Dreams and Visions in Islamic Societies

6. Sometimes a Dream Is Just a Dream: Inculcating a “Proper” Perspective on Dream Interpretation

CHAPTER 6 Sometimes a Dream Is Just a Dream Inculcating a “Proper” Perspective on Dream Interpretation Fareeha Khan The Contradictory Approach of Deobandis to Dreams When reading through the spiritual discourses of the renowned Sufijurist Mawlånå Ashraf ˜Al¥ Thånaw¥ (d. 1943), one finds versions of the following statement often: “I do not consider dreams to be an authoritative thing in this spiritual path.” Often aspirants will write in their dreams to him, seeking his guidance on the purport of their night visions, only to be told that their spiritual focus should lie elsewhere. For instance, when one individual wrote in asking for any special prayer that would help him reach his desired goal of seeing the Prophet in a dream, Thånaw¥ answered, “A more needed prayer than this is that Allåh makes you active and attentive towards the essentials [i.e., one’s religious obligations, including the daily prayer].” One can sense in such responses a clear disdain for dreams and dream interpretation; they are not as important as what lies before one in terms of practice and conduct in the real, physical world. At the same time, however, there are instances recorded in these same spiritual discourses where obvious weight is given to the meaning of dreams. Often, but not always, these dreams will have some mention of the prophet Mu±ammad. One man relates a lengthy 123 124 Fareeha Khan dream to Thånaw¥, in which he sees the Prophet giving him a seat of honor. He is elated that the Prophet is treating him so well, but when he approaches the Prophet and tells him details about his spiritual practice, the Prophet becomes angry. “Indeed you are a mur¥d (disciple) of an innovator!” the Prophet proclaims. The man becomes alarmed at his sudden anger, and by the fact that he was being spurned by the blessed Prophet himself. He begs and pleads with the Prophet to pardon him, only to be kicked in the ribs! The man relates the entire dream to Thånaw¥, and instead of dismissing it, Thånaw¥ takes the dream very seriously. He writes back, “This dream is absolute guidance. It is essential (wåjib) to leave the spiritual guide who acts against the Prophetic practice (sunna) and to establish contact with the people of truth. I have no hesitation in giving instructions regarding the spiritual path [i.e., taking on the role of spiritual mentor]. Start acting on the legal rulings as outlined in the books Bihisht¥ Zewar (“Heavenly Ornaments”) and I∑lå÷-i Rus¶m (“Reforming Customs”) [both texts written by Thånaw¥]. Take the spiritual litanies from Qaƒd al-sab¥l [also by Thånaw¥] and the general advices contained in my spiritual discourses. Full instructions in detail will be discussed when we meet in person.” In light of the seemingly contradictory attitudes toward the importance of dreams, how does one know when an apparently spiritual dream is really of consequence? Sometimes a dream is written off as inconsequential to the spiritual path; other times it is considered “absolute guidance.” Is the tension due to the contents of the dream itself, or due to some spiritual element within the dream that only the spiritual master can detect? Are dreams of those who have committed themselves to a spiritual path more important than those of mere lay people, who have no interest in perfecting their inner practice? Or could it be that the spiritual master wishes to inculcate a certain attitude toward dreams in the aspirant, and only when he or she reaches an understanding of the real place of dreams in spiritual life does the master begin to explain? In this chapter, I address these questions in light of the accounts and writings of modern Sufi ˜ulamå (religious scholars) from South Asia such as Thånaw¥ and others who received training at Deoband or Deoband-affiliated schools. Given the fact that they were ˜ulamå, and trained in the various Islamic sciences (including taƒawwuf), I argue that these scholars promoted what was in their view a “balanced,” and not excessive, interest in dreams and dream interpretation. Yes, dreams were important—they were considered to be a portion of prophecy (wa÷y) itself—but their meaning and import for one’s own 125 Sometimes a Dream Is Just a Dream life necessarily had to be weighed against other considerations, both legal...