Prayer

To perform the obligatory prayer in its proper time and in full in a dream signifies withdrawing from evil and wicked deeds, refraining from every kind of excess and ugliness, being delivered from fear and anxiety, and performing one of the other obligatory acts of worship.

To lead the obligatory prayer as an imam in a dream signifies paying compensation, incurring a debt, or leading and guiding a community in an important matter. To see oneself performing the obligatory prayer of the appointed time by following the imam signifies following the Sunnah, mercy and blessing, success in goodness and benevolence, or becoming a burden upon another.

To perform the dawn prayer in a dream signifies fulfilling necessary needs and exerting lawful effort in pursuit of sustenance; to perform the noon prayer signifies the attainment of one’s aim, receiving assistance, hidden matters becoming manifest, being freed from debt, repenting, or being dismissed from employment. (To see oneself performing the noon prayer on a clear and sunny day signifies joy and gladness; to perform the noon prayer in cloudy and overcast weather signifies grief.

To perform the noon prayer at the time of the afternoon prayer in a dream signifies paying one’s debt; to perform the afternoon prayer signifies that wishes and desires will be fulfilled together with difficulty, taking an oath or entering into debt, and that most of what one has been working on or attending to has been completed, with only a little remaining.

To perform the evening prayer in a dream signifies the conclusion of the matter one desires or upon which one has been working, deliverance from affairs, and rest for the weary. Whoever sees himself performing the evening prayer will quickly attain whatever he has desired, whether of good or evil.

To see oneself performing the night prayer signifies being on good terms with one’s relatives. To perform the night prayer signifies taking care in matters of livelihood and fulfilling the needs of one’s household and children. The night prayer sometimes signifies the completion of a matter, the ending of an occupation, or the exhaustion of one’s life; to perform the prayer in congregation—if the rows are straight and close—signifies that the dreamer and the congregation performing the prayer are upon goodness and engage abundantly in glorifying Allah. (To see oneself praying facing the qiblah signifies goodness in this world and the Hereafter. To see oneself praying in a direction other than the qiblah indicates that you will depart from the path of religion. To see oneself abandoning a prayer one has begun before completing it indicates that your wishes will not be fulfilled for the time being; to see oneself performing the funeral prayer signifies a long life.

Whoever sees himself praying in a dream shall be delivered from all his troubles and begin a peaceful life.

Whoever sees himself praying while facing the east in a dream will go on pilgrimage. To see oneself praying toward the east or west is evidence of having distanced oneself from Islam and of doing something contrary to the Sacred Law.

Whoever sees himself praying while turning his back toward the qiblah has cast Islam behind him. According to one narration, he will become intimate with someone other than his spouse. To see the people of a mosque praying while turned toward a direction other than the qiblah signifies that the ruler of that place will be removed from religion.

To see one of the learned men praying while turned away from the direction of the qiblah signifies that that scholar acts contrary to the Sunnah and the Sacred Law. Whoever sees that the time of prayer has passed and that he searches for, but cannot find, a place in which to pray will undertake a difficult task, one exceedingly hard to accomplish; according to another narration, he will encounter difficulty both in this world and in the Hereafter.

Whoever sees himself leading a congregation in prayer in a dream will enter a great office or join a company and manage it. Whoever sees himself leading prayer for people he does not know in a place unknown to him, without knowing which verses he is reciting, is nearing death.

To see oneself facing the qiblah and praying signifies a long life. According to Ibn Kathir, leading a congregation in prayer is good. To see oneself praying in the street is not good.

To see oneself leading in prayer a congregation waiting for him in a certain place signifies that goodness will come to him from the ruler of that place. To see oneself performing the noon prayer signifies that one’s wish will be fulfilled and that one’s sustenance and wealth will increase.

Whoever sees himself performing the Friday prayer in a dream will attain all his desires. He will obtain the bounty of Allah (Exalted is He) in this world and the Hereafter. To see oneself performing the afternoon prayer signifies that one will attain one’s wish after hardship and difficulty.

To see oneself performing the dawn prayer in a dream signifies lawful sustenance and lawful earnings. Whoever forgets something while praying and thereby performs the prayer incompletely will undertake a journey. Whoever abandons the prayer before completing it intends to go on pilgrimage but will be unable to do so.

Whoever sees himself praying without ablution in a dream will become ill. Whoever sees himself praying in a desert or open countryside will either go on pilgrimage or undertake a long journey. Whoever sees himself running toward the mosque in order to catch up with the congregation but fails to join the prayer—if he has a wish—will not have it fulfilled. To see oneself giving the salutation beginning from the left side is not good. (To see oneself praying where one is sitting or lying signifies that one will be unable to complete the affairs one wishes to finish; to see oneself supplicating during the prayer signifies that one will have a child. Whoever sees himself performing a supererogatory prayer will obtain the intercession of Allah (Exalted is He), because he has performed a deed that brings reward.

