Ape The ape (or monkey as well) is a poor man deprived of his means of living. It belongs to the category of human beings who have been metamorphosed as a result of a legendary curse. It represents the wicked, spiteful, and cursing individual, the same as it symbolizes a Jew (according to the ancient Arabs) or a person who commits major sins.
• Fighting and overpowering an ape: Will be ill but recover, unless the ape had the upper hand.
• Receiving an ape as a present: Will be exposed before one’s enemy. Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Petroleum - Or Naphta, Crude Oil For the ancient Arabs this mineral symbolized the haram (money) or money obtained by unholy means and constituting a sin and the debauched woman who corrupts others. Some interpreters regarded it as money earned the hard way or simply trouble and worries for its being difficult to swallow or digest. Dreaming of naphta being poured on someone: Harm from the ruler or higher authorities. Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Dove The dove symbolizes the virtuous, loving, and beloved woman who sticks to her man. It also alludes to the messenger, the letter, and the unexpected or the urgent information. According to legend, it was blessed by Noah after he was disappointed by a crow. He had sent the latter to view the condition of the water, but the crow, having seen carrion floating on the surface, forgot all about its mission. By contrast, the dove brought Noah a green leaf. Likewise, the dove refers to a girl, in particular the white one, sight of whom means good religion. Black pigeons are the leading figures of both sexes in society. But the best dove to be dreamt of is that which is green, for it means piety. The piebald or spotted doves are people of mixed blood. The baby doves are children and servants (slaves in the ancient mentality). The dovecote represents the ladies quarter. Pigeons cooing is a love quarrel. Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Mouse The mouse symbolizes the dreamer’s household: those who dwell in his house—his wife and children, et cetera—a debauched woman, or, some say, a devilish Jewish woman or a Jew, as related by Al-Nabulsi. It could also refer to a thief. Many mice means profit and welfare. Mice of the same color allude to women. The rat is a digging thief.
• Dreaming of a mouse playing in one’s house: Prosperity will increase because, according to the ancient Arabs, mice invade only those places that are prosperous. And only people who are not hungry can afford to play.
• Seeing mice in one’s house: Dangerous women will enter that house.
• A mouse leaving one’s house: Livelihood and blessings will decrease.
• Owning a mouse: Will have a servant because, like servants, mice share the food of the master.
• White and black mice coming and going: Long life, as the white indicate the days and the black the nights. To borrow the expressions of Ibn Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Nabeq Tree In any case, it symbolizes plenty of money, gold or silver but not coins. Some ancient interpreters said that it represented money that would come from or be earned in Iraq. Dreaming of the ruler eating nabeq means more power and influence. A woman once dreamed that a nabeq tree had fallen in her house and that she filled two baskets with its fruit. Ibn Siren told her that her husband had died and that she would inherit two thousand currency units. And so it was. Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Grape Black grapes during the right season symbolize fear and disease; otherwise they mean trouble and worries. They are also a harbinger of cold weather. Grapes were believed by the ancient Arabs to be harmful. They also thought that no benefit could be derived from the black color and hated black grapes in any case. Among other things, they argued that the grape was originally white, placed near the son of Nuh (Noah). When his father cursed him, it suddenly turned black. Certain dream interpreters felt that the black grape meant nothing but money that will not last. Separate from the bunch, it symbolized extreme fear or chills. Others regarded the black grape as a not so bad dream, in view of a verse in the Holy Quran: “And of the fruits of the date-palm, and grapes, whence ye derive strong drink and (also) good nourishment. Lo! therein, is indeed a portent for people who have sense.” (“Al-Nahl” [The Bees], verse 67.) They also thought so because the Prophet Zakareyyah (Zacharia) used to find it at Mariam’s (Mary’s) place. Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Bee A bee has different meanings depending on whether the dreamer is a civilian, farmer, or military man, for bees produce honey, which is something sweet, useful, and beneficial and, according to a verse of the Holy Quran, a remedy for people. Paradoxically, bees could also be an allusion to disease, by association of ideas. At the same time, bees have a clear-cut hierarchy and are highly disciplined, tenacious, and toiling creatures. They symbolize the military or the Muslim army (once one of the most powerful in the world). In any case, a bee in a dream is a laborious and very gifted person in terms of earning his or her livelihood and whose companions can only benefit from him, but a dangerous person as well. For the ancient Arabs, a bee symbolized the Bedouin or, in abstract terms, perseverance, gains, and the accumulation of wealth. And since Muslims believe that bees are inspired by God to follow a certain order and discipline in excelling in the production of various types of honey with different aromas, they are thought to symbolize knowledge or know-how, division of labour or categorization, erudition, and the authoring of literary or scientific works. Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Lame A lame person, said some ancient Arab dream interpreters, could not master a craft and often lives on insufficient funds.
