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Mountain in a Dream in Islam: Meaning by Ibn Sirin
الجبل في المنام
In Islam, a mountain seen in a dream stands first for a king, a hard-hearted and powerful ruler, or an important man, in proportion to its size. According to the Ibn Sirin collection, it also points to the scholar, the pious man and high ranks. Climbing a mountain means pursuing a goal, and reaching the top means achieving it.
الجبل ملك أو سلطان قاسي القلب قاهر أو رجل ضخم على قدر الجبل وعظمهIn the Ibn Sirin collection: “The mountain is a king, or a hard-hearted, overpowering ruler, or an important man, in proportion to the mountain and its size.”
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 39, vol. 2, p. 62
The collection explains that the mountain also points to the scholar and the pious man, because Allah made the mountains pegs for the earth, and scholars, like kings, hold what the mountains do not hold. It can also point to a goal one pursues because, the text says, one climbs it only “bi-jâhihi”, a printed word that means “by his rank” and can also be read as “by his effort”.
The meaning according to what you saw
Here are the cases described by the Ibn Sirin collection, mostly in the chapter on the earth and mountains.
| In your dream | Meaning in the collection |
|---|---|
| You are on a mountain, leaning against it or in its shade | You grow close to an important man, a ruler or a pious scholar, you become known through him and he protects you. If you were afraid, you find safety.vol. 2, p. 63 |
| You are at sea, in difficulty, and you climb a mountain | A hardship strikes you at sea, and climbing the mountain protects you. Ibn Sirin said that the mountain is then a protection, unless you see yourself fleeing a ship to reach the mountain: that is ruin, as with the son of the prophet Noah (peace be upon him).vol. 2, p. 63 |
| You climb a mountain | A goal you are pursuing. By steps or a safe path, it will be easy for you. Without steps or support, fear and danger. If you reach the top, you are saved. If you wake up before reaching it, or fall on the way, you come to grief in what you seek and are kept from your aim, or your religion is corrupted in this matter.vol. 2, pp. 63 and 64 |
| You climb a mountain and drink its water | Someone who is worthy of it obtains a post from a hard-hearted but useful king, and wealth in proportion to what he drank. A merchant prospers.vol. 2, p. 66 |
| You come down from a mountain | After a hard climb, you are saved. The collection adds that every descent is a lowering: if the climb was a worry, coming down is relief, and if it was an office, coming down is the loss of that office. Elsewhere, a matter you are seeking does not come through. In the chapter on opposites, coming down announces relief. According to another opinion, it is a change of situation and resources that run dry.vol. 2, pp. 66, 67 and 308 |
| You fall from a mountain | You part from what the mountain stood for in your life: a ruler, a scholar, a spouse, an office.vol. 2, p. 64 |
| A green mountain, with water | A king who has religion. Without water or plants, an unbelieving and tyrannical king.vol. 2, p. 66 |
| A mountain collapses or burns | The death or destruction of the one the mountain stands for, or his being killed. If it rises above people’s heads, a great fear coming from the king.vol. 2, p. 65 |
| Mountains move | A great upheaval: a war between kings, or a dispute among scholars in a time of trial in which people perish. Sometimes death and plague.vol. 2, p. 65 |
| You carry a mountain | If it is heavy, you bear the burden of an important man. If it is light, this burden will be light for you.vol. 2, pp. 66 and 67 |
| You enter a cave in the mountain | You find right guidance in your religion and your affairs, and you take charge of a matter of power.vol. 2, p. 67 |
| A mountain stands in front of you | Worry and a journey, or a powerful man, a difficult matter or a harsh woman.vol. 2, p. 67 |
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 mountain in a dream good in Islam?
It depends on what you do. Being on the mountain, leaning against it or reaching its top are good signs: protection from an important man, a goal reached. Falling, or seeing the mountain collapse or move, announces a separation, the death or destruction of the one the mountain stands for, or an upheaval.
What does climbing a mountain in a dream mean in Islam?
It is a goal you pursue. By a safe path or steps, it will be easy. Without support, there is fear. Reaching the top means being saved. Elsewhere, the collection also says that climbing a mountain announces sadness and travel (vol. 2, p. 308).
What does coming down a mountain in a dream mean?
The collection gives more than one meaning. One passage sees in it safety, but also a lowering and the loss of an office (vol. 2, p. 66). Another sees a matter that does not come through (vol. 2, p. 67). In the chapter on opposites, it is relief, and according to another opinion a change of situation and resources that run dry (vol. 2, p. 308).
Does the collection speak of a green mountain or a snow mountain?
A green mountain, with water and plants, stands for a king who has religion (vol. 2, p. 66). The collection does not speak of a snow-covered mountain.
Does the meaning change for a married, single or pregnant woman?
The Ibn Sirin collection makes no such distinction for the mountain. It distinguishes the person who is afraid, the person at sea, the person worthy of an office and the merchant.
Sources
- Muntakhab al-kalâm fî tafsîr al-ahlâm, collection attributed to Muhammad ibn Sirin, chapter 39, vol. 2, pp. 62 to 67 (Arabic text, Shamela edition, OpenITI corpus).
- Same collection, chapter 53, vol. 2, p. 308, for climbing and coming down.
- Sahih Muslim, no. 2263, for the three kinds of dreams.
- English translations of the Ibn Sirin collection: tafsir-a7lem.com.