Whoever sees himself praying throughout the entire night until dawn in a dream will attain great goodness and righteous deeds in this world and the Hereafter. Whoever sees himself praying upon the roof of the Ka‘bah commits an act contrary to the Sacred Law. To see oneself praying in a mosque, masjid, or similar place signifies the abundance of one’s charitable works. To see oneself praying in government offices or schools signifies travel and lawful sustenance.

To pray in a church or similar place in a dream signifies that one will attain guidance through the supplication of another. In interpreting a dream of prayer, three things must be taken into consideration: the obligatory prayer, the Sunnah prayer, and the supererogatory prayer. The obligatory prayers signify pilgrimage and abstaining from fornication and wickedness; the Sunnah prayer signifies cleanliness, patience and steadfastness, renown, and showing compassion and mercy to the people.

To perform a supererogatory prayer in a dream signifies abundant sustenance, helping one’s friends and neighbors in their affairs, and doing good to everyone. Whoever sees himself praying upon a mount will fall into sorrow.

To see oneself standing for a long time during prayer without bowing signifies that one has not paid the alms due upon one’s wealth. To see oneself bowing without prostrating signifies the shortness of one’s life. Whoever sees himself praying while intoxicated gives false testimony. (Ja‘far al-Sadiq interprets prayer in seven ways: security, joy, honor, rank, deliverance from distress, attainment of one’s desire, and haste. He interprets prostration in five ways: the fulfillment of one’s wish, authority, victory, obedience to the commands of Allah (Exalted is He), and ease. To see oneself performing the funeral prayer signifies that one’s supplication will be accepted and that one will receive the pardon of the Lord of Majesty.

To see a great statesman and his retinue praying upon their mounts in a dream signifies victory if it is a time of war; at another time, it signifies long life and an increase in wealth.

To see oneself praying upon a wall in a dream signifies appealing to one of the great men of state for a matter and that the matter will come to pass. Whoever sees himself praying in an orchard or garden repents and seeks the forgiveness of the Lord of Majesty.

Whoever sees himself praying in a cultivated field will pay his debt. To pray in the changing area of a bathhouse signifies that one has committed a reprehensible act; to pray inside the bathhouse signifies that one has consumed unlawful property or sustenance. To see oneself performing the prayer of the Festival of Breaking the Fast signifies that a debtor will pay his debt; if one is ill, one will recover; if one is distressed, one’s circumstances will become spacious; and if one is imprisoned, one will be released.

To perform the prayer of the Festival of Sacrifice in a dream signifies office, a new occupation, obtaining something to which one is entitled, and joy. Whoever sees himself praying upon the ground despite there being no prayer rug or similar object there—if the place is a rubbish heap, filthy, or a cemetery—it signifies that he will fall into poverty and remain in need.

Whoever sees himself praying while having nothing upon him and being naked commits fornication while fasting. Or he gives charity with money earned through unlawful means. Whoever speaks while praying takes back a gift or charity that he has given.

To perform the prayer of seeking guidance in a dream signifies that one will emerge successful from something one wishes to undertake. To see oneself praying upon a grave signifies that one has given charity or alms to those who are not eligible to receive charity or alms. If you pray at midnight, it is interpreted to mean that whatever you desire will be fulfilled shortly. In this vein, performing the obligatory Festival prayer signifies that your joy and happiness will endure. It signifies that you will see goodness from your children and dependents. If you perform the Tarawih prayer, it is judged that you will have your religious integrity affirmed everywhere, that your wish to attain every kind of intercession will be fulfilled, that your life will be long, and that your good reputation will endure.

To see oneself praying in a dream signifies that you are a good person and that whatever you desire will come to pass; to see oneself praying in a direction other than the qiblah signifies that you will stray onto an evil path; to see people in a mosque praying toward a direction other than the qiblah signifies that a great man in the land where you reside will die; to see oneself performing the funeral prayer signifies a long life; and to see oneself praying without ablution signifies that your health will deteriorate and that you will suffer grief.

It can be read as a sign of easing, receiving support, gaining morale, or a fruitful development.

Underestimating opportunities, succumbing to comfort, or being late may reduce the positive effect.

In the interpretation, the themes of spiritual signs, work and responsibility, the emotional tone in the dream, and how the symbol concludes in the dream should be evaluated together.