Hair in a Dream in Islam: Meaning by Ibn Sirin

الشعر في المنام

In Islam, hair seen in a dream points first to wealth and to the length of life. The Ibn Sirin collection says that the hair of the head is “wealth and a long life”, and that beautiful hair is honour and strength. Hair falling out announces, on the contrary, humiliation or loss. Ibn Sirin disliked seeing white hair on a young person.

وشعر الرأس مال وطول عمرIn the Ibn Sirin collection: “The hair of the head is wealth and a long life.”
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 22, vol. 1, p. 141

The collection speaks of hair in the chapter on the parts of the body, right after the head, which represents the chief and the capital. The meaning depends on the person: thick hair is wealth for the rich, but for the poor, it is his sins. For white hair, the collection reports the opinion of Ibn Sirin: “White hair is impoverishment and worry.”

The meaning according to what you saw

Most cases come from chapter 22 of the collection, which goes through the human body, part by part. The others are taken from other chapters, with their page.

In your dream	Meaning in the collection
You have beautiful hair	Honour and strength.vol. 1, p. 141
You have long hair and you like it	A praiseworthy dream, especially for women, who adorn themselves even with the hair of others. (another opinion quoted in the collection)vol. 1, p. 141
Your curly hair becomes straight	You lose some of your rank and become less than you were.vol. 1, p. 141
A young person sees white hair	Ibn Sirin disliked this dream: for him, white hair is impoverishment and worry. The collection also says that the young person who sees white in his hair will see an absent person return. According to other opinions: more dignity and religion, or a longer life.vol. 1, p. 141
A woman sees her whole head turn white	Her husband leads a sinful life. If he is pious, he takes another wife besides her. If not, she causes him grief.vol. 1, p. 142
A woman has black hair	Her husband’s love for her, and the good course of his affairs.vol. 1, p. 142
A woman uncovers her hair	Her husband goes away. If she stays bareheaded, he does not come back. If she has no husband, she will not marry.vol. 1, p. 142
Your hair falls out	At the front of the head, a humiliation. At the back, contempt in old age. On the right, a misfortune that touches the men of the family; on the left, the women.vol. 1, p. 142
Your hair falls out until you are bald	There is fear for you of losing your wealth and your standing among people.vol. 1, p. 200
You shave your head during Hajj	Safety, victory, a debt paid and relief, based on the verse (48:27). Outside Hajj, the meaning is the same but weaker. For a ruler who shaves outside the season, impoverishment or removal from office.vol. 1, p. 143
A woman sees her hair shaved	Her husband separates from her, or she dies. If it is her husband who shaves or cuts her hair in the Haram, she settles her debts and what was entrusted to her. Outside the Haram, he keeps her at home.vol. 1, p. 144
A hair comes out of your mouth	Your life is lengthened.vol. 1, p. 185

Ibn Sirin’s story about the cut hair

رأيت فخذي حمراء وعليها شعر نابت وأمرت رجلا فقص ذلك الشعر فقال أنت رجل عليك دين يؤديه عنك رجل من قرابتكA man came and said to Ibn Sirin: “I saw my thigh red, covered with hair, and I told a man to cut that hair.” Ibn Sirin said to him: “You have a debt, which a man from your family will pay for you.”
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 22, vol. 1, p. 174

In the collection, the thigh represents the dreamer’s kin, and hair on the body is often a debt. The one who cuts it is therefore the relative who settles the debt. The same link between shaved hair and a debt paid comes back for the head.

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

What does hair mean in a dream in Islam?

The Ibn Sirin collection says that the hair of the head is wealth and a long life (vol. 1, p. 141). Beautiful hair announces honour; hair falling out, humiliation or loss.

What does long hair in a dream mean in Islam?

According to an opinion quoted in the collection, having long hair and being pleased with it is praiseworthy, especially for a woman. For the poor, however, thick hair represents his sins, and for the rich, his wealth (vol. 1, p. 141).

Is white hair in a dream bad in Islam?

Ibn Sirin disliked this dream for young people: for him, white hair is impoverishment and worry. Other opinions see in it more dignity and religion, or a longer life (vol. 1, p. 141). For a woman whose whole head turns white, the collection speaks of the husband’s sinfulness.

What does cutting or shaving hair in a dream mean in Islam?

Shaving the head during Hajj announces safety, a debt paid and relief; outside Hajj, the meaning is the same but weaker (vol. 1, p. 143). The collection reports that an interpreter told a man who was shaving his own head: “You will pay your debt.” For a woman, seeing her hair shaved is more serious: separation from the husband, or death.

Does the collection speak of blond or red hair?

No, the Ibn Sirin collection gives no meaning to blond or red hair. It only speaks of a woman’s black hair, a sign of her husband’s love, and of white hair.

Sources

Muntakhab al-kalâm fî tafsîr al-ahlâm, collection attributed to Muhammad ibn Sirin, chapter 22, vol. 1, pp. 141 to 144 and p. 174 (Arabic text, Shamela edition, OpenITI corpus).
Same collection, vol. 1, pp. 185 and 200.
Sahih Muslim, no. 2263, for the three kinds of dreams.
English translations of the Ibn Sirin collection: tafsir-a7lem.com.