Kitab al-Ruya
- Author died
- 1413 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Liwā’
Kitab al-Ruya (The Book of Vision) is a treatise on dreams and dream interpretation in Islamic tradition by the Saudi scholar and judge Hammud ibn Abdullah al-Tuwayjiri (1334–1413 AH / 1915–1993 CE) .
Subject and Scope
The work focuses on the Islamic understanding of true and righteous dreams (al-ru'ya al-saliha), their status as the remaining glad tidings (al-mubashshirat) of prophethood, and the theological and practical guidelines governing their interpretation . Al-Tuwayjiri begins the work by emphasizing that after the cessation of prophecy, true dreams seen by or for a believer remain as glad tidings in this world, referencing the Quranic verses: أَلَا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ * الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ * لَهُمُ الْبُشْرَى فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآَخِرَةِ ("Unquestionably, for the allies of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve: those who believed and were conscious of Allah. For them are good tidings in the worldly life and in the Hereafter") (Yunus: 62–64) .
Contents and Method
The book is structured around thematic chapters (fusul) that compile prophetic hadiths and scholarly reports concerning visions:
- Virtue and Hadiths of Righteous Dreams: The author includes a dedicated section on the exaltation and high rank of righteous visions, citing more than thirty hadiths concerning their role as a portion of prophethood and divine glad tidings .
- Caution Against Dream Books and Inexpert Interpretation: Al-Tuwayjiri warns against excessive preoccupation with popular dream-interpretation manuals, such as those attributed to Ibn Sirin or others . He argues that reading these books frequently causes mental confusion and distress over unpleasant dreams, and leads unqualified individuals to interpret visions mechanically according to fixed texts, resulting in speculative claims without sound knowledge . He emphasizes that genuine dream interpretation is a specialized knowledge granted by God to chosen servants and has historically been exceptionally rare, even among scholars .
- Historical and Notable Visions: The text also documents various reported dreams, their scholarly interpretations, and how later events corresponded to them, including dreams related to the city of Riyadh and other places .
Publication
The first edition of the book was published by Dar al-Liwa in Riyadh in 1412 AH / 1991 CE .
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