Telling a bad dream to water: is it from Islam?

In Turkey and some other Muslim cultures, people who have a bad dream tell it in the morning to running water, a fountain or a tap, so that the water carries the evil of the dream away. Does this custom have a place in the religion?

Where does the custom come from?

Telling a dream to water is not mentioned in the Quran or the hadith. It is a custom left over from old folk beliefs that water washes evil away. Islam, on the other hand, clearly teaches how to be protected after a bad dream, and that teaching does not include telling it to water or anything else.

What the Sunnah says

The Prophet ﷺ taught the one who sees a bad dream to:

1. Seek refuge in Allah from the dream and from Shaytan (Sahih Muslim 2261).
2. Lightly spit to the left three times (Sahih Muslim 2261).
3. Turn over from the side he was sleeping on (Sahih Muslim 2262).
4. Tell no one about it: "He should not tell anyone, for it will not harm him" (Sahih al-Bukhari 6985).
5. Get up and pray if he wishes (Sahih Muslim 2263).

So in the Sunnah a bad dream is not told, neither to a person nor to water. What keeps it from harming you is seeking refuge in Allah.

Is telling it to water a sin?

Telling a dream to water carries no reward and no protection. Believing that water takes away the evil of a dream ties protection to something other than Allah, so doing it with that belief is not right. It is better to replace the custom with the steps the Prophet ﷺ taught. They are easier, and they come with the promise that the dream will not harm you.

Does a dream come true according to its interpretation?

A hadith says that a dream is on the leg of a bird as long as it is not interpreted, and when it is interpreted it falls. The same hadith advises telling a dream only to someone who loves you or to a wise, knowledgeable person (Sunan Abi Dawud 5020; Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2278). This is one more reason not to tell bad dreams. A good dream you may share with people who love you and wish you well. For more, see Should you tell your dream to others?.

In short

Instead of telling a bad dream to water, seek refuge in Allah, lightly spit to your left three times, turn over and tell no one. For the full steps, read What to do after a bad dream.

And Allah knows best.