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

25 passages from 4 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 indicates knowledge, discernment, honor, office, and distinguishing between truth and falsehood.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 253

The sieve is in the position of one who assays dirhams, who selects among words and deeds, and who distinguishes some of them from others: their good from their evil, their trivial from their weighty. It is the one who is scrupulous in his earnings.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 253

The sieve may be interpreted as a comb if we interpret hair (sha'r) as barley (sha'ir), because the comb cleans the dirt from the hair, and likewise the sieve removes the chaff from the barley.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 253

Whoever is given a promise, and the one who promised him gives him a sieve, then he will break his promise and not hold to it, just as the sieve does not hold water.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 253

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

(The sieve) is a man through whose hands noble wealth passes, because flour is noble wealth; and it indicates the woman and the servant girl who does not conceive and does not keep a secret.

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

Kinds and conditions of Sieve

sieve (coarse riddle)

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

Abu Sa'id al-Wa'iz said: the sieve is interpreted as the appraiser of dirhams and dinars, and the one who discriminates between words.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 236

Al-Kirmani said: whoever sees that he is sifting, that is of two aspects: either he will sweep, or he will appraise dirhams. The sieve itself is interpreted as the wife or the servant. And it is said that sifting is praiseworthy, because it is a praiseworthy matter.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 236

flour sieve

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

Seeing it in a dream indicates guidance after misguidance and repentance after disobedience.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 329

And perhaps it indicates the judge who distinguishes between truth and falsehood.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 329

sieve (flour sifter)

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

As for the sieve: whoever sees that he is sifting, then it is interpreted as his striving in some matter, and his gain in it will be in proportion to what he sifted.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 236

Abu Sa'id al-Wa'iz said: the sieve is interpreted as a man through whose hands noble wealth passes, because flour is noble.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 236

ploughshare, fan and sieve

Artemidorus of Daldis, Oneirocritica (1644 English translation)

the cutter of the plough, the wood, the fan, and five, is hurt, departure, and losse:

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

coarse sieve

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

(The coarse sieve) indicates scrupulousness in earning, and it indicates the running out of dirhams and dinars, and the one who distinguishes between sound speech and corrupt speech.

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

sieve-user (one who sifts)

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

In a dream, seeing him indicates one who distinguishes between truth and falsehood by his knowledge, and by his commanding and forbidding.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 340

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