Dreams and Visions as Diagnosis in Medieval Sufism
Journal of Sufi Studies February 28, 2020 Eyad Abuali 1 citation
Dreams and visions in Islamic societies were long dismissed as irrelevant to history or society, but recent scholarship has overturned that view. This article argues that understanding the development of Kubrawī oneirology—the theory of dreams—offers important insights into Islamic thought and society. Focusing on the first generation of Kubrawī Sufi thinkers in the sixth/twelfth and seventh/thirteenth centuries, it shows how diagnostic oneirology emerged through two steps: first, the systematization of oneiric theory in early Kubrawī thought; second, the crafting of a close relation between Sufi theory and communal and institutional bonds, enabling the Sufi community to adapt to changing socio-political circumstances.