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Night in a Dream in Islam: Meaning by Ibn Sirin
الليل في المنام
In Islam, the night first has a serious meaning in the collection attributed to Ibn Sirin: “the night is a disbeliever and the day is a Muslim”, because the day drives away the darkness. Depending on the case, the night also stands for rest, prison or death, and darkness stands for injustice. Seeing the dawn break, on the other hand, announces the end of a trial.
وأما الليل والنهار فسلطانان ضدان يطلبان بعضهما بعضا والليل كافر والنهار مسلم لأنه يذهب بالظلامIn the Ibn Sirin collection: “As for the night and the day, they are two opposing rulers who pursue one another. The night is a disbeliever and the day is a Muslim, because it drives away the darkness.”
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 38, vol. 2, p. 19
The collection gives the reason for this meaning straight away: “Allah, in His Book, expressed disbelief by darkness and His religion by light.” It adds that the night can also stand for rest, prison, the sea or death. The meaning of a dream of night therefore depends on the dreamer’s situation: sick, imprisoned, travelling or trading.
The meaning according to what you saw
Most of these cases come from the chapter on the sky, the air, the night and the day. The others are taken from the chapters on the Qur’an, on prayer and on various meanings.
| In your dream | Meaning in the collection |
|---|---|
| Night and day together | Allah expressed disbelief by darkness and His religion by light. Night and day can also stand for two opponents, or two co-wives.vol. 2, p. 20 |
| The night as rest | Sometimes the night stands for rest, and the day for fatigue and toil.vol. 2, p. 20 |
| The night as prison | The night can stand for prison, because its darkness prevents action.vol. 2, p. 20 |
| The night as death | The night can stand for death, because in it Allah takes back the souls of those who sleep. The day then stands for the resurrection.vol. 2, p. 20 |
| It is night all the time, with no day at all | Poverty, hunger and death strike the people of that region.vol. 2, p. 21 |
| Endless night, with the moon and the stars turning in the sky | A vizier or a secretary oppresses the people of that place. Darkness is injustice. With thunder and lightning, the meaning is even stronger.vol. 2, p. 21 |
| Everything turns black before your eyes, you can no longer see the sky | If the dream concerns only you, what binds you to those above you grows dark. Otherwise, loss of sight, and eyes veiled from the light of guidance. If people in general cry out or weep in this dream, a trial strikes them in proportion to the darkness: strife (fitna), grief, or drought and scarcity.vol. 2, p. 18-19 |
| You walk on a dark road | Going astray, and leaving the right path.vol. 2, p. 343 |
| You call upon Allah in the darkness | You are saved from distress. The collection quotes the verse: “And he called out within the darknesses”.vol. 1, p. 89 |
| You read Surah al-Layl (the Night) | You will be helped to pray at night and protected from disgrace.vol. 1, p. 72 |
| Morning breaks, for a sick person or a prisoner | For a sick person, the illness ends, by death or by recovery. For a prisoner, release from prison.vol. 2, p. 20 |
| The dawn breaks | Joy, safety, and the end of worries. (another opinion quoted in the collection)vol. 2, p. 21 |
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 the night in a dream bad in Islam?
The collection gives the night a serious meaning: “the night is a disbeliever and the day is a Muslim”. It can also stand for prison or death. But it sometimes stands simply for rest, and the dawn breaking announces the end of a trial.
What does darkness mean in a dream in Islam?
If everything turns black to the point that you can no longer see the sky, the collection speaks of a bond with those above you that grows dark, or of eyes veiled from the light of guidance (vol. 2, p. 18-19). Walking on a dark road is going astray. But calling upon Allah in the darkness saves from distress.
What does it mean to dream that the night never ends?
A night with no day announces poverty, hunger and death for the people of the region. If the moon and the stars turn in this endless night, it is the injustice of a vizier or a secretary (vol. 2, p. 21).
What does seeing the day break after the night mean?
For a sick person, the end of the illness, by death or by recovery. For a prisoner, release from prison. According to another opinion quoted by the collection, the breaking of dawn announces joy, safety and the end of worries.
What does the collection say about dreaming of Laylat al-Qadr?
The collection attributed to Ibn Sirin does not speak of the Night of Decree (Laylat al-Qadr). For the night, it gives the meanings listed on this page, and it mentions reading Surah al-Layl, which helps one to pray at night and protects from disgrace.
Sources
- Muntakhab al-kalâm fî tafsîr al-ahlâm, collection attributed to Muhammad ibn Sirin, chapter 38, vol. 2, pp. 18 to 21; chapter 58, vol. 2, p. 343; chapter 5, vol. 1, p. 72; chapter 10, vol. 1, p. 89 (Arabic text, Shamela edition, OpenITI corpus).
- English translations of the Ibn Sirin collection: tafsir-a7lem.com.