Arab Stars, Assyrian Dogs and Greek 'Angels': How Islamic is Muslim Dream Interpretation?

Abstract

There is strong Islamic authority from Qurʾān and Sunna supporting the significance of true dreams as divine messages. Consequently, it is not surprising to find that Muslims of all social strata have taken their own and others’ dreams seriously and sought to have them interpreted. Types of interpretation may be divided into two main categories: inspirational interpretation undertaken by religious figures claiming extraordinary God-given insight (foremost among them the Prophet and, in later times, Sufi shaykhs) and deductive interpretation requiring the mastery of knowledge of symbolic images seen by the dreamer. Muslim writers compiled numerous books to offer guidance for the deductive interpreter of dreams, the earliest extant work being that of Ibn Qutayba (d. 889). After a theoretical introduction to the subject, the keys to dreams often, but not always, begin with lists of the meanings of religious symbols, notably of God, the prophets, angels, the Qurʾān, and move on to dreams of natural phenomena, humans and animals. The majority of these works draw on material of a recognizably Islamic character, but many also appear to have a considerable heritage that may prove to be derived from ancient Near Eastern dream lore passed on through Jewish, Christian and Persian tradition. A number also draw on the inheritance of the Hellenistic schools, especially the famous dream manual of Artemidorus. This article is concerned with the deductive category of dream interpretation, as represented by the dream symbolism of Muslim dream-books in Arabic, and asks to what extent Muslim authors were able to reconcile it with an Islamic ethical outlook.