ADVISORIES OF MARĀJIʿ & MUJTAHIDĪN AGAINST PRESENTATION AND PROMOTION OF DREAM-BASED EVIDENCE IN MAJĀLIS (LECTURES)
As if the alarming amounts of anti-Qur’ānic, inauthentic, fabricated narratives from the Ḥadīth sources which are routinely presented from the Manābir (pulpits) in our community centres were not bad enough, some Zākirīn (speakers and orators) who occupy these pulpits in recent times have shown a particular penchant and proclivity for narrating strange dreams and bizarre visions to drive home points and cement tall, sectarian, Imamological or Imamo-centric claims for which they fail to find sufficiently compelling proof and evidence in the Qur’ān and authoritative sourcebooks of Ḥadīth.1
This has prompted quite some concern and sharp criticism from the highest echelons of the Twelver Imāmī Shīʿa Marjiʿiyyah and scholarly elites, who have spoken out against such an intellectually bankrupt and counterproductive approach to preaching and religious education, highlighting its dangers and emphasising its incompatibility with the strong evidence-based orientation advocated by the Quran and implemented by the Ahlul Bayt (as) in their own approach to religion. We will endeavour to present and showcase some of the earnest appeals, statements, advisories and dire warnings which have emanated from these circles with the hope that they are taken to heart and acted upon by the people in our communities to ensure that our centres retain their intellectual and academic ambience, and don’t get carried away into the abyss of the dark Akhbārī paradigm from which the sect only barely manage to climb out in the modern period.2
Special Appeal against Narration of Dreams on the Pulpit by Grand Ayatullah Sayyid ʿAlī al-Ḥusaynī Sīstanī
Grand Ayatullah Sayyid ʿAlī al-Ḥusaynī Sīstanī, in his capacity as the supreme Marjiʿ, with the highest following in the Twelver Imāmī Shīʿa world, has led the way in calling for a culture of academic integrity coupled with the observance of the highest and most meticulous and rigorous research standards for ensuring the veracity and authenticity of the material that is presented from the pulpit. He has particularly singled out the popular practice of narrating dreams and visions, a personal favourite for some old-fashioned Zākirīn (speakers and orators) of the Ḥusaynī pulpit, for criticism and condemnation. The following is the appeal and warning he delivers in his advisories to the speakers:
ترك الاستعانة بالأحلام والقصص الخيالية
أن يترفع عن الاستعانة بالأحلام وبالقصص الخيالية التي تسيء إلى سمعة المنبر الحسيني وتظهره أنه وسيلة إعلامية هزيلة لا تنسجم ولا تتناسب مع المستوى الذهني والثقافي للمستمعين.
Keeping the Speech free of dreams and imaginary/fictitious stories
The (Majlis Reciter/Lecturer) should rise above taking help from dreams and imaginary, fictitious stories which will bring disrespect to the reputation of the Ḥusaynī Mimbar (pulpit) and make it seem like a medium that is incompatible with the intellectual level of the listeners.”3
Appeal against Dreams, superstition and weak evidence based epistemology by Ayatullah Sayyid Kamāl al-Ḥaydarī
Another great scholar and grand Mujtahid of the Twelver Imāmī Shīʿa world who has arguably been the most vocal and active in calling towards enlightenment and shunning of Khurāfāt (superstition and myth), Ayatullah Sayyid Kamāl al-Ḥaydarī, has also repeatedly issued appeals to the Shīʿa scholarship as well as the masses to rise above dreams, superstition, and weak evidence based epistemologies and methodologies. He has tried to raise awareness against the influence of the Saffavid Akhbārī mindset which has arrested the growth, progress and advancement of the Shīʿa community. His appeal to the Shīʿa in this connection may be accessed from:
The Coronavirus of Shi’ism : Akhbârism – Sayyed Kamal Al Haydari
Appeal against Fostering Dreams Culture by Ayatullah Shaykh Ḥusain al-Khashin
Among the noteworthy scholars who have been at the forefront of warning the Shias against reliance on dreams to prove points about the faith is Ayatullah Shaykh Ḥusain al-Khashin. In his book entitled Al-Sharī’āh Tuwākibu al-Ḥayāt, he writes:
