al-Ruya inda Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jamaa wal-Mukhalifin

al-Ruʾyā ʿinda Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jamāʿa wal-Mukhālifīn (Visions and Dreams According to Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaʿah and Opposing Groups) is a theological treatise by Sahl ibn Rifaʿ al-Otaibi examining the nature, religious status, and interpretation of dreams in Islamic thought Nataij al-Buhuth wa Khawa…+1.

Composition and Purpose

The work was authored to articulate the position of Ahl al-Sunnah regarding dreams and dream interpretation, situating it between two opposing extremes: materialist rejectionists who dismiss visions entirely, and Sufis and esotericists who elevate dreams to a definitive source of religious legislation and doctrine al-Ruya inda Ahl al-Sunna…. The author emphasizes the prominence given to righteous visions in the Qur'an and the Sunnah, their role as glad tidings, and their connection to prophecy, while establishing regulatory principles to prevent excess and misuse al-Ruya inda Ahl al-Sunna…+1. The primary methodology relies directly on Qur'anic verses, prophetic hadiths, classical exegesis, and hadith compendia, with many chapter headings patterned after the Book of Dream Interpretation in Sahih al-Bukhari al-Ruya inda Ahl al-Sunna….

Structure and Contents

The book is arranged into an introduction, a prelude, three main parts, and a conclusion al-Ruya inda Ahl al-Sunna…:

• Prelude: Discusses the significance of dreams in human life, the attention given to them in scripture and classical hadith scholarship, the balanced attitude expected of Muslims, and common errors of excess and negligence al-Ruya inda Ahl al-Sunna….
• Part One: The Reality, Types, Signs, and Relation of Visions to Prophethood: Divided into three chapters. The first defines dreams linguistically and terminologically, distinguishes between ruʾyā (vision), ḥulm (ordinary dream), and ruʾyah (sight/seeing), and explores the connection between dreams and the soul al-Ruya inda Ahl al-Sunna…+1. The second categorizes dreams into divine glad tidings, psychological self-talk, and satanic distress, detailing the characteristics and timing of true visions al-Ruya inda Ahl al-Sunna…+1. The third examines prophetic visions as divine revelation and addresses hadiths identifying righteous dreams as a fractional part of prophethood al-Ruya inda Ahl al-Sunna…+1.
• Part Two: Views of Opposing Groups and Their Refutation: Divided into two chapters. The first critiques modern psychological approaches to dreams, including psychoanalytic theory and theories of external stimuli al-Ruya inda Ahl al-Sunna…+1. The second analyzes the Sufi perspective on dreams, critiquing the use of visions as an independent epistemological source for religious knowledge, legislation, and doctrine al-Ruya inda Ahl al-Sunna…+1.
• Part Three: Legal Rulings and Etiquettes of Visions: Divided into three chapters. The first addresses rulings regarding seeing God, angels, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, or other prophets in dreams, as well as the sin of fabricating dream reports al-Ruya inda Ahl al-Sunna…+1. The second covers the nature and rules of dream interpretation (taʿbīr), whether interpreted dreams inevitably occur, and examples of interpretation in the prophetic tradition al-Ruya inda Ahl al-Sunna…+1. The third outlines proper conduct when experiencing favorable or distressing dreams, the required qualifications of an interpreter, and the interpreter's ethical manners al-Ruya inda Ahl al-Sunna…+1.

Publication

The book was published in Riyadh by Dār Kunūz Ishbīlyā in 1430 AH / 2009 CE in a single volume Nataij al-Buhuth wa Khawa…+1.