Urine in a Dream in Islam: Meaning by Ibn Sirin

البول في المنام

In Islam, urine seen in a dream is first of all unlawful money, according to the Ibn Sirin collection. Another opinion sees in it spending that comes back to the dreamer, because Allah replaces what is spent. The place matters a great deal: urinating into a well is spending from lawful earnings, urinating abundantly in the toilet is relief for the poor man.

وأما البول فهو في التأويل مال حرامIn the Ibn Sirin collection: “As for urine, in interpretation it is unlawful money.”
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 23, vol. 1, p. 186

This passage is in the chapter on what comes out of people and animals, the same chapter as milk and excrement. The collection immediately quotes another opinion, based on the Qur’an: urinating is spending that will come back, for “whatever thing you spend [in His cause], He will compensate it; and He is the best of providers” (Qur’an 34:39). Many cases in this passage touch on intimate life: we keep only the others here.

The meaning according to what you saw

The Ibn Sirin collection mostly describes the place where one urinates and the way it is done. Here are the main cases, in the order of the text.

In your dream	Meaning in the collection
You urinate	According to another opinion, spending that will come back to you. (another opinion quoted in the collection)vol. 1, pp. 186 and 187
You urinate in an unknown place	You marry a woman from that place, through an alliance with its people or with a neighbour.vol. 1, p. 186
You urinate into a well	You spend from lawful earnings.vol. 1, p. 187
You urinate on merchandise	You lower its value.vol. 1, p. 187
You urinate partly and hold back the rest	The rich man loses his money. The one in distress is relieved of part of his distress.vol. 1, p. 187
You urinate with another person and your urine mixes	Ties and an alliance by marriage between you.vol. 1, p. 187
You badly need to urinate and find no place	Holding back urine: you are angry with your wife. Finding no place: you want to hide money and find no hiding place.vol. 1, p. 187
You urinate a lot in the toilet	The poor man finds relief, the rich man loses his money.vol. 1, p. 187
A person you know urinates on you	You humble yourself before that person by spending on them.vol. 1, p. 187
You urinate milk, earth or mud	Milk: you neglect the fitra. Earth or mud: you perform your ablutions badly and do not take care of them.vol. 1, pp. 187 and 188
You urinate standing up, or in your shirt	Standing up: you spend your money out of ignorance. In your shirt: a son is born to you, or you marry if you have no wife.vol. 1, p. 188
You urinate into the sea or in a bathhouse	Into the sea: money that goes to the authorities or to a tax collector. In the bathhouse (hammam): the single man marries, otherwise he pays a sum to a woman.vol. 2, p. 380

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 urinating in a dream a bad sign in Islam?

Not always. The Ibn Sirin collection first sees in urine unlawful money, but another opinion sees in it spending that comes back. Urinating into a well is lawful spending, and urinating abundantly in the toilet is relief for the poor man (vol. 1, p. 187).

What does urinating in the toilet mean in a dream in Islam?

According to the collection, whoever urinates in the place meant for it, and abundantly, finds relief if he is poor, and loses money if he is rich (vol. 1, p. 187).

What does urinating on yourself or in bed mean in a dream?

The collection does not speak of urinating in bed. Urinating in your shirt announces a son, or a marriage for someone who has no wife (vol. 1, p. 188). For excrement in bed, see the page on excrement.

What does it mean when someone urinates on you in a dream?

According to the collection, if a person you know urinates on the dreamer, the dreamer humbles himself before that person by spending on them (vol. 1, p. 187). The collection says nothing about a stranger.

Does the meaning change for a married woman, a single woman or a man?

The collection mostly addresses men. It distinguishes the single man, who marries if he urinates in a bathhouse or into a container, and the married man, whose wife becomes pregnant if he urinates into a container (vol. 2, p. 380). The only case specific to women touches on intimacy, so we do not include it.

Sources

Muntakhab al-kalâm fî tafsîr al-ahlâm, collection attributed to Muhammad ibn Sirin, chapter 23, vol. 1, pp. 186 to 188, and chapter 58, vol. 2, p. 380 (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.