غير خفيّ أنّ المصدر الأصيل للثقافة الإسلامية هو القرآن الكريم، ويتلوه السُّنّة الصحيحة، وأمّا الأحلام فلا يصحّ اعتمادها والاستناد إليها في أيّ حقل من حقول الثقافة الإسلامية، لا في الحقل العقائديّ ولا الفقهيّ ولا الأخلاقيّ ولا التاريخيّ، وقد ورد في الحديث الصحيح عن الإمام الصادق(عليه السلام): “إنّ دين الله أعزُّ من أن يرى في النوم”(الكافي: ج3، ص483) ودينُ الله يشمل كلّ الحقول الآنفة الذكر، وقد صرّح الفقهاء بعدم حُجّية الأحلام في مقام استنباط الأحكام الشرعيّة، يقول الشيخ جعفر كاشف الغطاء: “الأحلام لا تكون شواهد الأحكام باتّفاق علماء أهل الإسلام” (الحقّ المبين، ص83). وعلى الرغم من ذلك، لا يزال بعض الوعّاظ يُصرُّ على تثقيف الناس بالمنامات وجَعْلها مادّة أساسيّة في الثقافة العامّة، جاهلين أو متجاهلين أنّ هذه المنامات قد تحمل في كثيرٍ من الأحيان بعض المفاهيم القلقة التي لا تصلح أن تكون دستوراً وقانوناً يُحتذى، وأنّها تؤثّر على الذهنيّة العامّة التي قد لا تُدرك أنّ المنامات ليست حُجّة شرعيّة، بل هي على أحسن التقادير مجرّد بشائر ونُدْرٍ ليس إلاّ. وقد يذهب البعض أبعد من ذلك، عندما يستعمل المنامات فزّاعة أو أَداة تُثبِّط الهِمَم، وتَحُول بينها وبين تحقيق أو بحث بعض المطالب التاريخية أو العقائدية أو غيرها، كما في المنام الذي يحدّث به بعض الخطباء، وهو “أنّ عالماً همّ بتحقيق يوم وفاة الزهراء (عليها السلام) على اعتبار أنّ في المسألة ثلاث روايات”، فجاءته (عليها السلام) في المنام وقالت له: يا فلان، استكثرت أن يبكيَ عليّ المؤمنون ثلاثة أيام. وبذلك انصرف عمّا عزم عليه من تحقيق“.
“It is known to everyone that the original source of Islamic knowledge is the Holy Qur’ān, followed by the authentic Sunnah. It was mentioned in the authentic Ḥadīth of Imam al-Ṣādiq (peace be upon him): “The religion of God is too precious and important to be revealed in dreams!” (Al-Kāfī: Part 3, p. 483). The religion of God includes all the aforementioned fields. The Fuqahā (jurists) have explicitly stated that dreams have no Ḥujjiyah (probative force/evidentiary weight) in the deduction of legal rulings.
Sheikh Jaʿfar Kāshif al-Ghiṭā says: ‘Dreams are not (valid) evidence for (deriving) rulings according to the consensus of scholars of the people of Islam’ (Al-Ḥaq Al-Mubīn, p.83).
In spite of this, some preachers still insist on educating people about dreams and making them a basic material in public culture, either because they are ignorant or because they willfully ignore the fact that dreams often present one with some shady and dubious concepts that are not suitable to be acted upon and which cannot serve as a law or principle which is to be observed and implemented, and they (i.e. the preachers) also fail to realize that narrating such dreams can adversely affect the public mentality because most of them don’t understand that dreams don’t have any Sharʿī Ḥujjiyyah (legal validity and probative force or evidentiary weight), rather they are, at best (and in the most favourable of circumstances), mere glad tidings or warnings.
Some may go even further than that, when they allow their dreams to become a scarecrow or a tool that inhibits motivation, and prevents them from researching or discussing some historical or ideological or other topic that is worthy of being explored, as can be seen from the incident that some of the orators narrate about how one of them was about to embark on a probe into finding out the precise day of Sayyidah Zahrā’s (ahs) death, given that there are three different narrations regarding the issue, so she (peace be upon her) came to him in a dream and said to him: Oh so-and-so, is it too much for you if the believers cry for me for three days. Thus, the orator gave up the idea of probing the matter and ended the investigation he had previously intended.”4
Appeal against Reliance on Dreams by Twelver Imāmī Shīʿa Mujtahid and Public Intellectual Ayatullah Shaykh Ḥaydar Ḥobullah
The learned and deeply insightful Twelver Imāmī Shīʿa Mujtahid and public intellectual Ayatullah Shaykh Ḥaydar Ḥobullah has echoed the same sentiments in his writings. In one of his articles, he writes:
أمّا ما صار رائجاً اليوم من أنّه كلّما كان الحديث عن أهل البيت سلام الله عليهم وفضائلهم فلا حاجة معه لدليل، بل يكفي منامٌ هنا أو قصّةٌ هناك أو حديثٌ ضعيف هنا أو اطمئنان قلبي غير معقلن هناك، فهذا شيء خطر للغاية على سلامة البناء العقائدي في الدين والمذهب، فعلينا أن نحتكم دوماً في كلّ الأمور للدليل من عقلٍ أو نقل، وليس لأنّك تريد خدمة أهل البيت أو الصحابة فهذا مبرّر لك للكذب أو للتلفيق او لغضّ الطرف عن المنطق والعقل والبرهان والدليل أو للتلاعب بعواطف الناس، فهذه مفاتيح يمكن أن تؤدّي بعد عدّة عقود من الزمان ـ لو استشرت ـ إلى الإطاحة بالمنظومة العقلانية لعقائد الإماميّة أو للعقائد الإسلاميّة، وعلى كلّ مؤمن غيور أن يدافع عن المنهج المنطقي والاستدلالي في مختلف علوم الدين من الكلام وحتى الحديث والتاريخ، ويرفض أيّ محاولة ـ من مؤمن جاءت أم من ملحد ـ تريد إثبات شيء في الدين أو نفي شيء آخر منه بمناهج غير علميّة، والله ناصر من ينصره ودينه.
