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Fox in a Dream in Islam: Meaning by Ibn Sirin
الثعلب في المنام
In Islam, dreaming of a fox is a warning about a man. The Ibn Sirin collection says that the fox is a treacherous, cunning man who keeps dodging in his religion and his affairs. A fox playing tricks on you stands for a creditor or a debtor, and, according to another opinion, catching a fox announces victory over an opponent. Ibn Sirin saw in a fox dream the sign of a great liar.
الثعلب رجل غادر محتال كثير الروغان في دينه ودنياهIn the Ibn Sirin collection: “The fox is a treacherous, cunning man, who dodges a great deal in his religion and in his worldly life.”
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 34, vol. 1, p. 379
This is the first sentence of the passage on the fox, in the chapter on wild animals and beasts of prey. The rest of the passage builds on this meaning: almost every case speaks of an opponent, a trick or a lie. The collection then reports several other opinions, introduced by “it has been said”, which give the fox different meanings.
The meaning according to what you saw
Here are the cases the Ibn Sirin collection describes for the fox, in the order of the text.
| In your dream | Meaning in the collection |
|---|---|
| A fox plays tricks on you | A gharim, that is, a creditor or a debtor.vol. 1, pp. 379-380 |
| You quarrel with a fox | A quarrel with a close relative.vol. 1, p. 380 |
| A fox chases you | He gains a woman whom he loves with a weak love.vol. 1, p. 380 |
| You drink fox milk | If he is ill, he recovers. If not, a worry goes away. In the chapter on milk, the collection says on the contrary that fox milk is a minor illness.vol. 1, p. 380; vol. 1, p. 179 |
| You see a fox, according to another opinion | Humiliation for his person and a loss in his wealth. According to others, the fox is an astrologer or a physician. (another opinion quoted in the collection)vol. 1, p. 380 |
| You touch a fox | A fright caused by the jinn. (another opinion quoted in the collection)vol. 1, p. 380 |
| You eat fox meat | An illness from which one recovers quickly. (another opinion quoted in the collection)vol. 1, p. 380 |
| You catch a fox | Victory over an opponent, a creditor or a debtor. (another opinion quoted in the collection)vol. 1, p. 380 |
| You play with a fox | He is granted a woman whom he loves and who loves him. (another opinion quoted in the collection)vol. 1, p. 380 |
| You play tricks on a fox | A man told this dream to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, who said to him: “You are a great liar.” The man was a poet.vol. 1, p. 380 |
| You hear a fox cry | A trick coming from a lying man.vol. 1, p. 196 |
Ibn Sirin’s story about the fox
رأيت كأني أجزي الثعلب أحسن جزاء فقال جزيت من لا يجزي اتق الله أنت رجل كذوبA man came to Ibn Sirin and said: “I saw that I was rewarding the fox with the best of rewards.” Ibn Sirin replied: “You have rewarded one who does not repay. Fear Allah, you are a great liar.”
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 34, vol. 1, p. 381
Just before this, the collection reports a similar answer from Abu Bakr as-Siddiq to a man who had seen in a dream that he was playing tricks on a fox: “You are a great liar.”
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 fox in a dream good or bad in Islam?
Most often it is a warning. The collection makes the fox a treacherous, cunning man (vol. 1, p. 379), and most of the cases speak of an opponent or a lie. A few cases are favourable: drinking its milk when one is ill, and, according to another opinion, catching a fox or playing with it.
What does a fox attacking or biting you mean in a dream in Islam?
The collection does not speak of a fox that attacks or bites. The closest cases are a fox playing tricks on the dreamer, a sign of a creditor or a debtor, and a quarrel with a fox, a sign of a quarrel with a relative (vol. 1, pp. 379 and 380).
What does catching a fox mean in a dream?
According to an opinion reported in the collection, catching a fox is a victory over an opponent, a creditor or a debtor (vol. 1, p. 380). The collection does not speak of killing a fox.
What does a friendly fox, or playing with a fox, mean in a dream?
The collection does not speak of a friendly fox as such. According to another opinion it reports, whoever plays with a fox is granted a woman whom he loves and who loves him (vol. 1, p. 380).
Is drinking fox milk in a dream good?
The collection gives two answers. In the passage on the fox, this milk heals the sick person, or drives away a worry (vol. 1, p. 380). In the chapter on milk, it is a minor illness (vol. 1, p. 179).
Does the collection speak of a white fox or a dead fox?
No. The collection speaks neither of the fox’s colour nor of a dead fox, nor of a fox in the house. It speaks of a fox that plays tricks, that chases, that is caught, touched or played with.
Sources
- Muntakhab al-kalâm fî tafsîr al-ahlâm, collection attributed to Muhammad ibn Sirin, chapter 34, vol. 1, pp. 379 to 381; chapter 23, vol. 1, p. 179; chapter 24, vol. 1, p. 196 (Arabic text, Shamela edition, OpenITI corpus).
- English translations of the Ibn Sirin collection: tafsir-a7lem.com.