Whispers of the Divine: Dreams and their Contested Place in Sunni Islamic Legal Tradition

Islamic law is renowned for its meticulous rules, reliance on material evidence, and detailed procedural standards. Yet, throughout Islamic history, there have been notable cases where dreams and visions, often seen as divinely inspired, have influenced legal decisions. This paper delves into the co...

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Main Author: Hassan, Said (author)
Other Authors: Hegazy, Wael (author), Taleb, Lahouari (author)
Format: article
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/11073/26289
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author Hassan, Said
author2 Hegazy, Wael
Taleb, Lahouari
author2_role author
author
author_facet Hassan, Said
Hegazy, Wael
Taleb, Lahouari
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Hassan, Said
Hegazy, Wael
Taleb, Lahouari
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-09-02T09:21:32Z
2025-09-02T09:21:32Z
2025
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv Hassan, S.; Hegazy, W.; Taleb, L. "Whispers of the Divine: Dreams and their Contested Place in Sunni Islamic Legal Tradition". Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations Vol 24 (1), 2025. pp. 323-344. e-ISSN: 2471-0881
2471-0881
https://hdl.handle.net/11073/26289
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv en_US
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Dreams
Legal impact
Shari‘ah
Islamic law
Mysticism
Sufism
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Whispers of the Divine: Dreams and their Contested Place in Sunni Islamic Legal Tradition
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Published version
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
description Islamic law is renowned for its meticulous rules, reliance on material evidence, and detailed procedural standards. Yet, throughout Islamic history, there have been notable cases where dreams and visions, often seen as divinely inspired, have influenced legal decisions. This paper delves into the complex issue of whether and under what circumstances dreams or inspirations can be accepted as legal evidence in Islamic jurisprudence. Through the exploration of classical and contemporary scholarly views, legal texts, and historical precedents, this research aims to provide a nuance understanding of the Sunni Islamic legal perspective on the use of dreams and visions as a basis for legal rulings. The prevailing view in Sunni Islamic jurisprudence largely dismisses dreams as valid legal evidence, interpreting them as symbolic gestures or historical anomalies. However, a minority of scholars advocate for their legal relevance in specific contexts. This study proposes a more refined, intermediate position, suggesting that such experiences may serve as supplementary legal evidence under particular conditions. This study also seeks to analyze the broader theological implications of relying on non-material evidence in a legal system that traditionally values certainty and material proof. While spiritual experiences such as dreams hold great importance in Islamic thought, their place in legal matters remains a topic of debate.
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identifier_str_mv Hassan, S.; Hegazy, W.; Taleb, L. "Whispers of the Divine: Dreams and their Contested Place in Sunni Islamic Legal Tradition". Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations Vol 24 (1), 2025. pp. 323-344. e-ISSN: 2471-0881
2471-0881
language_invalid_str_mv en_US
network_acronym_str aus
network_name_str aus
oai_identifier_str oai:repository.aus.edu:11073/26289
publishDate 2025
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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spelling Whispers of the Divine: Dreams and their Contested Place in Sunni Islamic Legal TraditionHassan, SaidHegazy, WaelTaleb, LahouariDreamsLegal impactShari‘ahIslamic lawMysticismSufismIslamic law is renowned for its meticulous rules, reliance on material evidence, and detailed procedural standards. Yet, throughout Islamic history, there have been notable cases where dreams and visions, often seen as divinely inspired, have influenced legal decisions. This paper delves into the complex issue of whether and under what circumstances dreams or inspirations can be accepted as legal evidence in Islamic jurisprudence. Through the exploration of classical and contemporary scholarly views, legal texts, and historical precedents, this research aims to provide a nuance understanding of the Sunni Islamic legal perspective on the use of dreams and visions as a basis for legal rulings. The prevailing view in Sunni Islamic jurisprudence largely dismisses dreams as valid legal evidence, interpreting them as symbolic gestures or historical anomalies. However, a minority of scholars advocate for their legal relevance in specific contexts. This study proposes a more refined, intermediate position, suggesting that such experiences may serve as supplementary legal evidence under particular conditions. This study also seeks to analyze the broader theological implications of relying on non-material evidence in a legal system that traditionally values certainty and material proof. While spiritual experiences such as dreams hold great importance in Islamic thought, their place in legal matters remains a topic of debate.Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations2025-09-02T09:21:32Z2025-09-02T09:21:32Z2025Published versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfHassan, S.; Hegazy, W.; Taleb, L. "Whispers of the Divine: Dreams and their Contested Place in Sunni Islamic Legal Tradition". Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations Vol 24 (1), 2025. pp. 323-344. e-ISSN: 2471-08812471-0881https://hdl.handle.net/11073/26289en_USoai:repository.aus.edu:11073/262892025-09-03T09:52:13Z
spellingShingle Whispers of the Divine: Dreams and their Contested Place in Sunni Islamic Legal Tradition
Hassan, Said
Dreams
Legal impact
Shari‘ah
Islamic law
Mysticism
Sufism
status_str publishedVersion
title Whispers of the Divine: Dreams and their Contested Place in Sunni Islamic Legal Tradition
title_full Whispers of the Divine: Dreams and their Contested Place in Sunni Islamic Legal Tradition
title_fullStr Whispers of the Divine: Dreams and their Contested Place in Sunni Islamic Legal Tradition
title_full_unstemmed Whispers of the Divine: Dreams and their Contested Place in Sunni Islamic Legal Tradition
title_short Whispers of the Divine: Dreams and their Contested Place in Sunni Islamic Legal Tradition
title_sort Whispers of the Divine: Dreams and their Contested Place in Sunni Islamic Legal Tradition
topic Dreams
Legal impact
Shari‘ah
Islamic law
Mysticism
Sufism
url https://hdl.handle.net/11073/26289