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Yellow Colour in a Dream in Islam: Meaning by Ibn Sirin
اللون الأصفر في المنام
In Islam, yellow seen in a dream is above all a colour of illness. The Ibn Sirin collection says that the colour yellow points to illnesses, frights and worries. Yellow clothes, a yellow sky, yellow water and yellow fruit announce illness. The collection quotes a few exceptions, such as a bright yellow face according to another opinion.
والصفرة دالة على الأسقام والأفزاع والهمومIn the Ibn Sirin collection: “The colour yellow points to illnesses, frights and worries.”
Muntakhab al-kalâm, chapter 58, vol. 2, p. 352
This sentence comes from a passage of the collection on colours, starting with the colours of clothes. The same passage says that green points to martyrdom and Paradise, and that white points to radiance and repentance. Other chapters speak of yellow in connection with clothes, the face, the sky, the sun, drinks and fruit.
The meaning according to what you saw
The collection has no chapter devoted to the colour yellow. It speaks of it in several chapters, almost always with the same meaning. Here are the cases it describes.
| In your dream | Meaning in the collection |
|---|---|
| You wear yellow clothes | Yellow in any clothing is an illness. Elsewhere: an illness and a weakness, except in brocade, khazz and silk. According to one opinion, in these it is good for women and corrupts a man’s religion. (another opinion quoted in the collection)vol. 1, pp. 247 and 255 |
| Yellow on the body | Red and yellow on the body do no harm, because among men they are neither disapproved of nor thought ugly.vol. 1, p. 247 |
| Your face is yellow | A yellow complexion is an illness. Elsewhere, the collection says that a yellow face is a sadness that strikes the dreamer. According to another opinion, whoever sees his face a bright yellow will be honoured in the Hereafter and counted among those brought near. (another opinion quoted in the collection)vol. 1, pp. 136 and 204 |
| The sky turns yellow | Illnesses. A green sky, for its part, announces many crops.vol. 2, p. 15 |
| The sun turns yellow | The king falls ill. A red sun is corruption in his kingdom.vol. 2, p. 28 |
| You see a yellow rainbow or a yellow wind | A yellow rainbow points to illnesses. Wind that comes with yellow is also an illness.vol. 2, pp. 42 and 55 |
| You drink a yellow drink or yellow water | Any yellow drink in a dream points to illness. Yellow water is an illness.vol. 1, p. 215; vol. 2, p. 163 |
| You see yellow fruit | Yellow fruit is an illness, whereas green is not an illness. A yellow citron announces a fertile year that comes with illness.vol. 2, pp. 214 and 216 |
| Your sandals are yellow | In the collection, the colour of the sandal gives the purpose of the journey. Yellow: a journey for an illness and a worry.vol. 1, p. 260 |
| You see yellow banners | An epidemic strikes the army. Green banners, for their part, announce a journey for good.vol. 1, p. 275 |
| You are in shackles and wearing yellow | Your situation concerns an illness. In green, it concerns religion and a great reward.vol. 1, p. 295 |
| You see yellow narcissi | According to one opinion, the yellow of the narcissus points to dinars, and its white to dirhams, which the dreamer obtains. (another opinion quoted in the collection)vol. 2, p. 244 |
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 colour yellow in a dream bad in Islam?
Most of the time, yellow announces illness, fright or worry (vol. 2, p. 352). The collection quotes exceptions: yellow on the body does no harm, the yellow narcissus points to dinars according to one opinion, and a bright yellow face announces honour in the Hereafter according to another opinion.
What does wearing yellow clothes or a yellow dress mean in a dream?
The collection says that yellow in any clothing is an illness, and elsewhere an illness and a weakness. It quotes one opinion for brocade, khazz and silk: yellow would be good for women in these and would corrupt a man’s religion (vol. 1, pp. 247 and 255).
What does having a yellow face mean in a dream?
A yellow complexion is an illness, and elsewhere a sadness that strikes the dreamer. According to another opinion, a bright yellow face announces that the dreamer will be honoured in the Hereafter and counted among those brought near (vol. 1, pp. 136 and 204).
What does a yellow snake or yellow teeth mean in a dream in Islam?
The collection gives no specific meaning to a yellow snake or to yellow teeth. So no precise interpretation of these two dreams can be attributed to Ibn Sirin. The general meaning of the snake and of teeth is explained on their own pages.
Gold is yellow: is it also a bad sign?
The collection says that gold is disliked in interpretation, because of its name and its yellow colour, and that it means sadness and loss of money (vol. 2, p. 135). The cases of gold are set out on our page on gold.
Sources
- Muntakhab al-kalâm fî tafsîr al-ahlâm, collection attributed to Muhammad ibn Sirin: chapter 58, vol. 2, p. 352; chapter 29, vol. 1, pp. 247, 255 and 260; chapter 22, vol. 1, p. 136; chapter 25, vol. 1, p. 204; chapter 26, vol. 1, p. 215; chapter 31, vol. 1, pp. 275 and 295; chapter 38, vol. 2, pp. 15, 28, 42 and 55; chapter 40, vol. 2, p. 135; chapter 41, vol. 2, p. 163; chapter 43, vol. 2, pp. 214 and 216; chapter 44, vol. 2, p. 244 (Arabic text, Shamela edition, OpenITI corpus).
- Sahih Muslim, no. 2263, for the three kinds of dreams.
- English translations of the Ibn Sirin collection: tafsir-a7lem.com.