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

195 passages from 6 sources, quoted as written, every one linked to its page.

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

In a dream it is a just king, or a great scholar, or a handsome youth, or a tyrannical, oppressive king, or a lying man.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 276–277

And if he sees the moon in its normal state in the sky, then it is the king's vizier.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 276–277

And whoever sees it in his lap or beside him will marry a wife according to the measure of its light and radiance — whether the seer is a man or a woman.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 276–277

And if it was murky, then he will marry someone who is not his equal.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 276–277

And if a woman sees that the moon fell into her house and she took a part of it and wrapped it in a rag, then she will give birth to a son who will die and she will grieve over him.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 276–277

And if he sees that the moon turned upside down, then the king's vizier will be dismissed.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 276–277

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

That he took hold of the moon, or that the moon came to him, indicates that his wife will be pregnant and will bear a son who will be brought near to the king, or a scholar.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 8

A curious anecdote: It is related that a woman came to Ibn Sirin and said, "I have seen a dream." He was seated at his meal, so he said to her, "Will you let me eat, or shall I leave off eating and interpret your dream?" She said, "Eat." So he ate, then said to her, "Relate it." She said, "I saw the moon entering into the Pleiades, and a crier calling out behind me: 'Go to Ibn Sirin and relate your dream.'" He flung his hand away from the food and said to her, "Woe to you! How did you see it?" So she repeated it to him, and his colour changed and his stomach seized him. His sister said to him, "What ails you, my brother?" He said, "This woman has claimed that I shall be dead after seven days." And he was buried on the seventh day.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, pp. 264–265

(And whoever sees) that the moon went out of its bounds, his wife will miscarry a male child; and if she is not pregnant, then it is not praiseworthy.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 8

A curious anecdote: One of the interpreters said: I saw a moon that rose from Syria and then set, and I interpreted that as the appearance of a rebel and his failure to gain victory. Then in the year eight hundred and forty-two, Aynak al-Hakami appeared as a rebel coming out of Syria, then he fell into the noble grasp and orders were given for his killing, and he was killed. And the dream was just as I had interpreted it.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, pp. 264–265

(And whoever sees) that he is eating from the moon, then one of those mentioned at the beginning of this chapter will be absent.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 8

(And whoever sees) that the moon has set, or is about to set, then the matter he is engaged in has reached its end. Likewise, if it is at the beginning of the night, or its middle, or its end, then the matter will pass in proportion to how much of it has passed.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 8

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

or in his hand, he will marry a spouse in proportion to its light and radiance, whether he be a man or a woman.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 447–450

a bridegroom, then the stars are his men; and if it was a bride, then the stars are her women.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 451–455

('Aishah, may Allah's good pleasure be upon her, saw) three moons fall into her chamber, and she related her dream to her father, may Allah be pleased with him. He said to her: If your dream is true, there will be buried in your chamber three who are the best of the people of the earth.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 447–450

So whoever sees two moons fighting each other in the sky, with each of them having stars, that is a discord or a war between two kings, or two viziers, or two great men; and the victor of the two is [in truth] the vanquished. It is inferred by its side in the horizon and its place in the sky, so that is attributed to the king of that part of the earth.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 451–455

If he sees that the moon has set, then the matter he sought, whether of good or of evil, has come to an end and passed.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 447–450

If he sees it rising, then the matter is at its beginning.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 447–450

Artemidorus of Daldis, Oneirocritica (1644 English translation)

THe Moon is the Wife, Nurse, daughter, or Sister, of him which dreames thereof, and signifies money, riches▪ Merchandise and trafficke: also Navigation, the eyes of him which dreames, and the Master, or Mistresse.

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

Another dreamt he lighted a candle at the Moon, and he became blind • , for he dreamt a thing impossible: besides, the Moon hath no light of her own.

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

And therefore, if the Moon turn her selfe into good, and joy, it is good and honour, by those whom it represents, and on the contrary.

