Discover the meaning of the term Alahtlam (احتلام) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 2 min readWhat the sleeper sees in dreams. A name for what the sleeper sees regarding sexual intercourse, usually resulting in the emission of semen. The term ihtilam thus became predominantly used for this rather than other types of dreams due to frequent usage. He is one who has experienced ihtilam. According to the consensus of the scholars: it is the emission of gushing fluid, whether caused by intercourse or otherwise, and whether while awake or asleep. (Ibn Hajar). According to the Hanafis: it is the emission of semen, because the exit of semen without sleep is not called ihtilam. Al-hulum: puberty. In the glorious Revelation: ﴿And when the children among you reach puberty, let them ask permission﴾ (An-Nur: 59). Meaning: the time of puberty. In the noble hadith: "There is no orphanhood after puberty". Al-hulum: the dream. Al-hulm: what the sleeper sees in his sleep. It is synonymous with the vision (ru'ya). Pluriel: ahlam. The name ru'ya has prevailed for what the sleeper sees of good, and hulm for what he sees of evil. In the noble hadith: "The vision is from Allah, and the dream is from Satan". Al-hilm: forbearance and self-control. Pluriel: ahlam. The intellect. In the Generous Quran: ﴿Do their minds command them to do this, or are they a transgressing people?﴾ (At-Tur: 32). Meaning: their intellects. In reality, hilm is not the intellect, but it was interpreted as such because it is among the effects of the intellect. Al-halamah: the nipple of the breast, and there are two of them. The large tick. Pluriel: hulam.
It is perception and reaching the age of manhood; its origin is the vision of pleasure in sleep, whether semen is emitted or not, and conventionally with emission.