The Inspirational Night Dream in the Motivation and Justification of Jihad

Edgar, I.

doi:10.1525/nr.2007.11.2.59

The Inspirational Night Dream in the Motivation and Justification of Jihad

Edgar, I.

Authors

I. Edgar

Abstract

This paper uses a wide variety of examples to argue that the experience of the true dream (ru’yâ) is a fundamental, inspirational, and even strategic, part of the contemporary militant Jihadist movement in the Middle East and elsewhere. Dream narratives are contextualized through a consideration of the historical role of the perceived revelatory power of the night dream in Islam. This paper further explores some key aspects of Islamic dream theory and interpretation, and offers examples and analysis of the inspirational guidance claimed by many of the best known Al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders and Jihadists.

Citation

Edgar, I. (2007). The Inspirational Night Dream in the Motivation and Justification of Jihad. Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, 11(2), 59-76. https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2007.11.2.59

Journal Article Type	Article
Publication Date	Nov 1, 2007
Deposit Date	Apr 6, 2009
Publicly Available Date	Dec 8, 2009
Journal	Nova Religio
Print ISSN	1092-6690
Electronic ISSN	1541-8480
Publisher	University of California Press
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	11
Issue	2
Pages	59-76
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2007.11.2.59
Keywords	Islam, Koran, Dream, Militant Jihadists.
Public URL	https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1600217

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Copyright Statement
Published as Edgar, I. R. (2007) 'The inspirational night dream in the motivation and justification of Jihad.', Nova religio., 11 (2). pp. 59-76. © 2007 by the Regents of the University of California. Copying and permissions notice: Authorization to copy this content beyond fair use (as specified in Sections 107 and 108 of the U. S. Copyright Law) for internal or personal use, or the internal or personal use of specific clients, is granted by the Regents of the University of California for libraries and other users, provided that they are registered with and pay the specified fee via Rightslink® on [Caliber (http://caliber.ucpress.net/)] or directly with the Copyright Clearance Center, http://www.copyright.com.