“Today, the trend to accept narratives about the Ahl al-Bayt without requiring evidence, relying on dreams or weak narrations, or surrendering reason and evidence to manipulate people’s emotions is highly dangerous to the integrity of the foundation of the Imāmī Shīʿa belief and doctrine as well as the Dīn (religion). We must always resort to evidence, whether derived from ʿAql (intellect/reason) or Naql (the texts (of revelation)), and avoid using the service of the Ahl al-Bayt or companions as a pretext to engage in falsehood, fabrication, or disregard for logic, reason, evidence, and proof. Defending the logical and evidence-based approach in all aspects of religious knowledge, whether in theology, jurisprudence, or history, is the responsibility of every devout and sincere believer. May Allah support those who seek to uphold the integrity of their faith and doctrine.”5
FOOTNOTES
- This unhealthy and counterproductive phenomenon has been addressed and covered – with examples, in the following Al-Islaah lectures as well: https://youtu.be/bRK3LuR6hJ8?si=4Tsry6ROKg48kxIP
A summary of the above lecture can be accessed from: https://youtu.be/vF1IwCWG00I?si=AWwYkpnWr_WFQBgW
For an instance of dreams about flying camels with holy personalities mounted on them distributing free get-out-of-hell cards and certificates for Imamocentric activities being discussed and critiqued in light of the Quran and authentic teaching of the Ahlul Bayt (as), see: https://youtu.be/PWzw9YvqO5c?si=wAHRsEbfxpVzKC9h
For a summary of the above lecture, see: https://youtu.be/tdwc4bQyZo4?si=DzBPH2x3E5TcC8Vj
The issue was also discussed in the following lecture: The Use of Dreams to Justify Azadari | Live Session https://youtu.be/UoaB1Ug8VpM
↩︎ - For its part, the Al-Islaah platform has also humbly contributed towards raising awareness about this undesirable phenomenon through reminders about the advisories and warnings of the Twelver Imāmī Shīʿa Marjiʿiyyah and scholarly elites against the promotion of dreams and visions on our community pulpits – in the English language through Muharram lectures such as: https://youtu.be/tEKrjphGko8?si=npP4iTtdZu_vsr_f
A summary of the above lecture can be accessed from: https://youtu.be/R3xsO5izw_8?si=C9CHMa9__FiANBaE
One may also refer to the links given in footnote # 1 above as well for critiques of actual instances where such advisories have been trampled upon and violated with impunity in our community centres.
↩︎ - Al-Badrī, Dr. Sayyid Ḥusain. Tawṣiyāt li al-Khuṭabā’ wa al-Muballiighīn fi Thawbiha al-Jadīd. Samāhat al-Marjiʿ al-Dīnī al-Aʿlā al-Sayyid Sayyid ʿAlī al-Ḥusaynī al-Sīstānī. Markaz Fajr ʿĀshūrā’ al-Thaqāfī al-Tābiʿ li al-ʿAtabah al-Ḥusayniyyah al-Muqaddasah, Najaf al-Ashraf, 1444 AH/2022 CE., p. 26.
Alternatively, this advisory may also be accessed online from the following link: 23 Dhul-Hijjah 1437 AH. Advice for Speakers and Preachers Regarding the month of Muharram 1438. Source: https://www.sistani.org/arabic/archive/25463/ [Point # 4].
For the English translation, one may refer to: 100 Pearls: A collection of advice, guidance, and recommendations from the supreme religious authority His Eminence Grand Ayatullah al-Sayyid Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani. Imam Mahdi Association of Marjaeya, Dearborn, n.d., p. 70. [Pearl # 77]. (https://imam-us.org/100-pearls).
The World Federation of KSIMC has also published this advisory on its website: https://www.world-federation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Muharram-Guidelines-1438.pdf. (See: p. 12 [pdf p.2], point # 4].
↩︎ - Al-Khashin, Shaykh Ḥusain. Al-Sharī’āh Tuwākibu al-Ḥayāt. Dār al-Hādī, Beirut, 2003 CE., p. 222.
↩︎ - From a response article on his website under the heading:
ما هي فلسفة غيبة الإمام المهدي؟ وكيف نرتبط به في غيبته؟
What is the Philosophy behind the Ghaybah (occultation) of Imam al-Mahdī? How can we connect with him during his Ghaybah? (https://tinyurl.com/58bcxsrj).
https://hobbollah.com/p/48296/%d9%85%d8%a7-%d9%87%d9%8a-%d9%81%d9%84%d8%b3%d9%81%d8%a9-%d8%ba%d9%8a%d8%a8%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a5%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%85-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%87%d8%af%d9%8a%d8%9f-%d9%88%d9%83%d9%8a%d9%81-%d9%86%d8%b1 ↩︎
