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The Interpretation of Dreams in Ad-Damīrī's Ḥayāt Al-Ḥayawān
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011
Extract
All over the Orient dreams have ever been regarded as divine revelations, and the interpretation of them has developed into a distinguished branch of study. Islām, too, has ever attributed a great importance to dreams, especially under Jewish and Stoic influences. Muḥammad's revelation started with visions while he was asleep, and Qur'ān and Ḥadīth contain plenty of allusions to the significance of dreams. Small wonder that the interpretation of dreams ('ilm at-ta'bīr or 'ilm at-ta'wīl) has developed into an important branch of Muslim science, one of the natural sciences together with medicine, physiognomy, alchemy, and astrology, as also with the Greeks. The interpreters of dreams occupied a high rank in society and were reputed to rank with the prophets, whose miraculous qualities they were believed to possess.
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References
page 1 note 1 See , al-Bukhārī, Ṣahīḥ, ed. Krehl-Juynboll, , vol. i, p. 5, 1. 1 ff.Google Scholar; Hishām, Ibn, Sīra, p. 151, 1. 3Google Scholar.
page 1 note 2 See at-Tibrīzī, Mishkāt al-maṣábīb, written in 737/1336, book 21, chapter 4.
page 1 note 3 See Ḥājjī Khalīfa, Nos. 848, 3057–3078, 3483, 4247, 4764, 5071; Bland, N., “On the Muhammedan Science of Tâbîr, or Interpretation of Dreams,” JRAS., 1856, pp. 118–171Google Scholar, in the Appendix enumerates scores of oneirocritical works, mainly in Persian.
page 2 note 1 See al-Mas'ūdī, , Murūj adh-dhahab, vol. iii, pp. 347 ff.Google Scholar; Khaldūn, Ibn, Al-muqaddima, French translation, vol. i, pp. 184 ff.Google Scholar; vol. iii, pp. 114 ff.
page 2 note 2 See the introduction of my “Index dea sources de la Ḥayāt al-ḥayawān de ad-Damīrī”, JA., 1928, juillet-septembre, pp. 5–10.
page 2 note 3 See Ḥayāt al-Ḥayawān, 3rd ed., vol. i, p. 13,1. 27. See Mishkāt, part 1: ar-ru'yā juz' min sitia wa arba'īn juz' min an-nubuwwa.
page 2 note 4 Three works attributed to him are printed: Kitāb jawāmi' at-ta'bīr, Cairo, a.h. 1310; Muntakhab al-kalām fi tafsīr al-aḥlam, Būlāq, 1868Google Scholar; Ta'bīr ar-ru'yā, Cairo, 1864Google Scholar, Lucknow, 1874, Bombay, 1879.
page 3 note 1 See Fischer, A., “Die Quitte als Vorzeichen bei Persern und Arabern und das Traumbueh des 'Abd al-Ghanī an-Nābulusī,” ZDMG., vol. 68 (1914), p. 304, n. 2Google Scholar.
page 3 note 2 His Dustūr fi t-ta'bīr was much used. See Ḥājjī Khalīfa, No. 5071; Fihrist, 316, 26; N. Bland, op. cit., p. 153.
page 3 note 3 Thus his Taqsīm ar-ru'yā, see Ḥājjī Khalīfa, No. 3483; N. Bland, op. cit., p. 153.
page 3 note 4 For pages and lines in the Ḥayāt al-ḥayawān where all these authors are quoted, see my Index, Nos. 310, 313, 329, 343–7, 639, 737, and 799.
page 3 note 5 Thus in the articles al-baqar al-ahlī, al-jarād, ad-dijāj, ad-dīk, as-ṣaqr, al-'usfūr, al-'alaq, al-ghurāb, al-faras, al-qummal, al-kabsh, al-kalb, an-nāqa, and al-hirr.
page 4 note 3 For the enumeration of these methods see Sīrīn, Ibn, Ta'bīr ar-ru'yā, p. 4Google Scholar; A. Fischer, op. cit., pp. 288–290.
page 4 note 1 See Ḥayāt al-ḥayawān, vol. i, p. 232, 1. 33; vol. ii, p. 82, 1. 5; p. 87, 11. 23–1.
page 4 note 2 For the grouping of the names of the animals, the Arabic alphabetical order is followed.
page 4 note 3 Skins, hair, horns, flesh, milk, feathers, eggs, and honey generally indicate good, riches, and advantages: see especially in the article al-ḥayawān (animals).
page 5 note 1 Baked, boiled, or roast flesh generally indicates good things; raw flesh, bad things.
page 6 note 1 Poison as a rule indicates riches.
page 6 note 2 Little ones of all the animals: disquietude and sorrow, because they are rapidly tamed.
page 6 note 3 Every tame animal: realization of an aim; satisfaction of the dreamer's wants.
page 7 note 1 Similarly hen: mistress of the house.
page 8 note 1 As a rule, all the birds of prey indicate eloquent people or sons, and if the birds do not fight: booty. Generally animals used for fighting indicate courageous boys.
page 9 note 1 This is the interpretation of the flesh of all non-edible animals.
page 9 note 2 This is the interpretation of small snakes, ants, and moths.
page 10 note 1 The little one of any animal touched in dream: disquietude.
page 10 note 2 Because in Nubia it was customary for a divorced man to parade in the streets on elephant's back.
page 11 note 1 Cf. Qur'ān, 18, 12–24.
page 12 note 1 See 'an-Nābulusī, Abd al-Ghanī, Ta'ṭīr al-anām, vol. i, p. 7, 1. 16Google Scholar.
page 14 note 1 This method is, according to Doutté, R., Magie et religion dans l'Afrique du Nord, p. 405Google Scholar, nothing but the ancient fāl applied to dreams. See also A. Fischer, op. cit., p. 289. 'Abd al-Ghanī an-Nābulusī, op. cit., v. 1, 710; v. 2, 358.
page 14 note 2 Ibid.
page 14 note 3 See also in the chapter on Qur'ānic interpretation.
page 16 note 1 The night when the Prophet was transported to Heaven.
page 16 note 2 Cf. Exodus x.
page 16 note 3 Cf. The Book of Job.
page 17 note 1 Cf. Exodus vii, 8–13.
page 18 note 2 Cf. Jonah ii, 3–10.
page 17 note 3 Cf. Leviticus xi, 10–12.
page 18 note 1 Cf. Exodus viii, 1–15.
page 18 note 2 Cf. Genesis xxii, 1–13, where it was Isaac for whom a ram served as a ransom.
page 19 note 1 Cf. the narrative concerning Nemrod in vol. ii, pp. 411–12.
page 19 note 2 Cf. Deuteronomy xxxii, 11, the corresponding Hebrew word 
meaning “eagle”.
page 19 note 3 Cf. the narrative in vol. ii, p. 329, 1. 31, to p. 331, 1. 20.
page 19 note 4 Cf. Genesis viii, 8–12.