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Fig in a Dream in Islam: Meaning by Ibn Sirin
التين في المنام
In Islam, a fig seen in a dream has a divided meaning. The collection attributed to Ibn Sirin first says that it is great wealth, and that most interpreters judge it praiseworthy, because Allah swore by it in the Qur’an. But other interpreters, quoted in the same collection, see in it worry, sadness and regret for the one who eats or obtains it.
التين مال كثير وشجرته رجل غني كثير المال نفاع يلتجئ إليه أعداء الإسلامIn the Ibn Sirin collection: “The fig is much wealth. Its tree is a rich man, of great wealth, useful to others, with whom the enemies of Islam take refuge.”
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 43, vol. 2, p. 211
The collection explains this last point with an image: the fig tree is a shelter for snakes. It gives the fig a short passage in chapter 43, the chapter on fruit trees, then comes back to it on several other pages. The opinions there are opposed, and the collection reports them all.
The meaning according to what you saw
Here are the cases the collection describes for the fig and the fig tree, with the page of each one.
| In your dream | Meaning in the collection |
|---|---|
| Figs | Much wealth.vol. 2, p. 211 |
| A fig tree | A rich man, of great wealth, useful to others, with whom the enemies of Islam take refuge, because the fig tree is a shelter for snakes.vol. 2, p. 211 |
| You eat figs | Many descendants.vol. 2, p. 211 |
| Figs, or a few figs eaten | Provision that comes from the direction of Iraq. Eating a few of them is provision without deceit. (another opinion quoted in the collection)vol. 2, p. 211 |
| The fig, praised or disliked | Most interpreters judge it praiseworthy, because Allah honoured it by swearing by it in the Qur’an. A group of interpreters dislikes it and sees in it worry and sadness, basing this on the verse addressed to Adam and Hawwa (Eve), peace be upon them: “do not approach this tree”.vol. 2, p. 211 |
| You eat or obtain figs | Sadness and regret for the one who eats or obtains them. (another opinion quoted in the collection)vol. 2, p. 211 |
| Figs, in their season or out of season | The collection counts the fig among the fruits whose origin is disliked: in its season, worry and grief; out of its season, blows or an illness. It explains this by Adam, peace be upon him, who covered himself with its leaves and was blamed near its tree, worried and repentant.vol. 2, p. 209 |
| Green figs in winter | With white grapes, they can announce rain. Black figs and black grapes then announce cold, or hail, depending on how the Arabic word is read.vol. 2, p. 210 |
| You eat figs, in the examples of interpretation | Regret, worry and grief. The collection gives this meaning among the examples of reversed interpretation, where regret and worry are also read, the other way round, as eating figs.vol. 1, p. 18-19; vol. 2, p. 352 |
| Fig leaves | The leaves of trees are provision and wealth, except fig leaves, which are sadness.vol. 2, p. 356 |
| The fig in the general rule on fruit | Every sweet fruit is good, except black grapes and figs, “for there is no good in them in any case”.vol. 2, p. 218 |
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 fig in a dream a good sign in Islam?
The Ibn Sirin collection reports opposed opinions. It says that the fig is much wealth and that most interpreters judge it praiseworthy. But it also quotes those who see in it worry, sadness and regret, and its general rule on fruit calls it “with no good in it in any case”.
What does eating figs in a dream mean in Islam?
According to the main passage, eating figs announces many descendants, and eating a few of them, provision without deceit, according to one opinion. Other passages see in it regret, worry and grief (vol. 2, pp. 211 and 352).
Does a green or black fig have a special meaning in a dream?
The collection speaks of this only for winter: green figs, with white grapes, can announce rain, and their black forms cold (vol. 2, p. 210). It gives no other meaning by colour.
What about prickly pears, dried figs or fresh figs?
The collection does not speak of the prickly pear and does not distinguish dried figs from fresh figs. What you read elsewhere about these cases does not come from this text.
What does a fig tree mean in a dream in Islam?
The fig tree stands for a rich man, of great wealth, useful to others, with whom the enemies of Islam take refuge, because the fig tree is a shelter for snakes. Its leaves announce sadness. The collection does not speak of planting a fig tree.
Sources
- Muntakhab al-kalâm fî tafsîr al-ahlâm, collection attributed to Muhammad ibn Sirin, chapter 43, vol. 2, pp. 209 to 218, vol. 2, pp. 352 and 356, and introduction, vol. 1, pp. 18 and 19 (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.