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

414 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

Water in a dream is a good life. Whoever sees it in his house, it is happiness, gathered wealth, spoils, and an increase of good. And it is marriage, because of His saying (exalted be He): "And it is He who created a human being from water and made for him kinship by blood and by marriage."

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 316–317

(Whoever sees) that the water is clear and abundant, prices will drop and justice will be spread.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 316–317

Chewing water is severe toil in earning a living.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 316–317

Drinking from it is safety from the enemy and a fertile year for the one who drinks it.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 316–317

And if he drinks in sleep more water than he used to drink while awake, it indicates the length of his life.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 316–317

And whoever drinks water from a cup and it does not satisfy him, then his wife is disobedient to him.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 316–317

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

3 - (Chapter on the vision of waters) It is interpreted in several aspects: life, provision, livelihood, rest, purity, benefit, blessing, clarity, death, destruction, worry, distress, sorrow, a child, justice, tribulation, spoils, gathered wealth, and low prices.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 124

Ibn Sirin said: If a woman sees that she is giving water to drink, then she goes about among the people with lies.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 125

Ibn Sirin said: Water is life, for the words of Allah the Exalted: "And We made from water every living thing." So whoever drinks of pure water, then it is a good life, and his vision is good and benefit; but if it is turbid, then the opposite of that.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 124

As for stagnant water in interpretation, it is weaker than flowing water; and it is said to be imprisonment for whoever sees that he has fallen into it.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 125

Al-Kirmani said: Hot water is weakness and sorrow.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 124

Salty water is grief and worry, and turbid water is a bad livelihood.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 125

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

(Water) indicates Islam, knowledge, life, fertility and prosperity, because by it is the life of everything, as Allah the Exalted said: "We would have given them abundant water to drink, that We might test them thereby." And perhaps it indicates semen, because Allah the Exalted named it water, and the Arabs call abundant water "nutfah" (a drop of fluid). And it indicates wealth, because it is earned by means of it.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 575–579

And whoever sees that he is in deep, abundant water and he descended into it but did not reach its bottom, then he will attain much worldly wealth and become rich. And it is said: rather, he will fall into the affair of a great man.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 579–583

its quantity, and its rising over the surface is the ruler's oppression of his subjects.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 587–590

So whoever drinks sweet, clear water from a well or a waterskin and does not consume the last of it: if he was sick he will recover from his ailment, his life will continue and his death will not be hastened; and if he was not sick, he will marry if he is unmarried, because of his pleasure in drinking it and the descent of the water from his upper part down to his penis.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 575–579

And washing with cold water is repentance, and healing from a woman, and release from prison, and the settling of debt, and safety from fear.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 579–583

And its settling upon the tree trunks is his taking men captive.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 587–590

Freud and Jung, a separate view

The dream signifies “_superfluous_.” The abstract idea occurring in the dream thoughts is first made equivocal by a certain straining of language; it has, perhaps, been replaced by “overflowing” or by “fluid” and “super-fluid (-fluous)” and has then been given representation by an accumulation of like impressions. Water within, water without, water in the beds in the form of dampness—everything fluid and “super” fluid.

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

or with staying, in the water, are based upon fancies about the embryonic life, about the sojourn in the mother's womb, and about the act of birth.

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

Dreams of this sort are parturition dreams; their interpretation is accomplished by reversing the fact reported in the manifest dream content; thus, instead of "throwing one's self into the water," read "coming out of the water," that is, "being born."

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

The waters upon which the woman “the mother” sits are “peoples and throngs and nations and tongues.”

Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious (1916) / Collected Papers (1917), Psychology of the Unconscious, ch. V Symbolism of the Mother and of Rebirth

The maternal significance of water belongs to the clearest symbolism in the realm of mythology,[440]

Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious (1916) / Collected Papers (1917), Psychology of the Unconscious, ch. V Symbolism of the Mother and of Rebirth

The symbolism of water and trees, which are met with as further attributes in the symbol of the City, also refer to that amount of libido which unconsciously is fastened to the mother-imago.

Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious (1916) / Collected Papers (1917), Psychology of the Unconscious, ch. V Symbolism of the Mother and of Rebirth

To be born of water means simply to be born from the mother’s womb.

Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious (1916) / Collected Papers (1917), Psychology of the Unconscious, ch. V Symbolism of the Mother and of Rebirth

led over into sublimation through the symbol of baptism (birth from water)

Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious (1916) / Collected Papers (1917), Psychology of the Unconscious, ch. V Symbolism of the Mother and of Rebirth

Osiris and Isis were generated by phallus from the water (mother womb) in the ordinary manner.

Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious (1916) / Collected Papers (1917), Psychology of the Unconscious, ch. V Symbolism of the Mother and of Rebirth

Kinds and conditions of Water

irrigation canal (water channel)

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

In a dream it indicates the channel of one's provision, its place and its cause, such as a shop, a craft, travel and the like.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 168–169

And it may indicate ulcers, because of its being supplied with water in its channel, along with its watering of gardens.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, pp. 168–169

drawing water from a well

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

While I was at a well drawing water from it, Abu Bakr and Umar came to me. Abu Bakr took the bucket and drew a bucketful or two, and in his drawing there was weakness — may Allah forgive him. Then Ibn al-Khattab took it from Abu Bakr's hand, and it turned in his hand into a large bucket, and I never saw a man of such prowess among the people performing as he performed, until the people had made their camels kneel at the watering place.

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7399–7400

Al-Qadi 'Iyad said: The apparent meaning of this hadith is that what is intended is the caliphate of 'Umar.

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7400–7401

water carrier

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

He is in the dream a man of piety and God-fearingness, because it is the best of deeds in terms of reward, and much good flows through his hands if he gives drink and takes no wage for it.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 161

And if he fills a vessel and carries it to his house, that is wealth he will acquire.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 161

water spring

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

In a dream it is a blessing, good, baraka, and the attainment of a wish, if its owner is a person of covered (unblemished) reputation.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 239

(And whoever sees) springs bursting forth in his house, and he was not of covered reputation, a calamity will befall him over which the people of his house will weep.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 239

canal (water channel)

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

In a dream it is a woman, or wealth, or a scholar.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 272

(And whoever sees) that he has caused a canal to flow will marry and gain wealth and livelihood, or he will do a deed for himself in particular concerning his religion and his worldly life, or for the people in general.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 272

spring (water source)

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

it was not flowing; but if it was flowing, then it is good and blessing, because of Allah's saying: "in it is a flowing spring."

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 123

And it is said: whoever sees a water spring gushing forth, then he will attain some matter.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 123

jar (earthenware water jar)

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

In a dream it is a hypocritical hired servant through whose hand money passes and who is entrusted with it, and drinking water from it is lawful gain and a good life.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 63

(So whoever sees) that he drank half of what is in it, half of his lifespan has passed; and if he drank less or more than that, its interpretation is what remains or what has passed of his lifespan.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 63

water birds

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

As for water birds and the like, they are interpreted as small, beautiful things.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 219

Al-Kirmani said: Whoever sees that he has obtained something of the water birds, whether he knows it or does not know it, then it is the attainment of good and leadership and the achievement of what he wants, in proportion to that bird in its size and its feathers, so long as he is not frightened by it.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 219

water channel

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

And whoever sees that he is constructing a water channel, then he will contrive a trick and deceit against his relatives if the channel is known; and if it is unknown, the trick will be against strangers. And perhaps it is a betrayal, if he intends to make water flow in it from another's water. This is if no water flows in it; but if water flows, it is interpreted as marriage.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 125

And whoever sees that he is watering his garden with water from a channel, then he will spend what he has acquired on a wife or a concubine, and perhaps he will have intercourse with one of his relatives.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 125

water jar (zir)

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

It in the dream indicates the wife or the husband.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 144

And the water jar indicates the caretaker of the house, and it indicates his storehouse and his shop.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 144

Nilometer (water gauge)

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

Seeing it in a dream indicates the coming down of rain and mercy from Allah the Exalted, and ease after hardship.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 337

And if he sees that the water has reached its mark and that its structure is well-defined, or that there is verdure upon it, it indicates good tidings, joys, and abundance.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 337

water lily (lotus)

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

In a dream it indicates concealment, or life, or travel by sea.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 303

And whoever was travelling on the sea and saw the water lily, it is feared for him that he may drown, or that the wind may cease for him.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 303

Also in the sources

distilled waters · water lily (nilufar) · rose water · water conduit (barbakh) · water cooler (barradah, water jar) · basin (water trough) · river whose water is like pure milk · water basin · water channel / canal · rising flood water · running water · drinking water from an unknown vessel · chewing water · giving people water to drink · quenching thirst (satiety with water) · sprinkling water (spray) · water foam · shadhirwan (base ledge / ornamental water fountain) · seeing oneself in water · water-main · entering the water · subterranean canal leading to water · water carriers · decorative water wall/shadhirwan · leather water bag · travel water jug · deep water · Zamzam water · black water (glaucoma) in the eye · walking on water · water cooler jar · water lily · mouth full of water · overwhelming water · water-worm (da'mus) · pebbles/gravel of water · pool of water · waves of water

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