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

A woman dreamt that she saw within the Moone thrée images or resemblances like her self, and she bare thrée daughters, which within a month died, for the Moon hath a moneths life.

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

To see himselfe in the Moon, is the son of the man, the daughter, of the woman that dreames it:

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

A man dreamt he saw his image or representation in the Moone, and he made long voyages wandring this way and that way a long time: for the continuall change of the Moon, signified that he should often change his place and habitation.

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

Kinds and conditions of Moon

crescent moon

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

In a dream, if it rises in its proper place, it is a noble male child for the one who sees it, or an appointment to office, or profit in his trade.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 361

(And whoever sees) crescent moons gathered together, then he will perform the Hajj, on account of His saying, exalted be He: "They ask you about the crescent moons." The verse.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 361

the moon

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

Daniel said: It is interpreted as either the caliph's vizier, or the king's vizier, or whoever stands in their place. So whoever sees that he took hold of the moon or placed it in his possession, this indicates that he will become a vizier to the king, or one brought close to him, or one of his intimates.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 7

(And whoever sees) that he fought the moon, this indicates that he will have a conflict with one of those mentioned.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 7

eclipse of the sun and moon

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

(Whoever sees) in a dream that the sun has been eclipsed, this is an event befalling the greatest king.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 301

And if he sees that the moon has been eclipsed, this is an event befalling the vizier.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 301

Joseph's dream (eleven stars, sun and moon)

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

What is meant is that the sense of His saying: "the interpretation of my dream" — that is, the one previously mentioned, which was his seeing the stars, the sun and the moon prostrating to him. So when his parents and his brothers arrived in Egypt and entered upon him while he was in the rank of king, and they prostrated to him — and that was permissible in their law — the interpretation [was fulfilled] in the prostrators, and its being true consisted in the prostration.

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7363–7364

It has been said that the interpretation also occurred with respect to the prostration, but that prostration did not actually occur from them; rather it is a metaphor for submission. The first view is the one relied upon.

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7363–7364

Halo around the sun or moon

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

As for seeing the halo around the sun in a dream, it may indicate the seizing of debtors and encircling them.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 115

And it may indicate the arrival of the rulers in a town and their gathering in it.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 115

sun and moon fighting

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

A rare anecdote: 'Umar appointed a man as a judge in Syria, and one day he set out from Mecca, and he saw as though the sun and the moon were fighting one another, and the stars, some of them were with the sun and some of them with the moon, and that he himself had become a star. So he returned to relate his dream to the Imam 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him. When he came before him, he said to him: "Why have you turned back from your road?" He said: "I saw a dream, and I returned to relate it to the Commander of the Faithful." So the Imam 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said to him: "When you saw that you were a star, did you see yourself with the sun or with the moon?" He said: "With the moon." He said: "Then be off, and never do any work for me." When he had gone out from his presence, the Imam 'Umar said to his companions: "If his dream is true, he will go forth with those who will not have victory over us." And when the battle of Siffin came, the man was killed with the people of Syria.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, pp. 262–263

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

(And it is related) that Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah's favour be upon him, dispatched a judge to Syria. He set out, then returned from the road, and Umar said to him: "What turned you back?" He said: "I saw in a dream as though the sun and the moon were fighting each other, and as though some of the stars were with the sun and some of them with the moon." Umar said: "With which of the two were you?" He said: "With the moon." He said: "Be off; you shall never do any work for me." Then he recited: "So We effaced the sign of the night and made the sign of the day to give light." And when the day of Siffin came, the man was killed with the people of Syria. And it has reached me that the man was Jabir ibn Sa'id al-Ta'i.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 19–23

pale moon

Freud and Jung, a separate view

The place from which one is born is recognized if one thinks of the bad sense of the French "la lune." The pale moon thus becomes the white "bottom" (Popo), which the child soon recognizes as the place from which it came.

Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams / On Dreams / Dream Psychology, Dream Psychology, ch. V Sex in Dreams

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