Islamic Interpretation
In dreams, pearls, beads, jewels, money, tears, or women carry profound and varied meanings connected to faith, knowledge, offspring, and worldly and spiritual value. Drilling holes in pearls to string them signifies fulfillment of ambitions, easing of difficulties, facilitation of marriage, or smooth completion of important matters. A pearl often symbolizes a son, and if a pregnant wife gives her husband a pearl, it indicates the birth of a beautiful boy. A dull or non-glittering pearl, or one taken from a wife and locked away, may represent a servant. For a woman, seeing a pearl brings glad tidings, and for an unmarried woman it foretells marriage. Exchanging a pearl or precious gem for fake jewelry or glass reflects sacrificing the rewards of the Hereafter for worldly pleasures, trading something valuable for what is worthless, committing sin, or even falling into apostasy. Pearls also represent the Qur’an, eloquent speech, wisdom, children, servants, integrity, beauty, and wealth. Piercing a pearl indicates offering deep and valuable interpretations of Qur’anic verses, while swallowing pearls may mean forgetting Qur’anic knowledge or, in another context, acquiring wisdom and learning. Selling pearls signifies gaining knowledge, recognition, and respect, while throwing pearls to people who collect them as the dreamer stands aside symbolizes a judge or authority whose words are accepted and followed. Receiving a pearl means caring for a relative’s daughter, and finding a pearl indicates finding a wife. Borrowing a pearl suggests begetting a son who is given away or who may die shortly after birth. Pearls also indicate wealth obtained through inheritance, and their meaning varies by role: for a scholar they signify knowledge, for a ruler expansion of power, for a merchant growth in business, and for a craftsman advancement in skill. Pearls further symbolize the final touch in adornment, proper display of beauty, fantasies, or attractions. Drilling a pearl may also carry a forbidden meaning of incest, swallowing a pearl may signify concealing testimony, chewing pearls indicates backbiting, vomiting pearls represents plotting and deception, and throwing a pearl into a river signifies helping others. Extracting a pearl and discarding its shell points to grave desecration and unlawful acts, while opening a casket to retrieve stored pearls signifies questioning a scholar. Counting pearls means enduring hardship, seeing pearls brings joy and happiness, and receiving them as a gift denotes political appointment. Pearls may also symbolize good speech, money, or servants, and a pearl necklace represents marriage, a sum of wealth, or memorization of the Qur’an. Carrying loads of pearls indicates heavy responsibilities, throwing pearls to swine or onto refuse signifies giving knowledge to the unworthy who mock it, and burning pearls as fuel symbolizes placing unbearable burdens on others. Large pearls hold better meanings than small ones, pierced pearls indicate quick and easy money, and pearls may also represent tears shed from the heart. (Also see Counting pearls, Mother of pearl, Tears)