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Snake in a Dream in Islam: Meaning by Ibn Sirin
الحية في المنام
In Islam, a snake seen in a dream first stands for an enemy. The Ibn Sirin collection recalls that Iblis used the snake to reach Adam. The strength of this enemy is measured by the size of the snake and the harm it can do. Killing it announces victory, being bitten a harm from the enemy. A few cases are good: a small snake, for example, stands for a child.
أما الحيات فإنها أعداء وذلك أن إبليس اللعين توصل بها إلى آدم عليه السلامIn the Ibn Sirin collection: “As for snakes, they are enemies, because Iblis, the accursed, used them to reach Adam (peace be upon him).”
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 37, vol. 1, p. 416
This sentence opens the chapter on reptiles, insects and creatures of the earth. The collection explains that the hostility of each snake depends on the harm it does, its size and its thickness. Because of its venom, the snake can also stand for disbelievers or people of innovation. It can also stand for a ruler, a wife or a child, according to the verse: “O you who have believed, indeed, among your wives and your children are enemies to you, so beware of them” (Surah 64, verse 14).
The meaning according to what you saw
The passage on the snake is one of the longest in chapter 37. It begins at the end of volume 1 and goes on at the start of volume 2. Here are the main cases, in the order of the text.
| In your dream | Meaning in the collection |
|---|---|
| You fight a snake or kill it | You fight an enemy. If you kill it, you overcome him.vol. 1, p. 416 |
| A snake bites you | Harm comes to you from your enemy, in proportion to the bite.vol. 1, p. 416 |
| You see a dead snake | An enemy whose harm Allah keeps away from you, with no effort or strength on your part.vol. 2, p. 2 |
| White or black snakes | White snakes are the most difficult enemies. Black ones are the fiercest.vol. 2, p. 2 |
| A smooth snake that obeys you and does no harm | A treasure, one of the treasures of kings. Sometimes good fortune.vol. 2, p. 2 |
| You take hold of a snake | Wealth from an enemy comes to you, in safety, according to the verse: “Seize it and fear not” (Surah 20, verse 21).vol. 2, p. 2 |
| A small snake | A child.vol. 2, p. 2 |
| A snake walks behind you | Your enemy wants to deceive you. If it walks in front of you or goes around you, these are enemies who mix with you but cannot harm you.vol. 2, p. 3 |
| Your house is full of snakes and you are not afraid of them | You shelter in your home enemies of the Muslims and people who follow their desires.vol. 2, p. 3 |
| Snakes come into your house and go out without doing harm | Enemies among the people of your house and your relatives. If this happens outside your house, they are enemies from outside.vol. 2, p. 3 |
| A small white snake in your pocket or your sleeve, without fear | Good fortune.vol. 2, p. 3 |
| A snake climbing up, or a snake coming down from a high place | The snake that climbs announces rest and joy. The one that comes down announces the death of a leader of that place.vol. 2, p. 3 |
Ibn Sirin’s story about the snake
رأيت كأن حية تسعى وأنا أتبعها فدخلت جحرا وفي يدي مسحاة فوضعتها على الحجر فقال أتخطب امرأة قلت نعم فقال إنك ستتزوجها وترثهاA man came to Ibn Sirin and said: “I saw a snake moving along, and I was following it. It went into a hole. I had a shovel in my hand and I put it over the hole.” Ibn Sirin asked him: “Are you asking a woman’s hand in marriage?” He said yes. Ibn Sirin said: “You will marry her and inherit from her.” He married her, and she died leaving seven thousand dirhams.
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 37, vol. 2, pp. 3 and 4
The same passage reports that another man saw his house full of snakes. Ibn Sirin told him: “Fear Allah and do not shelter the enemy of the Muslims.” This is the meaning given in the list above.
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
Is seeing a snake in a dream a bad sign in Islam?
Most often, the snake announces an enemy. The Ibn Sirin collection also gives good cases: a dead snake, whose harm Allah keeps away from you, a smooth and obedient snake, which announces a treasure, and a small snake, which stands for a child.
What does a black or white snake mean in a dream in Islam?
According to the collection, white snakes are the most difficult enemies and black ones the fiercest (vol. 2, p. 2). A small white snake found in your pocket or sleeve, without fear, announces good fortune instead. The text does not speak of green or yellow snakes.
What does a snake bite in a dream mean in Islam?
The bite announces harm from an enemy, in proportion to the bite (vol. 1, p. 416). If you kill the snake in the dream, you overcome this enemy.
What does the collection say about a pregnant woman who sees a snake?
The collection does not speak of a pregnant woman who sees a snake. It only says that a small snake stands for a child (vol. 2, p. 2). For the rest, keep to the general meaning of the snake.
Is a snake in a dream a sign of black magic?
The passage of the collection on the snake does not speak of magic. It makes the snake an enemy, sometimes a ruler, a wife or a child. The books of dreams of Bukhari and Muslim do not contain a hadith on a snake seen in a dream either.
Sources
- Muntakhab al-kalâm fî tafsîr al-ahlâm, collection attributed to Muhammad ibn Sirin, chapter 37, vol. 1, p. 416, and vol. 2, pp. 2 to 4 (Arabic text, Shamela edition, OpenITI corpus).
- Sahih Muslim, no. 2263, for the three kinds of dreams.
- English translations of the Ibn Sirin collection: tafsir-a7lem.com.