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Hand in a Dream in Islam: Meaning by Ibn Sirin
اليد في المنام
In Islam, a hand seen in a dream speaks mostly of provision and of relatives. The Ibn Sirin collection says that the right hand is the source of the dreamer’s provision, wealth and kindness. According to another opinion, the right hand stands for the men of the family and the left hand for the women. Losing a hand announces the absence or death of a relative.
وسئل ابن سيرين عن رجل رأى أن يمينه أطول من يساره فقال هذا رجل يبذل المعروف ويصل الرحمIbn Sirin said: “This is a man who does good and keeps the ties of kinship.” He said this of a man who saw that his right hand was longer than his left.
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 25, vol. 1, p. 207
Ibn Sirin gave this answer to a man who asked him about his dream. It follows a rule of the collection: a long hand announces success, victory for a governor and profit for a merchant, and a short hand announces failure. The right hand is linked to what one gives and what one earns, and the collection also connects it to relatives. The main passage on the hand is in chapter 22, which deals with the parts of the body. Cut and injured hands are dealt with in chapter 25, with the ailments of the body.
The meaning according to what you saw
Here are the main cases the Ibn Sirin collection gives for the hand, in the order of the text.
| In your dream | Meaning in the collection |
|---|---|
| You shake hands with an enemy | The hostility between you ends and affection grows, because the Prophet ﷺ said that shaking hands increases affection.vol. 1, p. 78 |
| Your right hand | The source of your provision, your wealth and your kindness.vol. 1, p. 158 |
| You lose one of your hands | You lose a relative, through absence or death. According to another opinion, the right hand stands for the men of the family and the left hand for the women. (another opinion quoted in the collection)vol. 1, p. 158 |
| You take your hand out from under your armpit and it shines | Knowledge if you are worthy of it, or a profit if you are a merchant.vol. 1, p. 158 |
| You open your hands wide | Generosity.vol. 1, p. 159 |
| Your right hand speaks kind words to you | Your livelihood improves.vol. 1, p. 159 |
| The fingers of the right hand | They are the five prayers: the thumb for Fajr, the index finger for Dhuhr, the middle finger for Asr, the ring finger for Maghrib, the little finger for Isha. Short fingers show negligence, long fingers show diligence. (another opinion quoted in the collection)vol. 1, p. 160 |
| Henna on the fingers | For a man, he glorifies Allah often. For a woman, her husband treats her kindly.vol. 1, p. 161 |
| You have no hands | You seek something you will not reach.vol. 1, p. 206 |
| Your hand is cut off at the palm | Money that comes to you. Cut off at the joint: you suffer injustice from a judge.vol. 1, p. 206 |
| Your left hand is cut off | The death of a brother or a sister, a break with them, the cutting of family ties, parting from a partner, or a divorce.vol. 1, p. 207 |
| Your hand is short | You miss what you want and cannot reach it. Your helpers and your brothers let you down.vol. 1, p. 207 |
Ibn Sirin’s story about the cut hand
وسئل ابن سيرين عن رجل رأى كأن يده قطعت فقال هذا رجل يعمل عملا فتحول عنه إلى غيره وكان نجارا فتحول إلى عمل آخرIbn Sirin was asked about a man who saw in a dream that his hand was cut off. He replied: “This is a man who has a trade and will leave it for another.” The man was a carpenter, and he changed his trade.
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 25, vol. 1, p. 207
The collection says the same thing in general terms: a cut hand can mean giving up a work one was doing.
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 hand in a dream good or bad in Islam?
Often good. A long right hand points to a man who does good, hands opened wide to generosity, and a right hand that speaks well to better provision. Cut, lost or short hands, on the other hand, announce a loss, a break or a failure.
What does a cut hand mean in a dream in Islam?
The meaning depends on where it is cut. Cut at the palm: money that comes to you. Cut at the joint: injustice from a judge. Left hand cut off: the death of a brother or a sister, or a break (vol. 1, pp. 206 and 207). Ibn Sirin also interpreted a cut hand as a change of trade.
What does henna on the hands mean in a dream?
According to the collection, henna on a man’s fingers shows that he glorifies Allah often. On a woman’s fingers, it shows that her husband treats her kindly. Both hands dyed with henna bring to light what one has in hand, good or bad (vol. 1, p. 161).
Do the right hand and the left hand have the same meaning in a dream?
No. The right hand is the source of provision and kindness. According to another opinion, the right hand stands for the men of the family and the left hand for the women. A right hand longer than the left points, according to Ibn Sirin, to a man who does good and keeps the ties of kinship.
Does the meaning change for a married, single or pregnant woman?
The collection makes only one distinction: henna on the fingers does not have the same meaning for a man and for a woman, and for a woman it concerns her husband’s kindness. It says nothing specific for a single woman or a pregnant woman.
Sources
- Muntakhab al-kalâm fî tafsîr al-ahlâm, collection attributed to Muhammad ibn Sirin, chapter 7, vol. 1, p. 78; chapter 22, vol. 1, pp. 158 to 161; chapter 25, vol. 1, pp. 206 and 207 (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.