The Seer is a Kind of Prophet

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

 For those who believe that Nubuwwah (Prophethood) has been terminated absolutely; seeing of visions is a characteristic or part of Nubuwwah which the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) explained as something that remains among his Ummah after him:

 لَمْ يَبْقَ مِنَ النُّبُوَّةِ إِلَّا الْمُبَشِّرَاتُ ، قَالُوا : وَمَا الْمُبَشِّرَاتُ ؟ ، قَالَ : الرُّؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةُ

“Nothing remains from Prophethood except the Mubashshiraat.” They said: “And what are the Mubashshiraat?” He said: “Pious Visions”

(Bukhari)

الرُّؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةُ مِنَ اللَّهِ

“The True Vision is from Allah”

(Bukhari)

" لَا نُبُوَّةَ بَعْدِي إِلَّا الْمُبَشِّرَاتِ " قَالَ : قِيلَ : وَمَا الْمُبَشِّرَاتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ؟ قَالَ : " الرُّؤْيَا الْحَسَنَةُ " ، أَوْ قَالَ : " الرُّؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةُ "

“There is not Prophethood after me except the Mubashshiraat.” It was asked: “And what are the Mubashshiraat O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “Good Visions” or he said: “Pious Visions”

(Ahmad)

It is not correct to understand the Ru’yah mentioned here as simply a “dream”. The word Ru’yah literally means “vision”, and can be applied to visions seen while asleep as well as visions seen while awake or in a state midway between wakefulness and sleep. In fact, this prophetic Ru’yah that continues among the Ummah is a form of Wahi (divine revelation):

 عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ أَوَّلُ مَا بُدِئَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنَ الْوَحْىِ الرُّؤْيَا الصَّالِحَةُ فِي النَّوْمِ، فَكَانَ لاَ يَرَى رُؤْيَا إِلاَّ جَاءَتْ مِثْلَ فَلَقِ الصُّبْحِ، ثُمَّ حُبِّبَ إِلَيْهِ الْخَلاَءُ

Narrated Aisha (the mother of the faithful believers): The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright daylight, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. (Bukhari)

A pious Believer who frequently sees Visions is a “Seer” and is in fact a kind of Prophet, as he has inherited one of the fundamental characteristics of a complete Prophet. This is why in the former Scriptures it is mentioned that a Prophet was referred to as הָרֹאֶ֖ה Hâ Rô’eh and חֹזֶ֜ה Chozeh

Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer. (1 Samuel 9:9)

Therefore, a saintly person within the Ummah who frequently sees true Visions that come true is a partial Prophet because he exhibits one of the forty-six parts of Prophethood.