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Milk in a Dream in Islam: Meaning by Ibn Sirin
اللبن في المنام
In Islam, seeing milk in a dream is generally a good sign. Ibn Sirin said: “Milk is the fitra”, the sound nature in which Allah created people. The Prophet ﷺ himself interpreted the milk he drank in a dream as knowledge. The exact meaning depends on the animal, the state of the milk and what you do with it.
أما اللبن ففطرةIbn Sirin said: “As for milk, it is the fitra.”
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 23, vol. 1, p. 180
Ibn Sirin said this while interpreting the dream of a man who came to consult him in the time of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz. The fitra is the natural disposition of a human being to recognise Allah. This is why milk, in almost every case, announces good in religion or in provision.
Milk and knowledge in the hadith
The Prophet ﷺ told of a dream in which he drank milk, and his Companions asked him what it meant:
بينا أنا نائم أتيت بقدح لبن فشربت منه حتى إني لأرى الري يخرج من أظفاري ثم أعطيت فضلي عمر. قالوا فما أولته يا رسول الله؟ قال: العلم“While I was sleeping, I was given a bowl full of milk (in a dream), and I drank of it to my fill until I noticed its wetness coming out of my nails, and then I gave the rest of it to ‘Umar.” They (the people) asked, “What have you interpreted (about the dream)? O Allah’s Apostle?” He said, “(It is Religious) knowledge.”
Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 7006, narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar
Drinking milk in a dream can therefore point to useful knowledge, especially for someone who studies or teaches the religion.
The meaning according to what you saw
The Ibn Sirin collection gives a long passage to milk, in the chapter on the liquids that come out of people and animals. Here are the cases it describes, in the order of the text.
| In your dream | Meaning in the collection |
|---|---|
| You drink milk | The fitra. The collection opens the passage with this interpretation, reported from the Prophet ﷺ.vol. 1, p. 177 |
| Milk in the breasts, of a man or a woman | Wealth. If the milk flows from the breasts, abundant wealth.vol. 1, p. 177 |
| A woman who has no milk nurses a person she knows | The doors of this world close on her and on the person she nurses.vol. 1, p. 177 |
| Human milk is poured over you | Hardship, even imprisonment.vol. 1, p. 178 |
| You drink camel’s milk | The fitra in religion: drinking one, two or three sips shows that the dreamer prays, fasts and pays zakat. For the one who drinks it, lawful wealth, knowledge and wisdom.vol. 1, p. 178 |
| You milk a she-camel and drink her milk | Marriage to a righteous woman. For a man who lives discreetly and honestly, the birth of a blessed son. (another opinion quoted in the collection)vol. 1, p. 178 |
| You drink cow’s milk | A year of plenty, lawful wealth and the fitra. According to another opinion, a poor person becomes rich.vol. 1, p. 178 |
| You drink sheep’s or goat’s milk | Lawful wealth, if the milk is fresh.vol. 1, p. 178 |
| You drink curdled milk | There is no good in curdled milk. According to another opinion, it is provision that comes from a journey.vol. 1, p. 179 |
| You see butter | Useful wealth that has been gathered, and spoils.vol. 1, p. 179 |
Ibn Sirin’s story about milk
أما اللبن ففطرة وأما الذي صبه فيه فوسعه فما دخل في الفطرة من شيءA man came and told Ibn Sirin that he had seen a large cup of milk. A second cup was poured into it, and it held all of it. Ibn Sirin replied: “Milk is the fitra. What was poured into it and what it held is whatever entered the fitra.”
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 23, vol. 1, p. 180
Ibn Sirin interprets the rest of this dream at length. It concerned a reproach made to the dreamer and his companions. The collection keeps it as an example of his method: each element of the dream receives its own meaning.
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 milk in a dream good in Islam?
Yes, in most cases. Ibn Sirin said that milk is the fitra, and the Prophet ﷺ interpreted the milk he drank in a dream as knowledge (al-Bukhari, 7006). The collection names two exceptions: curdled milk, in which “there is no good”, and human milk poured over you, a sign of hardship.
What does drinking milk in a dream mean in Islam?
Drinking milk points to the fitra, the sound nature of the believer, and to knowledge, according to the hadith reported by al-Bukhari. Camel’s milk also points to religious practice: prayer, fasting and zakat.
What does breast milk in a dream mean in Islam?
According to the Ibn Sirin collection, milk in the breasts, of a man or a woman, means wealth. If the milk flows, the wealth is abundant (vol. 1, p. 177).
Is dreaming of curdled milk bad in Islam?
The collection says there is no good in curdled milk. It also quotes another opinion, for which it is provision that comes from a journey (vol. 1, p. 179).
Do cow’s milk and camel’s milk have the same meaning in a dream?
No. Camel’s milk mostly concerns religion: the fitra, prayer, fasting and knowledge. Cow’s milk mostly concerns provision: a year of plenty and lawful wealth.
Sources
- Muntakhab al-kalâm fî tafsîr al-ahlâm, collection attributed to Muhammad ibn Sirin, chapter 23, vol. 1, pp. 177 to 180 (Arabic text, Shamela edition, OpenITI corpus).
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of the Interpretation of Dreams, no. 7006 (English translation by Muhammad Muhsin Khan).
- Sahih Muslim, no. 2263, for the three kinds of dreams.
- English translations of the Ibn Sirin collection: tafsir-a7lem.com.