• Being lame: Controversial interpretations. For Ibn Siren, dreaming of being lame means one will become more religious and try to learn more about religion and similar subjects. The dreamer can also be trusted when he swears. For other dream interpreters, it means the dreamer will commit adultery. Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Dove The dove symbolizes the virtuous, loving, and beloved woman who sticks to her man. It also alludes to the messenger, the letter, and the unexpected or the urgent information. According to legend, it was blessed by Noah after he was disappointed by a crow. He had sent the latter to view the condition of the water, but the crow, having seen carrion floating on the surface, forgot all about its mission. By contrast, the dove brought Noah a green leaf. Likewise, the dove refers to a girl, in particular the white one, sight of whom means good religion. Black pigeons are the leading figures of both sexes in society. But the best dove to be dreamt of is that which is green, for it means piety. The piebald or spotted doves are people of mixed blood. The baby doves are children and servants (slaves in the ancient mentality). The dovecote represents the ladies quarter. Pigeons cooing is a love quarrel.
• A person facing hardships or missing someone dreaming of a dove flying to him or landing on him: Good augury. Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Heart The heart symbolizes the dreamer’s wife. It also refers to his courage, tolerance, forgiveness, temerariousness (guts), quality, generosity, endurance, and righteousness. Anything wrong in it in a dream applies to the body, as the heart belongs to the body and makes it live. But the interpretation of dreams involving the heart by the ancient Arabs was often paradoxical.
• The heart coming out of the body: Religious faith and fidelity.
• Emptying the heart: Truth will prevail. Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Piss • Pissing in an animated area of a marketplace: The dreamer will become a familiar figure in that market.
• A horseman stepping down from a mare for some adventitious reason and pissing blood: He is indulging in adultery (because, according to the ancient Arabs, the soil is a woman and pissing is sex, while blood symbolizes what is prohibited).
• Urinating in the mihrab or prayer niche: The dreamer will have a son who will become a Muslim spiritual leader, as the mihrab basically represents the imam. Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Christian (Also see Archbishop, Monk, Prelate, and Priest.) The word Nosrani used in the ancient Arab texts (plural, Nasara) is quite vague, as it could mean Nazarene, someone from Nazareth—a Christian—or Nazerite, a dissident Jew. But it generally means Christian, whose exact translation should be Messihi from Messiah.
• Seeing a Nosrani: The dreamer will triumph over his rival in an outstanding dispute, because Nosrani comes from the Arabic Nosra, meaning “triumph” or “victory.”
• Seeing a Nosrani while locked in battle: Will win. Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Grape Grape juice, especially wine, symbolizes women, in view of its delicious taste. It also represents sex, because it is like the semen. Likewise, it refers to a generous and useful man, a good-doer, owing to the multifarious benefits of grape. He could be a ruler, a scholar, or a person who gives money to the needy. White grapes in the right season allude to the best of this world, like money that will come earlier than expected. In winter, grapes allude to rain. To the ancient Arabs, every bunch of grapes was one thousand dirham's (currency units). Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Tree Ancient Arab dream interpreters said that whereas the tree referred to the man’s deeds, religion, or ego, its leaves symbolizes his character, its beauty his nice shape and clothing, its branches his brothers, relatives, folk, and beliefs, its heart his hidden essence and his secrets, its bark his appearance, skin, and all that he uses to adorn himself with, and its semen his faith, piety, assets, and life. The tree also represents the female kind, for it is irrigated; it bears (fruits) and delivers. It also refers to various places and persons associated with food, money, and wealth, like shops, warehouses, banquets, slaves, servants, and cattle. Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Sky In Arabic, there is only one word for sky and heaven, the same as in French. The sky symbolizes the king’s court and his entourage, which are as difficult to reach as the sky is (or used to be in ancient times).
