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Being Pregnant in a Dream in Islam: Meaning by Ibn Sirin
الحمل في المنام
In Islam, dreaming that you are pregnant first announces an increase in wealth. The Ibn Sirin collection says so for the woman, and also for the man, although another opinion sees grief for him. Giving birth has a more surprising meaning: a girl is a good, a boy is a worry. And what a woman sees may be reversed in reality.
وحبل المرأة زيادة في المالIn the Ibn Sirin collection: “A woman’s pregnancy is an increase in wealth.”
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 23, vol. 1, p. 195
This sentence comes at the end of the chapter on what comes out of the body, where the collection also speaks of giving birth. Just before it, the collection says that a man’s pregnancy is an increase in his worldly goods. Other passages, spread through the book, describe a pregnant woman who sees a certain object in a dream: they often announce the sex of the child.
The meaning according to what you saw
The Ibn Sirin collection has no chapter of its own on pregnancy. Here are the cases it describes, gathered from several chapters, with their page.
| In your dream | Meaning in the collection |
|---|---|
| A woman sees herself pregnant | An increase in wealth.vol. 1, p. 195 |
| A man sees himself pregnant | An increase in his worldly goods. According to another opinion, grief caused by the killing of a man of good standing.vol. 1, p. 194 |
| A woman dreams that she gives birth to a boy | She will give birth to a girl, and the other way round. The collection adds that some women have a different nature: what they see comes true as it is.vol. 1, p. 195 |
| A man dreams that he gives birth to a girl | A good and a near relief, and from his descendants will come someone who leads his family. If he gives birth to a boy, a great worry.vol. 1, p. 195 |
| Your wife gives birth to a girl | You obtain a good. If she gives birth to a boy, a great worry.vol. 1, p. 195 |
| A pregnant woman sees herself dead, carried and mourned without wailing | She will give birth to a son and rejoice in him.vol. 1, p. 106 |
| A pregnant woman gives birth to a fish | The collection quotes two opinions: a child with a long life, or a child with a short life. (another opinion quoted in the collection)vol. 1, p. 189 |
| You find a treasure | A woman’s pregnancy, because gold stands for boys and silver for girls.vol. 2, p. 141 |
| You eat clay | A pregnancy, because it is a craving of pregnant women.vol. 2, p. 354 |
Before you interpret your dream
Not every dream carries a meaning. The Prophet ﷺ described three kinds: a good dream, which is glad tidings from Allah; a distressing dream, which comes from Satan; and what a person tells himself during the day (Sahih Muslim, no. 2263). Only the first is read with a collection like Ibn Sirin’s. See the three kinds of dreams, and if your dream frightened you, what to do after a bad dream.
Frequently asked questions
What does being pregnant in a dream mean in Islam?
The Ibn Sirin collection sees in it an increase in wealth for the woman (vol. 1, p. 195). For the man, it is also an increase in goods, though another opinion quoted in the collection speaks of grief.
What does it mean to dream of being pregnant when unmarried?
The collection does not deal with this case. For pregnancy itself, it gives the general meaning: an increase in wealth (vol. 1, p. 195).
Does dreaming of giving birth to a boy mean you will have a boy?
Not necessarily. According to the collection, a woman who sees herself giving birth to a boy delivers a girl, and the other way round. It adds that for some women, what they see comes true as it is (vol. 1, p. 195).
What does a pregnant man mean in a dream in Islam?
The collection speaks of it. A man’s pregnancy is an increase in his worldly goods, or according to another opinion grief (vol. 1, p. 194). If he gives birth to a girl, it is a good; to a boy, a great worry.
Does the collection speak of twins, a pregnancy test or a miscarriage?
It speaks neither of twins, nor of a pregnancy test, nor of miscarriage.
Sources
- Muntakhab al-kalâm fî tafsîr al-ahlâm, collection attributed to Muhammad ibn Sirin, chapter 23, vol. 1, pp. 189, 194 and 195 (Arabic text, Shamela edition, OpenITI corpus).
- Same collection, vol. 1, p. 106, and vol. 2, pp. 141 and 354.
- Sahih Muslim, no. 2263, for the three kinds of dreams.
- English translations of the Ibn Sirin collection: tafsir-a7lem.com.