Theological interpretation of dreams

This study examines the phenomenon of dreams from a multifaceted theological, psychological, and cultural perspective. Throughout history, dreams have been considered both individual visions and as guiding divine messages in sacred texts. They have acquired various layers of meaning in different religious traditions and scientific approaches. First, a comparative examination of how dreams are treated in sacred texts, including the Torah, Psalms, Bible, and Quran, is conducted. The role of dreams as a means of conveying divine knowledge and as a test is evaluated, particularly through the dreams of Prophet Joseph, Prophet Abraham, and Prophet Muhammad. The attitudes of theological schools, particularly the Sunni and Mu'tazila, towards dreams are then analyzed. Within this framework, the dream understandings of classical Islamic thinkers such as Ghazali, Imam Rabbani, Ibn al-'Arabi, and Ibn Sirin are examined, as are the perspectives and values of prominent theological scholars on dreams. The study examines the practical aspects of dreams in folk beliefs (such as istikhara, color symbols, and the dreams of the blind), focusing on their spiritual and biological aspects. It also explores the source of dreams and the possibility of revelation through dreams. Finally, a general overview and discussion/conclusion section are included. This thesis, prepared with a qualitative approach, was conducted using textual analysis and comparative analysis techniques, synthesizing religious literature, classical sources, and modern theories. There are two master's thesis studies on this subject in theology: "The Informational Value of Dreams from the Perspective of theology,". In their studies, they focused solely on the informational value of dreams. We focused on both the epistemological aspects of dreams. However, our study focused primarily on the nature of dreams and their interpretations. We also examined dreams from an ontological perspective, focusing on their origins, those who interpret them, and the things they use. We focused primarily on the public's position and the state of dreams within a social conte. It has been revealed that dreams have a multi-layered structure as both a religious and a psychological phenomenon, and that they hold an important place in the processes of producing meaning at both individual and social levels. Keywords: Kalam, Theology, Dream, Consciousness, Subconscious, Istikhara