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

89 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

In a dream it is the man's religion, or his livelihood, or his piety, or his knowledge, or good tidings, because of Allah's saying: "Take this shirt of mine."

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 278–279

If a man wears it, then it is a woman he will marry, and for a woman it is a man she will marry, because of Allah's saying: "They are a garment for you and you are a garment for them."

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 278–279

As for the shirt, if a man wears it and it becomes torn, he will have no need of his wife; and if its seam comes apart, he will part from his wife or his partner.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 278–279

The shirt is the man's condition in his religion and his worldly life.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 278–279

Whoever sees that he has worn a shirt without two sleeves, that is the goodness of his beauty in his religion without wealth for him, because wealth is what is in the hand and he has nothing in his hand — and that is the sleeve.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 278–279

Whoever sees that the opening (collar) of his shirt is torn, a door of poverty has opened upon him.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 278–279

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

As for the shirt, Daniel said: the white shirt indicates religion, and it is said it indicates the woman (wife).

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, pp. 154–155

And whoever sees that he has put on his shirt inside out, then it indicates his hypocrisy.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, pp. 155–156

A rare account: Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: While I was asleep, I saw people being presented before me, and upon them were shirts: some of them reached the breast, and some of them reached less than that. And 'Umar ibn al-Khattab was presented before me, and upon him was a shirt which he was dragging. They said: What did you interpret it as? He said: Religion.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 259

Ibn Sirin said: a man's shirt is his condition which covers him, and his earnings and his livelihood.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, pp. 154–155

And whoever sees that he is wearing a torn shirt, then it indicates.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, pp. 155–156

Whoever sees his shirt as new, fine, and wide, then it indicates the soundness of his condition; and if it is contrary to that, then it indicates its corruption.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, pp. 154–155

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

A man's shirt is his condition in his earnings, his livelihood, and his religion. So whatever he sees in it of increase or decrease is in that.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 247–250

the one wearing them. If a woman sees that she has put on a new shirt, thick and wide, that is the goodness of her state in her religion and her worldly life, and the state of her husband.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 251–253

Likewise his wearing of the shirt: if it is sound and new with its buttons, then its owner is thereby of gathered affairs and good condition.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 798–800

It is said that the shirt is good tidings, because of Allah's saying, "Take this shirt of mine." And it is said that for a man it is a wife, and for a woman a husband, because of Allah's saying, "They are a garment for you and you are a garment for them."

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 247–250

And the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "I saw as though people were being presented before me, and upon them were shirts: some of them reached the breast, and some of them reached below that. And 'Umar was presented before me, and upon him was a shirt which he dragged along." They said: "And how did you interpret that, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Religion."

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 251–253

And if the collar-piece is worn out and torn, or he sees that it has fallen off his shirt, then the affairs and matters of the shirt's owner will be scattered.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 798–800

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

While I was asleep, I saw people being presented before me, and upon them were shirts: some of them reached the breast, and some of them fell short of that. And 'Umar b. al-Khattab passed by me, and upon him was a shirt which he was dragging along. They said: "How did you interpret it, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Religion."

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, p. 7382

"I saw people presented before me wearing shirts: some of them reached the breast, and some of them fell short of that; and 'Umar b. al-Khattab was presented before me wearing a shirt that he was dragging." They said: "And how did you interpret it, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Religion."

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7382–7384

And it occurs in the aforementioned narration of al-Hakim that he said: "[It is] faith."

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, p. 7382

They said: the reason for interpreting the shirt as religion is that the shirt covers the private parts in this world, while religion covers them in the Hereafter and screens them from every detested thing. The basis for this is His saying, exalted be He: "And the garment of piety—that is better," the verse.

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7382–7384

The Arabs allude to excellence and chastity by means of the shirt, and of this is his saying (peace be upon him) to 'Uthman: "Allah will clothe you in a shirt, so do not take it off."

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7382–7384

The interpreters agreed that the shirt is interpreted as religion, and that its length indicates the persistence of the traces of its owner after him.

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7382–7384

Kinds and conditions of Shirt

having one's shirt stripped off

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

And whoever, among the associates of the ruler, sees that his shirt is stripped off him until he is left bare, that is dismissal from office for him.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 762–765

And 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) charged him: "Allah, mighty and majestic, will clothe you in a shirt, so if they press you to take it off, do not take it off."

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 762–765

night-shirt

Freud and Jung, a separate view

the night-shirt had been recognised as an allusion to the father of the dreamer in an infantile scene.

Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams / On Dreams / Dream Psychology, The Interpretation of Dreams, ch. VI The Dream-Work

shirt without sleeves

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

If he sees that he is wearing a shirt that has no sleeves, then he is of good standing but has no wealth, because wealth is what is in the hand, and he has nothing in hand — that is, the two sleeves.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 771–773

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