Nature and elements
Dreaming of an earthquake in Islam
Did this dream upset you?Seek Allah’s protection, blow lightly three times to your left, turn onto your other side, pray if you can, and tell no one: “it will not harm you”.Details and sources
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)
In short
For al-Nabulusi, an earthquake may herald a trial, fear, disturbing news, and the disclosure of secrets. In some contexts, it may also indicate the growth of crops and an abundance of summer fruits.
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
والزلزلة إذا رؤيت في المنام فإنها دالة على الفزع والأراجيف والأخبار المزعجة وظهور الأسرار
An earthquake, when seen in a dream, indicates fright, rumors, disturbing news, and the disclosure of secrets.
واهتزاز الأرض المجدبة دليل على تزكيتها ونموها بالزرع وربما دلت على إحياء الموات
The shaking of barren land is a sign of its improvement and of crops growing; it may also indicate the revival of dead land.
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)
Related symbols
- MountainFor al-Nabulusi, climbing a mountain can mean reaching a goal, attaining elevation or authority, but also experiencing hardship; descending can signify relief or the loss of a position. The Muntakhab attributed to Ibn Sirin presents the climbed mountain as a goal: reaching its summit means attaining what is hoped for, while falling from it brings a change of circumstances closer.
- HouseThe house stands for the dreamer’s life and those who live in it: a new, well-equipped house announces ease and relief; what happens to the house happens to its occupants. The “bayt”, the room one retires to, stands for the wife.
- WarFor al-Nabulusi, war indicates rising prices, turmoil, sedition, an epidemic, or plague; war between the ruler and his subjects foretells rising food prices, while weapons and occupations connected with reform bode well for those who practice them. The Muntakhab attributed to Ibn Sirin associates war between rulers with sedition or an epidemic, war between the ruler and his subjects with lower food prices, and war among the subjects with higher prices.
All the symbols in the dictionary