• Anything falling from the sky, be it good or bad: That thing will come from Heaven.
• Climbing to the sky on a ladder: The dreamer will be dignified and reap benefits from the king.
• Climbing to the sky without any ladder or stairs: The dreamer will be disappointed and terrorized by the sultan. If the dreamer’s intention is to overhear, he will spy on the sultan and break into his palace or treasury to rob him. In case he reaches the sky, he will succeed. The reverse is also true.
• A sick person getting to the sky and failing to return: He will die and his soul will go to Heaven. Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Banana The banana tree symbolizes a rich, pious, and polite person. It is one of the noblest trees. Seeing bananas in a dream is a particularly good omen, because exception is made for that fruit by the ancient Arabs, regardless of its yellow color, which in other cases always symbolizes disease. It is a good dream even if the bananas are not ripe or taste sour.
• Eating bananas: (1) For a worldly person: Benefits and desires will be fulfilled. (2) For a religious individual: Stronger faith.
• A banana tree growing in a house: A male child will be born in that house. Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Vagina • Dreaming that one’s wife has no vagina: A matter will be stalled, and the dreamer will be helpless and humiliated.
• The vagina being cut: Bad omen, meaning perhaps that enemies will prevail.
• Biting the vagina of an unknown woman: Relief and joy.
• The vagina of an unidentified old woman: Relief in life. Holding firm a woman’s vagina with one’s hand, which turns into a penis: Her morals will change. If it remains a penis, she will remain authoritarian, impudent, loud, and impossible to tame.
• Vaginal or pubic hair: (1) Period is on the way. (2) Poetic diatribe, a speciality of ancient Arab poets. It is noteworthy that in Arabic the words for hair and poem resemble each other. The former is shaar and the latter sheer. Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Mare • A horseman stepping down from a mare for some adventitious matter and keeping back without unsaddling her: His wife has her menses, and he will stay away from her temporarily. But if he had stepped down to ride another mare, he will have a second woman. If he had turned his face after stepping down, he would stay away from his wife for some time. If, after stepping down, he pissed blood, he is indulging in adultery (because, according to the ancient Arabs, the soil [earth] is a woman and pissing is sex, while blood symbolizes what is prohibited).
• Drinking mare milk: Benefits will come from the ruler. The female draft horse should be treated in the interpretation of dreams as an ordinary mare. Anyway, she symbolizes a girl, a slave girl, or an honest free woman. Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Silver But ancient Arab interpreters were divided about the interpretation of dreams involving silver. To some finding silver tablets or bars meant joy or that the dreamer would procure some in reality. To others it meant worries and sorrow; it all depended on the personality of the dreamer himself. According to Al-Kirmani, genuine and intact silver meant some truthful news would arrive. Broken silver is a reference to misleading information and animosity.
• Finding some molten piece of silver or receiving it from someone: The dreamer will marry a woman from that person’s folk.
• A golden or silver salt cellar: An agreeable woman, as in Arabic salt is melh and agreeable is maliha. But silver is always better than gold. Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
Ali Ibn Abi Taleb He was the fourth caliph, from A.D. 656 to 661, when he was assassinated in Koufa, his capital. The essence of the Shiite movement in Islam is the contention that Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, should have been the first caliph to succeed Prophet Muhammad (p b u h). Most often, dreaming of Ali, peace be upon him, or similar Imams means that the hero of such a dream will die as a martyr.
• A king dreaming of Ali: Will conquer a country or overrun a bastion and be highly praised.
• Seeing Ali means the dreamer will: (1) Triumph over enemies. (2) Have good and noble children and grandchildren. (3) Subdue the aliens in his Muslim country who rebel against the system, especially the Jews (according to the ancient interpreters). (4) Become a successor and a trustee. (5) Embark on difficult, strenuous trips. (6) If at war, obtain many spoils. (7) Become more knowledgeable, generous, courageous, and ascetic or selfless. Dream Interpreter: Various Islamic Scholars
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