Between Correspondence and Utility; (Q. 8:43) and the Criteria of Prophetic Dreams’ Truthfulness in the Qur’an

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Sayyid Ruhollah Shafi'ei
Kharazmi University
10.22034/mi.2026.11102
Abstract
This paper argues that the prophetic dream described in Q. 8:43 should be evaluated through a pragmatic lens, what works in practice, rather than through the usual correspondence standard (does it match reality?) applied to most prophetic dreams in the Qur’an and other Abrahamic scriptures. Drawing on philosophical theories of truth developed in the 19th and 20th centuries, the study shows that religious traditions have historically judged prophetic dreams by how well they correspond to external facts. But the dream about enemy troop numbers in Q. 8:43 turns out to be a special case. Here, the truth of the dream seems tied less to numerical accuracy and more to its function within the specific psychological, historical, and revelatory context of the event. In other words, what makes this dream "true" is what it accomplishes. The paper also traces shifts in classical Qur’anic exegesis. Some early interpretations allowed for more flexible, non-correspondence-based understandings of truth in dreams. But over time, mainstream theological and exegetical traditions increasingly insisted on correspondence as the only valid standard. Q. 8:43 thus reveals a lesser- known epistemological layer of the Qur’an, one where multiple models of truth coexist within the fabric of revelation and prophetic experience. This finding, in turn, opens space for rethinking how Islamic thought might engage with pragmatic theories of truth today.
Keywords
Truth theories, Truthfulness, Pragmatism, Prophetic dreams, Revelation, Qur&‌‌rsquo
anic exegesis
Q. 8:43
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Metaphysical Research
Volume 7, English Special Issue
June 2026
Pages 91-118