Honey in a dream: meaning in Ibn Sirin, al-Nabulsi and Ibn Shahin

52 passages from 5 sources, quoted as written, every one linked to its page.

Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam

It is in dreams wealth from a lawful inheritance, or wealth from spoils of war, or from a partnership.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 245

Honey, for the people of religion, is the sweetness of religion, the recitation of the Quran, and works of piety; and for the people of the world, it is the obtaining of spoils without toil.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 245

Honey is a small provision from a source in which there is toil.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 245

If he sees that the sky rained down honey, it indicates the soundness of religion and widespread blessing.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 245

Honey may indicate the sexual sweetness of a woman or a man, as comes in the hadith: "Until she tastes his sweetness and he tastes your sweetness."

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 245

Honey may also indicate worry and vexation, and envy and guarding against the schemes of the envious, because honey gathers flies, wasps, and ants.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 245

Ibn Shahin al-Zahiri, al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat

It is a blessing and a spoil, and honeycomb is far-reaching in the attainment of what is desired.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 150

Abu Sa'id al-Wa'iz said: It has reached us that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said: I saw in a dream a canopy dripping butter and honey, and the people were licking it, some taking much of it and some taking little. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Let me interpret it, O Messenger of Allah. He said: You are part of that. Abu Bakr said: It is nothing but the Quran, and its sweetness is its recitation, and the people take it, some taking much and some little.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 150

And it is related that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: I saw as though I were in a dome of iron, and there was honey coming from the sky, and a man would lick a lick or two licks, and another man would lick more than that, and among them was one who would gulp it down. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Let me interpret it, O Messenger of Allah. He said: You are part of that. He said: As for the dome of iron, it is Islam; as for the honey descending from the sky, it is the Quran; as for the one who licks a lick or two licks of it, it is he who learns a surah or two surahs; and as for the one who gulps it down, they are those who gather it all. So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: You have spoken truly, O Abu Bakr.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 150

And it is related that Abdullah said: O Messenger of Allah, I saw in a dream that this finger of mine was dripping butter and this one dripping honey, and that I was licking them both. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: You will read the two Books.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 150

Honey, for the people of religion, is sweetness and the recitation of the Quran and deeds of righteousness; and for the people of the world, it is the obtaining of a spoil without toil.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 150

We have said that honey indicates the Quran only because Allah Most High described both of them as a healing: He said concerning the bee, "There comes forth from their bellies a drink of differing colours, in which there is healing for people," and He said concerning the Quran, "O people, there has come to you an admonition from your Lord and a healing for what is in the breasts" — the verse.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 150

attributed to Ibn Sirin, Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam

And they see honey and interpret it as the recitation of the Quran, and knowledge, and piety, and the sweetness of that in their hearts. But that sweetness and that aspiration have today become, among the generality of people, in their worldly affairs and its lushness — except for the few whom I have described.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 26–30

As for honeycomb and honey, they are wealth from a lawful inheritance, or wealth from spoils of war, or from a partnership.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 231–233

If he sees as though the sky rained honey, it indicates the soundness of religion and widespread blessing.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 234–236

Whoever sees as though honeycomb is set before him, it indicates that he possesses noble knowledge.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 231–233

It has reached us that a man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: I saw a cloud-shade from which butter and honey were dripping, and the people were licking it up, some taking much of it and some taking little. Abu Bakr said: Let me interpret it — it is the Quran and its sweetness and its softness, and the people take it, some taking much of it and some little.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 234–236

If he sees as though he is feeding it to people, then he will recite the Quran among the people with a beautiful voice.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 231–233

Artemidorus of Daldis, Oneirocritica (1644 English translation)

One dreamt that he ate his bread stéeped in honey, and he thereupon gave his minde to the study of Philosophy, and thereupon got wisedome, honour, and goods. The honey therefore by his sweetnesse, signified the sweetnesse of wisdome, and the bread, wealth.

Oneirocritica (1644 English translation), The Fifth Booke of Artimedorus His Exposition of Dreames.

Kinds and conditions of Honey

cloud/canopy dripping honey and butter

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation

His statement: ("As for the canopy, it is Islam") — in the narration of Ibn Wahb, and likewise in that of Ma'mar and al-Zubaydi: "and the canopy is Islam." The narration of Sufyan is like the narration of al-Layth, and likewise that of Sulayman ibn Kathir, and it is the one whose preference appears evident.

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7421–7422

Al-Muhallab said: The rationale of Abu Bakr's interpretation is that the canopy is one of the blessings of Allah upon the people of Paradise, and likewise it was upon the Children of Israel; and so too Islam guards against harm, and by it the believer is blessed in this world and the Hereafter.

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7421–7422

cloud canopy dripping ghee and honey

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation

As for the canopy, it is Islam.

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7418–7419

And as for that which drips of honey and ghee, it is the Quran: its sweetness drips down; and there is he who takes much of the Quran and he who takes little.

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7418–7419

honey and clarified butter

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation

His statement: "and the Quran is its sweetness dripping" — in the narration of Ibn Wahb: "its sweetness and its softness," and likewise in the narration of Sufyan and Ma'mar. Sulayman ibn Kathir made it clear in his narration, saying: "As for the honey and the clarified butter, it is the Quran, in the sweetness of honey and the softness of clarified butter."

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7421–7422

As for honey, Allah made it a healing for people, and Allah Most High said that the Quran is "and a healing for what is in the breasts," and He said that it is "a healing and a mercy for the believers." And it is sweet to the ears as honey is sweet to the taste. Likewise it has come in the hadith that in clarified butter there is healing.

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7421–7422

taking much or little of the honey and butter

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation

His statement: "so the one taking much and the one taking little" — that is, the one who takes much and the one who takes little. In the narration of Sulayman bin Kathir it occurs without the definite article in both words. And in the narration of Sufyan bin Husayn, in Ahmad's version: "so among them are one taking much, one taking little, and one in between that."

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7421–7422

His statement: "so the one taking much of the Quran and the one taking little" — Ibn Wahb added in his narration before this: "and as for what the people catch of that in their palms," and in the narration of Sufyan: "so the one taking much of the Quran and little," and in the narration of Sulayman bin Kathir: "they are the bearers of the Quran."

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7421–7422

confections made of honey and sweets

attributed to Ibn Sirin, Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam

As for what is made into confections from honey and sweets: if he is the one who made them, then he has gathered wealth from his own toil and effort, wholesome wealth.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 812–814

And if he obtained them and did not know who made them, then he attains that from the labour of another, such as spoils of war, inheritances, and crop yields.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 812–814

butter and honey

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation

His statement: "dripping butter and honey" — with a nūn and a kasra on the ṭāʾ, though a ḍamma on it is also permissible; its meaning is "it drips" (tuqṭir), with a qāf and a ḍamma on the ṭāʾ, though a kasra on it is also permissible. One says naṭafa al-māʾ when the water flows.

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7420–7421

butter/honey skin

attributed to Ibn Sirin, Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam

(The nihy) — the skin bag for butter and honey — for it is a learned, ascetic man.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 700–705

Skin-bag for butter or honey (nahy)

Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam

It is the skin-bag for clarified butter and honey, and in a dream it is a man who possesses knowledge and much asceticism, who teaches it to the people but does not act upon it.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 353

20 more passages on this symbol are in the database and used by the interpreter.