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Shaking Hands in a Dream in Islam: Meaning by Ibn Sirin
المصافحة في المنام
In Islam, shaking hands with an enemy in a dream announces the end of hostility and a new affection, according to the Ibn Sirin collection. Shaking hands with a man, living or dead, or embracing him, announces a long life. The collection also quotes an unfavourable case: a handshake in which the hand comes out of joint, a sign of a trust that is not returned.
من رأى كأنه يصافح عدوا أو يعانقه ارتفعت من بينهما العداوة ونبتت الإلفةIn the Ibn Sirin collection: “Whoever sees himself shaking hands with an enemy, or embracing him: the hostility between them is lifted and affection grows.”
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 7, vol. 1, p. 78
This sentence opens the chapter on greeting and shaking hands. The collection supports it with a saying it attributes to the Prophet ﷺ: “Shaking hands increases affection.” We have not found it in the books of dreams of al-Bukhari and Muslim. In its introduction, the collection also recalls that people used to greet each other by prostration, until Allah brought Islam, which replaced it with the handshake (vol. 1, p. 37).
The meaning according to what you saw
Chapter 7 of the collection deals with the handshake and the greeting together. Here are its cases, followed by those it gives elsewhere.
| In your dream | Meaning in the collection |
|---|---|
| You greet someone with whom you have no hostility | The person you greet receives joy from you.vol. 1, p. 78 |
| You greet someone with whom you are on hostile terms | The text is ambiguous: depending on how it is read, either you or the person you greet gets the upper hand over the other and is safe from his harm.vol. 1, p. 78 |
| You greet an old man you do not know | Protection from the punishment of Allah.vol. 1, p. 78 |
| You greet an old man you know | The dreamer marries a beautiful woman and obtains all kinds of fruit, based on the verses: “For them therein is fruit, and for them is whatever they request [or wish]. [And] ‘Peace,’ a word from a Merciful Lord.”vol. 1, p. 78 |
| A young man you do not know greets you | You are kept safe from the evil of your enemies.vol. 1, p. 78 |
| You greet someone you trade with | If he answers you, this trade between you goes well. If he does not answer, it does not go well.vol. 1, p. 78 |
| You shake hands with a Muslim and a hand comes out of joint (the text does not say clearly whose) | The dreamer hands him a trust, and this trust is not returned.vol. 1, p. 206 |
| You shake hands with a man, living or dead, or you embrace him | A long life. The collection says so in two places.vol. 2, pp. 305 and 346 |
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 shaking hands in a dream a good sign in Islam?
Most of the time, yes. Shaking hands with an enemy ends the hostility, and shaking hands with a man, living or dead, announces a long life. The collection quotes one unfavourable case: a handshake with a Muslim in which a hand comes out of joint, a sign of a trust that is not returned (vol. 1, p. 206).
What does shaking hands with a dead person mean in a dream in Islam?
The collection says that whoever embraces a man, dead or alive, or shakes his hand, will have a long life (vol. 2, pp. 305 and 346). The other dreams in which a deceased person takes your hand or greets you are on our page on the dead person.
What does shaking hands with an enemy mean in a dream?
The hostility is lifted and affection grows between the two (vol. 1, p. 78). The collection supports this meaning with a saying it attributes to the Prophet ﷺ, which we have not found in the books of dreams of al-Bukhari and Muslim.
What does shaking hands with a stranger mean in a dream?
The collection does not speak of shaking hands with a stranger. It speaks of the greeting: greeting an old man you do not know is protection from the punishment of Allah, and being greeted by a young man you do not know keeps you safe from the evil of your enemies.
Does the collection speak of shaking hands with a woman or a president?
No. It speaks neither of shaking hands with a woman nor with a ruler. For a king or a sultan seen in a dream, see our page on the king.
Sources
- Muntakhab al-kalâm fî tafsîr al-ahlâm, collection attributed to Muhammad ibn Sirin: introduction, vol. 1, p. 37; chapter 7, vol. 1, p. 78; chapter 25, vol. 1, p. 206; chapter 51, vol. 2, p. 305; chapter 58, vol. 2, p. 346 (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.