Page 27 - Neglected Arabia Vol 1 (3)_Neat

Dreams

Mrs. H. A. Bilkkrt

A SHORT time ago a young Arab came to the home of a mi*. K
sionary anil asked for instruction in the Christian religion. ft
questions were asked but in a few days he gave the followin| 1;
reason for his coming:
“I had a dream,’* he said, “and in it I was traveling along a very I
crowded highway. And as I was pushed and jostled by the throng, \ I.
saw on one side of the road a large green field. It was enclosed by 4 ft
wall but as I passed the gate I looked in and saw a group of peopk I
centered about one man who was talking to them. They were all coo. I
tented and happy looking, and 1 began to long to join them. But iht I;
crowd pushed me the more and some knowing my desire forbade m*. I
The man in the center of the happy group saw me, however, and bi ft
himself came to the gate and took me in. I wakened then and kne* I
surely that I had seen Christ and that He meant for me to learn <4 I
Him and follow Him.” |
We of the West who think we have discovered the psychology of I
dreams are not apt to consider them as an influencing factor in our I
lives. Not so with the Easterner. An inheritor of the faith of Abrahan I
and Isaac and Jacob, he still listens for the voice of God in his dreanu, I
In them God speaks directly to him. To the Arab the unseen is very I
real and very near. Only a thin veil separates it from his vision. An4 I
at times this veil is rent and the believer sees and hears the world <4 I
the unseen. Thus it is that every Arab respects and reverences the voic* I
of his dreams as the voice of God. Their prophet gave as his authority I
the commands given to him in his visions, and he is related to 1^, ft
said, "A good dream is of God’s favor and a bad dream is of U* I
devil.” Again he is quoted as saying, “Good dreams are one of U* I
parts of Prophecy.” Missionaries who have made a study of t^ I
means of conversions in eastern lands have found that dreams have oh® 1
played an important part. I
A Jew recently made a long journey in order to find some Christi® |
missionaries. He seemed intent only on gaining a knowledge of Chr® I
and His teachings. This unusual action was the result of a dream. 1*
his dream someone offered him a cup of water. He refused to drink
it and it was forced upon him. He then was told to hunt for U*
Christ of the Americans. He did nothing about it, however, and agu*
in a dream this someone reproved him, and told him to go to those wU
could instruct him in the truth. So he had left his home and his work
and had sought a Christian missionary. A third time he dreamed
this time he was commended for coming.
A Persian lad came once who related a dream in which he had be®
very sick and in need of help. No one helped him and among thi®
who refused to aid him was Mohammed himself. At last one did h®2
him and help him and when he asked who he was the people told h®
his name was Jesus. The lad claimed to have sought to hud more «lLq®
Jesus from that time on. He was faithful for a time, but his lack g|
Arabic kept him from making much progress.