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Fire in a Dream in Islam: Meaning by Ibn Sirin
النار في المنام
In Islam, fire seen in a dream has several meanings. The Ibn Sirin collection first links it to a ruler, because fire dominates what surrounds it and can harm as well as serve. It can also stand for Hell and sins, or on the contrary for guidance, knowledge and provision. The meaning depends on what the fire does in the dream.
النار دالة على السلطان لجوهرها وسلطانها على ما دونها مع ضرها ونفعهاIn the Ibn Sirin collection: “Fire stands for the ruler, by its nature and by its power over what is below it, with the harm and the benefit it brings.”
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 42, vol. 2, p. 186
The collection then gives a long list of meanings. Fire can be Hell, sins and what is unlawful. It can be guidance, Islam, knowledge and the Qur’an, because Moses (peace be upon him) said: “…perhaps I can bring you a torch or find at the fire some guidance” (Surah 20, verse 10). It can also stand for wealth, for the jinn, who were created from a blazing fire, for the sword and for strife when it roars and smokes, or for illnesses.
The Fire of Hell seen in a dream, in the hadith
Abdullah ibn Umar, still young and unmarried, used to sleep in the mosque. He asked Allah to show him a dream that the Prophet ﷺ could interpret, and he saw the Fire of Hell:
فانطلقا بي إلى النار فإذا هي مطوية كطي البئر وإذا فيها ناس قد عرفت بعضهم فأخذا بي ذات اليمين … فقال إن عبد الله رجل صالح لو كان يكثر الصلاة من الليل“…They took me towards the Fire, and behold, it was built inside like a well, and therein I saw people some of whom I recognized, and then the angels took me to the right side.” … Hafsa told me that she had mentioned it to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said, “‘Abdullah is a righteous man if he only prays more at night.”
Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 7031, narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar
After this dream, Ibn Umar prayed much at night. The collection goes the same way: if a fire threatens you in your dream, it is a warning. Let the dreamer fear Allah and leave the deeds of the people of the Fire before he reaches it (vol. 2, p. 188).
The meaning according to what you saw
Fire has a whole chapter in the Ibn Sirin collection, chapter 42, which also deals with wood, charcoal, the oven and lamps. Here are the main cases, in the order of the text.
| In your dream | Meaning in the collection |
|---|---|
| Fire falls from the sky onto houses, with flames and smoke | Strife and the sword in that place. If it is embers without flames: illnesses, smallpox or an epidemic.vol. 2, p. 187 |
| Fire falls on fields and crops | A drought that burns the plants, or locusts.vol. 2, p. 187 |
| You light a fire on a road to guide people | Knowledge and guidance that you receive or spread, if you are worthy of it. Otherwise, power and profit that others share with you.vol. 2, p. 187 |
| A fire burns passers-by, your clothes or your body | An innovation (bid’a) that you bring in or come close to, or an unjust ruler.vol. 2, pp. 187 and 188 |
| A great fire is lit to throw you into it | Your enemies are many and want to harm you, but you overcome them. Even if you were thrown into it, you would be saved, like Abraham (peace be upon him).vol. 2, p. 188 |
| Fire in an oven or a hearth in your home | Wealth and protection, especially if your trade depends on fire, or in winter. If this fire goes out, poverty and the end of work.vol. 2, p. 188 |
| You eat fire | Unlawful money, perhaps the money of orphans, as the Qur’an says.vol. 2, p. 189 |
| Fire breaks out in the market or in a merchant’s shop | His goods sell well, but what he earns from them is unlawful.vol. 2, p. 190 |
| You sit with people around a fire, in safety | A favour, a blessing and strength, according to the verse: “Blessed is whoever is at the fire and whoever is around it” (Surah 27, verse 8).vol. 2, p. 190 |
| Your house is burning | Your house will soon be ruined. On the other hand, a fire seen coming out of one’s house announces a post, a trade or strength in one’s work.vol. 2, p. 191 |
| You are in a fire without feeling its heat | Sincerity, kingship and victory over your enemies, as for Abraham.vol. 2, pp. 191 and 192 |
| A fire, flames or sparks go out | Turmoil, strife and rancour die down in that place.vol. 2, p. 192 |
Ibn Sirin’s story about fire
رأيت كأني أصلى خفي بالنار فوقعت إحداهما في النار فاحترقت وأصابت النار من الأخرى سفعا فقال ابن سيرين إن لك بأرض فارس ماشية قد أغير عليها وذهب نصفها وأصيب من النصف الآخر شئ قليلA man came to Ibn Sirin and said: “I saw that I was warming my two boots by the fire. One fell into the fire and burned, and the fire scorched the other.” Ibn Sirin replied: “You have livestock in the land of Persia. It has been raided: half of it is lost, and a small part of the other half has been hit.” It was so.
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 42, vol. 2, p. 191
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 fire in a dream good or bad in Islam?
Both are possible. A fire that burns, threatens or falls from the sky announces a trial. A fire that lights up a road, warms a hearth or that people sit around in safety announces guidance, wealth or blessing.
What does it mean to dream that your house is on fire?
According to the collection, seeing your house burn announces that it will soon be ruined (vol. 2, p. 191). The same passage gives another case: a fire coming out of your house announces a post, a trade or strength in your work.
What does extinguishing a fire in a dream mean in Islam?
A fire, flames or sparks that go out announce that strife and rancour die down in that place (vol. 2, p. 192). However, a hearth fire that goes out announces poverty and the end of work.
What does being burned or catching fire in a dream mean?
A fire that burns your clothes or your body stands for an innovation or an unjust ruler (vol. 2, pp. 187 and 188). Being in a fire without feeling its heat announces, on the contrary, sincerity and victory, as for Abraham.
Does the collection speak of fireworks or a car on fire?
No. The Ibn Sirin collection speaks of neither fireworks nor a vehicle on fire. For a wildfire, the closest case is a fire falling on fields: a drought or locusts.
Sources
- Muntakhab al-kalâm fî tafsîr al-ahlâm, collection attributed to Muhammad ibn Sirin, chapter 42, vol. 2, pp. 186 to 192 (Arabic text, Shamela edition, OpenITI corpus).
- Sahih al-Bukhari, book of the interpretation of dreams, no. 7031.
- Sahih Muslim, no. 2263, for the three kinds of dreams.
- English translations of the Ibn Sirin collection: tafsir-a7lem.com.