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

182 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

She, in a dream, if she is beautiful, indicates that the coming year will bring good and ease.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 331

And a woman may indicate the granary, the storehouse, the chest, and everything in which a person deposits his belongings.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 331

And she may indicate the earth of the graveyard, because a person returns to it just as he came out of it.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 331

And she may indicate the prison and the partner, because she shares with the man in pleasure and in wealth.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 331

And a woman may indicate that which is privy to secrets, such as the bed and the clothing; and the tree that bears fruit; and the well into which one lowers his rope; and his sandal that he treads in; and his inkwell in which he places his pen; and his mount; and his seat.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 331

(And whoever sees) a beautiful woman entering his house will attain delight and joy.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 331

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

(And whoever sees) a beautiful woman and he is speaking with her, or mixing with her, or laughing with her, or playing with her, or she entered upon him in his house, then it is a fertile year, and good and joy; and if he is poor, wealth and provision will come to him; and if he is imprisoned, Allah will grant him release.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 41

(And whoever sees) a woman commanding people and forbidding them for the sake of Allah, then that is soundness in religion, especially if the commanding is directed to the seer.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 41

(And whoever sees) a number of women moved to a place, then they are workers who will be set over the people of that town.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 41

(And whoever sees) a woman disputing with him, and there occurred from her disgust and extreme aversion, then it is the passing away of blessing.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 41

And it is said: if she is one of rank, then it is its passing away, and the scattering of his affair and his authority; then it will return as it was and his conditions will be set in order.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 41

And it is said: whoever sees a woman he has never seen before, and she is dishevelled, inevitably something will be lost from him; but if she is beautiful, he will find it thereafter.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 41

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

Whoever sees a beautiful woman entering his house will attain joy and gladness.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 130–133

As for the perfect woman, she indicates what is derived from her name: either matters of this world, since she is world (dunya), pleasure and enjoyment; or matters of the Hereafter, since she sets religion right. She may indicate the ruler, since a woman rules over a man through passion and desire, while he toils and strives for her in her interests like a slave. She indicates the year, since she adorns, gives birth, and produces milk. She may also indicate the earth, the acre, the garden, and all mounts.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 713–717

A beautiful woman is wealth that does not endure, because beauty changes.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 130–133

So whoever sees a woman who guides him, or he possesses her, or he has authority over her, or she is laughing to him, or coming toward him, then one looks into his situation: if he is ill with a belly ailment or the like, or unmarried, and the woman was described as beautiful, or he supposed her to be a houri, then he will attain martyrdom.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 713–717

If he sees as though a young woman has turned her face toward him, his affairs will turn favourable after having declined.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 130–133

And if that is not the case, but rather she is of the women of this world, he will be saved from what he is in and attain worldly goods.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 713–717

Kinds and conditions of Woman

old woman

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

She in a dream is incapacity, and she may indicate the world that is passing away, and grief.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 235

And she may indicate the Hereafter, because it is the opposite of this world.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 235

young woman

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

In a dream, for a woman she is an enemy, in whatever state she sees her.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 195

The unknown young woman who is adorned is the hearing of glad news from where one does not reckon.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 195

woman spinning

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

As for a woman's spinning, it has reached us from Ibn Sirin that a woman came to him and said: I saw a woman spinning tar, and I marvelled at her. He said: What is it that amazes you about this? Undoing it is easier than making it fast. And he said: This is a woman who had a right due to her, and she relinquished it to the one who owed it, then she went back on it. She said: You have spoken truly — my husband owed me a dowry, and I remitted it to him during his lifetime, then when he died I took it from his inheritance.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 753–755

If a woman sees that she is spinning and spinning quickly, then someone absent belonging to her will arrive.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 753–755

black woman with disheveled hair

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

A rare account: Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) saw a dream in Medina and said: "I saw a black woman with disheveled hair go out from Medina until she alighted at Mahya'a, and I interpreted it as meaning that the plague of Medina was transferred to Mahya'a" — and that is al-Juhfa.

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

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

Al-Muhallab said: This dream belongs to the category of interpreted dreams, and it is among those things by which a likeness is struck. The manner of the likeness is that from the name "al-sawdā'" (the black woman) is derived "al-sū'" (evil) and "al-dā'" (disease), so he interpreted her going out by what her name comprised; and he interpreted the bristling of the hair of her head to mean that what causes evil and stirs up mischief goes out of the city.

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7412–7413

woman becoming a man

Artemidorus of Daldis, Oneirocritica (1644 English translation)

If a woman dream that she is a man, and she be not married, she shall have a husband, or if she have no children, she shall have a sonne, or shall be some way changed into the nature of a man:

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

but if she be both married, and have a sonne, she shall be a Widdow.

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

uncovering a woman in a dream

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

"You were shown to me in a dream twice: there was a man carrying you in a piece of silk cloth, and he says, 'This is your wife,' so I uncover her, and it is you. So I say, 'If this be from Allah, He will bring it to pass.'"

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, p. 7386

Ibn Battal said: The vision of a woman in a dream varies according to several aspects: among them is that the dreamer actually marries the one he sees or someone like her,

Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Dream Interpretation, pp. 7386–7387

a woman resembling a man

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

If a woman sees that she is wearing men's clothing and their appearance, or riding their mount, then her condition will improve, provided it is of a suitable measure.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 45

And if the garments are hideous, then it means a change in her condition accompanied by distress, and fear will befall her.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 45

becoming a woman

Artemidorus of Daldis, Oneirocritica (1644 English translation)

To dream to be a woman, is good for a poore man, and a servant: for the first shall finde those which will cherish him as a woman, and the second shall have lesse paine:

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

but to a rich man, it is ill; especially, if he have government of any publike thing, it takes away his office and authority, because women must kéepe the house.

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

woman turning into a man

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

her husband, or her father, or her brother; and it is said: the attainment of honour for one of her unmarriageable kin.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 37

And if a woman sees that she has become a man and that she has intercourse with women, or that she marries a woman, then she will attain good, honour, might, and a lofty reputation.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 37

woman resembling a man

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

As for a woman resembling a man: if a woman sees upon herself the clothing of men and their appearance, then her condition will improve, provided that this does not exceed the proper measure.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 734–736

But if the garments exceed the proper measure, then her condition will change, accompanied by fear and sorrow.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 734–736

a dead person having intercourse with a living woman

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

As for a dead person having intercourse with a living woman: if she is ill, or there is a sick person with her, then it will overtake him and cling to him; otherwise it means dispersion in her house or an ailment in her body.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 730–733

Unless along with that there is something indicating well-being, such as his saying to her, "I am not dead," or she sees that along with that he handed her straw or gave her barley as a gift — for that is good that will come alive for her which she had not hoped for, or she had despaired of his inheritance, or of her husband if she is a widow, or of an absent one who will come to her if she has someone absent.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 730–733

woman with a spindle

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

Among women, seeing her in a dream indicates contentment, following the Sunnah, the twisting together of affairs, and devoting oneself to good.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 125

But if the woman is spinning and undoing what she has spun in the dream, it indicates the wrath of Allah the Exalted upon her and the descent of punishment upon her.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 125

Also in the sources

woman whose children do not survive (miqlat) · woman holding a man's office · black woman · black woman with dishevelled hair · betrothal to a short black woman · woman smeared with tar · woman shaving her head · woman marrying another husband · having intercourse with a woman

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