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Tongue in a Dream in Islam: Meaning by Ibn Sirin
اللسان في المنام
In Islam, the tongue seen in a dream stands for the interpreter of its owner: it expresses what is in his heart, good or bad. The Ibn Sirin collection therefore links it to speech, to arguments and to testimony. A tongue that grows longer during a dispute announces victory, a split tongue words that turn against the dreamer.
وأما اللسان فترجمان صاحبه ومدبر أمره المؤدي لما في قلبه وجوارحه من صلاح أو فسادIn the Ibn Sirin collection: “As for the tongue, it is the interpreter of its owner and the one that manages his affairs. It conveys what is good or corrupt in his heart and his limbs.”
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 22, vol. 1, p. 148
This sentence opens the passage on the tongue, in the chapter on the limbs of the body. The collection comes back to it in the chapter on illnesses and infirmities, for a tongue that is cut, split or knotted. Everything turns on speech: what happens to the tongue in a dream happens to the dreamer’s words, his arguments and his testimony.
The meaning according to what you saw
Here are the cases described in the Ibn Sirin collection, first in the chapter on the limbs of the body, then in the chapter on illnesses.
| In your dream | Meaning in the collection |
|---|---|
| Your tongue grows longer or wider during a dispute | Strength and victory in argument.vol. 1, p. 148 |
| Your tongue is long, with no dispute | A foul tongue. Sometimes also success through eloquence, gentleness, good manners and good advice.vol. 1, p. 148 |
| A ruler’s tongue grows longer | He increases his weapons and obtains money through an interpreter.vol. 1, p. 148 |
| A tied tongue | Poverty and illness.vol. 1, p. 148 |
| Hair grows on your tongue | Black hair: an evil that is near. White hair: an evil that will come later.vol. 1, p. 148 |
| You have two tongues | Knowledge added to your knowledge, an argument added to your argument and victory over your enemies.vol. 1, p. 148 |
| Your tongue is split and you can no longer speak | Words that turn against you and harm you. This dream can also point to lying, a loss for a merchant and the removal of a governor from office.vol. 1, p. 204 |
| The tip of your tongue is cut off | You fail to argue your case in a dispute. A witness is not believed. According to another opinion, someone who sees his tongue cut off is a patient and forbearing man.vol. 1, p. 204 |
| Your wife cuts off your tongue | You are gentle and kind towards her.vol. 1, p. 204 |
| A woman whose tongue is cut off | Her chastity and her discretion.vol. 1, p. 204 |
| Your tongue sticks to your palate | You deny a debt you owe or a trust left with you.vol. 1, p. 204 |
| Your tongue is knotted | Eloquence, understanding of the religion, authority and victory over enemies. The collection quotes the prayer of Musa (Moses), peace be upon him: “And untie the knot from my tongue, that they may understand my speech” (Qur’an, surah 20, verses 27 and 28).vol. 1, p. 205 |
Before you interpret your dream
Not every dream carries a meaning. The Prophet ﷺ described three kinds: a good dream, which is glad tidings from Allah; a distressing dream, which comes from Satan; and what a person tells himself during the day (Sahih Muslim, no. 2263). Only the first is read with a collection like Ibn Sirin’s. See the three kinds of dreams, and if your dream frightened you, what to do after a bad dream.
Frequently asked questions
Is seeing a tongue in a dream good or bad in Islam?
Both exist. The Ibn Sirin collection sees the tongue as the interpreter of the person. A tongue that grows longer during a dispute, two tongues or a knotted tongue are good signs. A tied tongue, a split tongue or a tongue covered with black hair announces poverty, illness or an evil.
What does a cut tongue mean in a dream in Islam?
According to the collection, if the tip of the tongue is cut off, the dreamer fails to argue his case, and a witness is not believed (vol. 1, p. 204). Another opinion sees in a cut tongue a forbearing man. If a wife cuts off her husband’s tongue, he is gentle and kind towards her.
What does a long tongue mean in a dream?
In a dispute, it means strength and victory. Outside a dispute, the collection sees a foul tongue, or sometimes success through eloquence and good manners (vol. 1, p. 148).
What does a swollen tongue or cleaning the tongue mean in a dream in Islam?
The collection speaks of neither a swollen tongue nor cleaning the tongue. The closest case is a tongue that grows longer or wider: during a dispute it means strength and victory, outside a dispute a foul tongue or eloquence.
Does the collection speak of dreaming in a foreign language?
No. We found no passage in the collection about speaking another language in a dream. It only deals with the tongue as an organ: its size, its cutting, its hair or its knots.
Does the meaning change for a married or single woman?
The collection does not distinguish the married woman, the single woman or the pregnant woman for the tongue. Two cases concern women: a woman whose tongue is cut off, a sign of chastity and discretion, and a wife who cuts off her husband’s tongue, a sign that he is gentle and kind towards her (vol. 1, p. 204).
Sources
- Muntakhab al-kalâm fî tafsîr al-ahlâm, collection attributed to Muhammad ibn Sirin, chapter 22, vol. 1, p. 148, and chapter 25, vol. 1, pp. 204 and 205 (Arabic text, Shamela edition, OpenITI corpus).
- Qur’an, surah 20, verses 27 and 28 (Sahih International translation).
- Sahih Muslim, no. 2263, for the three kinds of dreams.
- English translations of the Ibn Sirin collection: tafsir-a7lem.com.