Core sense — a handful of herbs or twigs, fresh and dry; confused, unreal dreamsgenerated
1figurative · مجاز — inferredtwo bundles of lighted firewood—ضِغْثَانِ مِنْ نَارٍ
A handful of herbs, mixed together, fresh and dry; or a handful of twigs of trees or shrubs, or of fruit-stalks of the raceme of a palm-tree.
Originally, a number of twigs all having one root or stem, and afterwards applied to what is collected together. Or a thing that one collects together, such as a bundle of the species of trefoil called رَطْبَة, and of what has a stem and grows tall. Or whatever is collected together and grasped with the hand. Or a bundle of herbs mixed together, or of firewood. Plural أَضْغَاثٌ.
In the Qurʾān 38:43 it is said to mean a bundle of rushes (أَسَل in the Mgh and the O; in my copy of the Msb اثل, which I think a mistranscription, because of what follows), a hundred in number, made up of slender stalks without leaves, from which mats are made.
See also a proverb cited and explained under إِلَالَةٌ.
among them is he who obtains somewhat of worldly goods—مِنْهُمُ الآخِذُ الضِّغْثَ
on this sense Both of these occur in traditions.
Qur’ān 38:44 approximate — somewhere between 38:32 and 38:46 Lane cites “Kur xxxviii. 43”
Qur’ān 38:44 the verse Lane’s citation points to, and it uses this root
وَخُذْ بِيَدِكَ ضِغْثًا فَٱضْرِب بِّهِۦ وَلَا تَحْنَثْ ۗ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَـٰهُ صَابِرًا ۚ نِّعْمَ ٱلْعَبْدُ ۖ إِنَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٌ"And take in thy hand a little grass, and strike therewith: and break not (thy oath)." Truly We found him full of patience and constancy. How excellent in Our service! ever did he turn (to Us)!Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)
1.1figurative · مجاز — inferredcomplications, or medleys, of dreams, falsely resembling true dreams—أَضْغَاثُ أَحْلَامٍ
Also what is confused, and without truth or reality — of dreams, of news, and of an affair.
The singular is ضِغْثُ حُلْمٍ. The phrase occurs in the Qurʾān 12:44 and 21:5.
Or a dream whose interpretation will not prove true, because of its confusedness; or a false dream, the plural form being used to stress the unreality, or because the phrase takes in various things. Mujāhid: أَضْغَاثُ الرُّؤْيَا means the terrors, or frightful things, of the dream.
he brought us various sorts of news—أَتَانَا بِأَضْغَاثٍ مِنَ الأَخْبَارِ
a deed of a mixed kind, not pure or not sincere—ضِغْثٌ
speech in which there is no good—كَلَامٌ ضِغْثٌ
Plural أَضْغَاثٌ.
Qur’ān 12:44 approximate — somewhere between 12:42 and 12:61 Lane cites “Kur xii. 44”
Lane cites “Bd in xii. 44” — a commentary, not the verse; no modern number is given
Qur’ān 12:44 the verse Lane’s citation points to, and it uses this root
قَالُوٓا۟ أَضْغَـٰثُ أَحْلَـٰمٍ ۖ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَأْوِيلِ ٱلْأَحْلَـٰمِ بِعَـٰلِمِينَThey said: "A confused medley of dreams: and we are not skilled in the interpretation of dreams."Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)
Qur’ānic occurrences ضِغْث 2 shown of 3
12:44
قَالُوٓا۟ أَضْغَـٰثُ أَحْلَـٰمٍ ۖ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَأْوِيلِ ٱلْأَحْلَـٰمِ بِعَـٰلِمِينَThey said: "A confused medley of dreams: and we are not skilled in the interpretation of dreams."
38:44
وَخُذْ بِيَدِكَ ضِغْثًا فَٱضْرِب بِّهِۦ وَلَا تَحْنَثْ ۗ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَـٰهُ صَابِرًا ۚ نِّعْمَ ٱلْعَبْدُ ۖ إِنَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٌ"And take in thy hand a little grass, and strike therewith: and break not (thy oath)." Truly We found him full of patience and constancy. How excellent in Our service! ever did he turn (to Us)!
Occurrences of this form in the Qur’ān, not Lane’s choice of verse. They show the word in use; they do not say which sense above applies. Where more occur than are shown, the shortest āyāt are chosen.
Show Lane's original text
A handful of herbs, (AHn, S, A, Mgh, Msb, K,) mixed together, (S, A, Msb, K,) fresh and dry: (S, Msb, K:) or a handful of twigs of trees or shrubs; (Mgh, * Msb;) or of fruit-stalks of the raceme of a palm-tree: (Mgh, Msb:) originally, a number of twigs all having one root or stem: and afterwards applied to what is collected together: (Msb:) or a thing that one collects together, such as a bundle of [the species of trefoil called] رَطْبَة ; and of what has a stem, and grows tall: (Fr, TA:) or whatever is collected together, and grasped with the hand: (AHeyth, TA:) or a bundle of herbs mixed together; or of firewood: pl. أَضْغَاثٌ . (TA.) In the Kur xxxviii. 43, it is said to mean A bundle of rushes ( أَسَل , so in the Mgh and the O, in my copy of the Msb اثل [which I think a mistranscription, on account of what follows]), a hundred in number, (O, Msb,) consisting of slender stalks without leaves, (Mgh, Msb,) whereof mats are made. (Msb.) See also a prov. cited and expl. voce إِلَالَةٌ . Hence, in a trad., ضِغْثَانِ مِنْ نَارٍ , meaning Two bundles of lighted firewood. (TA.) And, in another trad., مِنْهُمُ الآخِذُ الضِّغْثَ , meaning Among them is he who obtains somewhat of worldly goods. (TA.) Also What is confused, and without truth, or reality, [of dreams, and] of news, or tidings, and of an affair. (Sh, TA.) أَضْغَاثُ أَحْلَامٍ , [occurring in the Kur xii. 44 and xxi. 5,] of which the sing. is ضِغْثُ حُلْمٍ , (Msb,) means Complications of dreams; (A;) or medleys of dreams, falsely resembling true dreams: (O, Msb:) or a dream of which the interpretation will not prove true, because of its confusedness: (ISh, S, K:) or a false dream; the pl. form being used to give emphasis to the meaning of unreality, or because the phrase comprehends various things: (Bd in xii. 44:) or أَضْغَاثُ الرُّؤْيَا means the terrors, or frightful things, of the dream. (Mujáhid, O, TA.) One says also, أَتَانَا بِأَضْغَاثٍ مِنَ الأَخْبَارِ , meaning He brought us [various] sorts of news, or tidings. (TA.) ضِغْثٌ means also A deed that is of a mixed kind, not pure, or not sincere. (IAth and O, from a trad.) And كَلَامٌ ضِغْثٌ Speech in which is no good: pl. أَضْغَاثٌ . (TA.)