Nature and elements
Dreaming of water in Islam
In short
For both books clear water is life, knowledge and ease, and drinking it is a good sign. Al-Nabulusi also reports the view attributed to Ibn Sirin: water can be a trial in religion.
A summary of the passages quoted below. These are authors’ interpretations, not a prediction: a dream is understood through the dreamer and all its details.
What the interpretation books say
al-Nabulusi — Taʿṭīr al-Anām fī Taʿbīr al-Manām
(ماء) هو في المنام حياة طيبة فمن رآه في داره فهو سعادة ومال مجموع وغنيمة وزيادة خير
Water in a dream is a good life: whoever sees it in his house, it is happiness, gathered wealth, spoils and an increase of good.
أن الماء صاف غزير رخص السعر وبسط العدل ومضغ الماء شدة الكد في المعيشة والشرب منه سلامة من العدو وسنة مخصبة لشاربه
[Seeing] clear, abundant water: low prices and justice spread. Chewing water: hard toil for a living. Drinking it: safety from the enemy and a fertile year for the one who drinks.
وقال ابن سيرين رحمه الله تعالى الماء في النوم فتنة في الدين
Ibn Sirin — may Allah have mercy on him — said: water in sleep is a trial in religion.
Muntakhab al-Kalām fī Tafsīr al-Aḥlām (attributed to Ibn Sirin)
Attribution to Ibn Sirin rejected: why
(الماء) يدل على الإسلام والعلم وعلى الحياة وعلى الخصب والرخاء لأن به حياة كل شئ
Water stands for Islam and knowledge, for life, fertility and ease, for through it everything lives.
ومن رأى كأنه شرب ما كثيرا أكثر من عادته في اليقظة فإن عمره يطول
Whoever sees himself drinking a great deal of water, more than he usually does when awake: his life will be long.
Keep in mind
- An interpretation is a human effort: Abu Bakr himself was partly wrong before the Prophet ﷺ. (al-Bukhari 7046 and Muslim 2269)
- Appearances deceive: an unpleasant-looking dream may be interpreted as good, and vice versa. (al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim 15/18)
- A dream is not a fatwa: make no serious decision on its strength alone. (al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim 1/115)
If this dream upset you: what the Sunnah asks
The Prophet ﷺ taught that an unpleasant dream comes from Satan, and that it does not harm the one who does the following. (al-Bukhari 7045 · al-Bukhari 3292)
Seek Allah’s protection, three times
Against the evil of this dream and against Satan. The wording given by al-Nawawi: “aʿūdhu billāhi mina sh-shayṭāni wa min sharrihā” — I seek refuge with Allah from Satan and from the evil of this dream. (al-Bukhari 7044 · Muslim 2262 · al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim 15/18)
Blow lightly three times to your left
The narrations say “blow” (nafth), “spit lightly” (tafl) or “spit” (basq): a light breath, to drive Satan away. (Muslim 2261 · al-Bukhari 7044 · Muslim 2262)
Turn over onto your other side
Change the side you were sleeping on. (Muslim 2262)
Get up and pray
If you can; al-Nawawi recommends two units of prayer (rakʿa). (Muslim 2263 · al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim 15/18)
Tell no one about it
Neither recount it nor seek to have it interpreted. A Bedouin dreamt that his head was cut off; the Prophet ﷺ told him: “Do not tell of how Satan toys with you in your sleep.” (al-Bukhari 7045 · Muslim 2263 · Muslim 2268 · al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim 15/18)
“It will not harm him”: that is the promise of the hadith. Al-Nawawi adds that doing only some of these acts is enough, by Allah’s leave. (al-Bukhari 7045 · al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim 15/18)
Related symbols
- SeaThe sea stands for a king or anyone with authority over people; seeing it means obtaining what one hoped for. Swimming means overcoming an opponent; walking on water, firm faith.
- RainRain that does no damage is, for both books, good, provision and Allah’s mercy, and relief for the indebted or worried; a rain of blood or stones stands for sins.
- Ablution (wudu)Making ablution for prayer is, for both books, protection from Allah; complete ablution announces reaching one’s goal, and making it then starting to pray, the end of a worry.
All the symbols in the dictionary