Dune: The Meaning Of 'Lisan Al Gaib' Explained

Between the complex practices of the Fremen, Bene Gesserit, and the empire as a whole, even when reading Frank Herbert's "Dune" novels instead of watching Part I or II of Denis Villeneuve's onscreen adaptation, it's easy to get confused about the various terms that are thrown around.One thing that's difficult to completely understand is exactly what Paul Atreides — aka the Lisan al Gaib — means to the Fremen people who believe that he is their messiah. This is thanks to the antics of the Bene Gesserit, an order of mystical women who slyly wield their powerful abilities, often without clarifying their actions or intentions. The motivations of the Bene Gesserit are difficult to glean as either a reader or viewer and are nearly impossible to understand as a character within the complex "Dune" universe.

In "Dune: Part II," Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) can't help but play into the hands of the Bene Gesserit by continually confirming the belief held by many Fremen zealots that he is the prophesied "Lisan al Gaib." But despite his prophetic status amongst thousands of men, women, and children, Paul is just as much a pawn to the Bene Gesserit's intent as any other person who has been manipulated by their order. No matter what he or his love, Chani (Zendaya), does, most of the Fremen people cannot be dissuaded of their belief that Paul is a true religious messiah — but there is a real, far less-righteous reason why his claim to the title of Lisan al Gaib is so convincing.

In the "Dune" universe, a group of ancient humans known as the imperial raiders enacted pogroms against groups of people who refused to renounce their religions and gather under Orange Catholic Ecumenism. One such group, the Zensunni Wanderers, had a religion that was based mostly on Sunni Muslim practices with some Buddhist influences. The Zensunni Wanderers sought safety from persecution during the pogroms and embarked upon space travel in search of a safe haven. After a long journey known as the Zensunni Wandering, the Zensunni settled on the planet of Arrakis and became the ancestors of a people known in the contemporary "Dune" universe as the Fremen. 

The Fremen are Arrakis' native population. They use the harsh desert environment and sandworms to stay alive and rebel against imperial forces. The Fremen language is derived from Arabic (per the religious origins of their ancestors), and the term "Lisan al Gaib" is usually translated literally as "Voice from the Outer World" or, occasionally, as "Giver of Water." When translated non-literally, "Lisan al Gaib" is a Fremen term used to mean "messiah" or "prophet." It is usually used in reference to an ancient Fremen prophecy that speaks of an off-worlder who will come to Arrakis and lead the Fremen to glory and away from the hardships of desert life and imperial subjugation.

According to religiously devout Fremen people, which the southern desert population is mostly comprised of, the Lisan al Gaib prophecy comes from their oldest, most sacred religious doctrine. It says that an off-world figure, a young man, will come to Arrakis and eventually become leader of the Fremen people. The prophecy further states that the Lisan al Gaib will lead them in an enormous holy war against the empire, freeing the Fremen people from their harsh reality. Unfortunately, the Lisan al Gaib prophecy is not pure religious doctrine and, in fact, came from an arm of the Bene Gesserit known as the Missionaria Protectiva. 

Their mandate, known as the Panoplia Propheticus, was to sow seeds of superstition and uncertainty into the cultural and religious traditions of societies they deemed primitive. After many centuries, those seeds often blossomed into sacred legends that allowed the Bene Gesserit to better insert themselves within any given society by engineering events so that the legend, prophecy, etc., would come to fruition.

Everything the Bene Gesserit does is in service to their own prophecy about the Kwisatz Haderach — a super-powered human with the ability to see the past and the future. The Bene Gesserit undertake initiatives like the Panoplia Propheticus to prepare for the arrival of the Kwisatz Haderach. This is also why the prophetic markers of the Kwisatz Haderach mostly match up with those of the Lisan al Gaib.

Stilgar (Javier Bardem), a Fremen southerner, leader of the northern Fremen fighters, and devout believer of the Lisan al Gaib prophecy, has many reasons to believe that Paul Atreides is his people's messiah. He is suspicious, just like the other northern Fremen, but still hopeful that Paul is the person they've been seeking for thousands of years. It takes a little while for Stilgar to truly trust Paul and Jessica and to believe that Paul is the prophet he has been waiting for, but once he does, he is devoted to Paul's mission and keeping the young man safe.

The Fremen legend says the messiah is the son of a Bene Gesserit, and Paul's mother is Bene Gesserit Lady Jessica. The prophecy also says that the Lisan al Gaib has the prescience of a Bene Gesserit despite being male, and Paul shows his ability to see the future by beating seasoned Fremen warrior Jamis in one-on-one combat.

There are many other reasons for Stilgar to believe in Paul, but the most exciting and definitive moment in the film comes when Paul manages to ride the Shai-Hulud. It is Paul's first attempt to ride a sandworm, and not only does he successfully do so, he successfully rides a grandfather worm — one of the biggest the Fremen have ever seen. To Stilgar, this is as good as an endorsement from Arrakis itself that Paul is the prophet the Fremen have been waiting for.