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Sun in a Dream in Islam: Meaning by Ibn Sirin
الشمس في المنام
In Islam, the sun seen in a dream stands first for the greatest ruler, because it is the strongest light in the sky and it benefits everyone. According to the Ibn Sirin collection, it can also point to the father, the mother, the husband or a noble woman. A clear sun, in its usual place, is a good sign. Whatever damages it affects the person it stands for.
الشمس في الأصل الملك الأعظم لأنها أنور ما في السماء من نظرائها مع كثرة نفعهاIn the Ibn Sirin collection: “The sun is, at root, the greatest king, because it is the brightest of its peers in the sky, and its benefit is great.”
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 38, vol. 2, p. 22
The collection adds that the sun can point to the dreamer’s own ruler, his master or his son, to the husband for a woman, or to a noble woman, such as a wife or a mother. It recalls the dream of Joseph (peace be upon him): “I have seen [in a dream] eleven stars and the sun and the moon; I saw them prostrating to me” (Surah 12, verse 4). Some said the sun stood for his mother there. Others said his maternal aunt, who was his father’s wife, or his grandmother. Others still said his father, the moon then being his mother. The collection adds that all these meanings are acceptable. This is why what happens to the sun in the dream comes back to the person it stands for.
The meaning according to what you saw
The sun belongs to chapter 38 of the Ibn Sirin collection, which deals with the sky, the stars and the weather. Here are the main cases, in the order of the text.
| In your dream | Meaning in the collection |
|---|---|
| The sun falls to the earth or into the sea, or turns black and disappears | The death of the person it stands for. If it is veiled by a cloud, dust or smoke, or if it sways in the sky without settling: a misfortune for this person, such as illness, worry, distress or bad news. If that person is already ill, it is death.vol. 2, pp. 23 and 24 |
| The sun rises in the west, or comes back after setting | A sign and a lesson appear. For a man who has divorced, it can announce taking his wife back. For someone whose wife is pregnant, a safe delivery. For a sick person, a relapse or death.vol. 2, pp. 25 and 26 |
| You become the sun | Great kingship, in proportion to its rays.vol. 2, p. 26 |
| A clear, bright sun rises over you | A governor gains strength. An ordinary person receives lawful provision. A woman sees from her husband what makes her happy.vol. 2, p. 27 |
| The sun rises in your house | A merchant makes a profit. A man seeking marriage finds a beautiful wife. If a woman sees it, she marries and her husband gives her ample provision.vol. 2, p. 27 |
| The sun rises over your head only | An important matter and a large share of this world. Over your feet only: lawful provision from farming.vol. 2, p. 27 |
| The sun sets completely and you follow it | The dreamer’s death.vol. 2, p. 28 |
| The sun turns red, yellow or black | Red: disorder in the kingdom. Yellow: the king falls ill. Black: he is defeated and a misfortune strikes him.vol. 2, p. 28 |
| The sun falls | A misfortune that strikes the one in charge of the land, or the dreamer’s parents.vol. 2, p. 29 |
| The sun rises over a house and lights it all | Its people receive glory, honour and provision.vol. 2, p. 29 |
| You swallow the sun | A life full of worries. If a king sees it, he dies. Receiving some of the sun’s light, on the other hand, announces a treasure or great wealth.vol. 2, p. 29 |
| The sun and the moon rise over you | Your parents are pleased with you. If they have no rays, they are displeased with you.vol. 2, p. 30 |
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 sun in a dream good in Islam?
The collection says that seeing the sun with its usual appearance and in its usual place is among the signs of good (vol. 2, p. 29). A clear sun rising over you or over your house announces provision and honour. Damage to the sun, such as a fall, a black colour or clouds, affects the person it stands for.
What does a rising sun mean in a dream in Islam?
A clear sun rising over you announces, depending on your state, strength for a governor, lawful provision for an ordinary person, or joy from her husband for a woman (vol. 2, p. 27). The sun rising in the west announces a sign that appears (vol. 2, p. 25).
What does a sunset mean in a dream?
The collection speaks of the sun setting completely while the dreamer follows it: this announces his death (vol. 2, p. 28). It also says that the sun disappearing after it has appeared can, for someone whose wife is pregnant, point to the loss of the unborn child (vol. 2, p. 25). It gives no meaning to simply watching a sunset.
What does seeing the sun and the moon together in a dream mean?
If the sun and the moon rise over you, your parents are pleased with you. Without rays, they are displeased (vol. 2, p. 30). If they are on your right and your left, or in front of you and behind you, it is worry, fear or a hardship that drives you to flee. The collection does not speak of the sun seen at night.
Does the meaning change for a married, single or pregnant woman?
In part. The collection says that a woman over whom a clear sun rises sees from her husband what makes her happy, and that a woman who sees the sun rise in her house will marry (vol. 2, p. 27). For pregnancy, it mentions, depending on the case, birth and safe delivery, but also miscarriage, and even the death of the pregnant woman (vol. 2, pp. 24 to 26). It does not separate the single woman from the married woman.
Sources
- Muntakhab al-kalâm fî tafsîr al-ahlâm, collection attributed to Muhammad ibn Sirin, chapter 38, vol. 2, pp. 22 to 31 (Arabic text, Shamela edition, OpenITI corpus).
- Qur’an, Surah 12 (Yusuf), verse 4.
- Sahih Muslim, no. 2263, for the three kinds of dreams.
- English translations of the Ibn Sirin collection: tafsir-a7lem.com.