

“It is also important to examine if the content of the dream contradicts with the teachings of the Quran or Hadith,” he said.

“If a person truly has a strong grasp of religious knowledge, then that person would certainly be sensitive to the Prophet’s warning: ‘Whoever tells lies about me deliberately, let him take his place in hell’.”

In light of the incident, the monarch said the Brunei Islamic Religious Council — the body that issues credentials for individuals to teach Quran or conduct religious lectures — must be more stringent in their accreditation process.

His Majesty said that religious education needs to be strengthened in both public and private schools, adding that the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Religious Affairs are designing a new religious studies curriculum which will prioritise the history of Islam.

“I strongly desire for people of this country to obtain correct religious education that does not deviate from Quran and Hadith, because this will ensure that the country continues to be blessed by Allah.”