The relationship between déjà vu and ru’yā ṣādiqah in the qur’an: athematic exegetical analysis
Al Qodiri Jurnal Pendidikan Sosial dan Keagamaan March 20, 2026 Endang Saeful Anwar, Hikmatul Luthfi
Déjà vu and the Qur'anic concept of ru'yā ṣādiqah (truthful dreams) both involve a strong sense that an event has been experienced before it occurs, sharing a similar phenomenological structure. However, their underlying natures differ fundamentally. Déjà vu arises from internal cognitive processes like memory mismatch and subconscious activation, producing uncertain, non-verifiable impressions. In contrast, ru'yā ṣādiqah is presented as a structured, meaningful experience rooted in divine communication, characterized by clarity, truth, and eventual realization in historical reality. Their temporal structures also diverge: déjà vu involves retrospective recognition, while ru'yā ṣādiqah embodies prospective anticipation later confirmed. The study proposes a framework of phenomenological correspondence with epistemological divergence, maintaining the distinction between cognitive experience and revelation.