Islamic Interpretation
In a dream, death can symbolize religious decline, moral decay, or an elevation in worldly standing. This holds true if the dreamer is borne upon a bier accompanied by weeping and mourning, unless he is actually buried. Witnessing one's own burial suggests a hopeless situation and being consumed by worldly concerns. The number of followers assisting him will equal the mourners in his procession, yet he will dominate others and ride upon their shoulders. If one dies in a dream but lacks the appearance of the deceased, with no lamentation or funeral, it may portend the demolition of a property, a collapsing room, a falling wall, or a broken pillar. Such a vision can also indicate spiritual weakness or a blindness of the heart, though the dreamer may live long. Dying and appearing as a corpse, washed and shrouded, similarly points to religious frailty. Any observed grief in this case corresponds to a rise in status and worldly advancement. Death can also signify a journey or indicate poverty. Dying and being buried may mean dying without repentance. Rising from the grave after burial signifies repentance before one's actual end. Death in a vision can also represent marriage, as both the deceased and a bridegroom are washed and perfumed. If one dies and is carried on shoulders but not interred, it denotes victory over an enemy and, for a qualified person, attainment of leadership. Returning to life after death foretells wealth, an end to poverty, repentance from sins, or the safe return of a traveler. The death of an unknown woman signifies drought or scarcity; her revival means rain. Generally, a woman's death in a dream means a child's death in waking life, and vice versa. If a deceased person states he is not dead, he is blessed in the afterlife. Carrying a dead person denotes bearing the provisions of an irreligious individual. Carrying the deceased in any manner other than for burial signifies acquiring illicit money. Bearing a corpse for burial means working for a ruler. A sick deceased person is being questioned about his religious negligence. Seeing the inhabitants of graves emerging to consume people's harvests signals rising food costs. If they drink from wells, a great plague will strike that town. Seeing a deceased person die again and attending his funeral means a family member or child will soon die. If there is no sorrow, it means a marriage in his lineage. What a deceased person says is true, as he resides in the abode of truth. If his words do not come to pass, the dream is confused. Seeing a deceased person well-dressed, smiling, and happy reflects his actual state in the afterlife; seeing him disheveled, dirty, frowning, or crying reflects his condition there. A sick deceased person's state is contingent on settling his debts and awaiting Divine justice. Performing funeral prayers for the dead means seeking forgiveness for them, visiting graves, admonishing someone with a dead heart, bidding farewell to travelers, or caring for the needy. A wife dying and reviving signifies profit from a farm or orchard. Finding a corpse means finding money. Following a deceased person means emulating his path, profession, or traditions. The death of a country's Imam means the city's destruction by war; seeing a city in ruins means the Imam has died. Seeing oneself immortal means death is near. Death can also signify being called to account for a major sin. Dying without apparent cause and not looking dead means longevity. Suffering death pangs means being unjust. Seeing oneself dead and naked means poverty; dead on a straw mat or carpet means worldly prosperity and success; on a litter means a rise in rank; on a bed means benefit from family. Hearing of an unknown person's death warns of worldly success at the cost of religious compromise. A son's death means escape from an enemy. A daughter's death means despair of relief. Dying and being buried means freedom or, if entrusted with something, returning it to its owner. It can also mean marriage. A sick person marrying means he will soon die. A married person dying and being buried means divorce, ending a partnership, separating from kin, or emigrating; if already an emigrant, it means returning home. Death has a positive connotation for someone afraid, sad, or sick. A brother's death means the death of enemies or preserving capital. Walking among the dead means befriending hypocrites. Walking with a deceased person means a long journey or profit from travel. Eating a dead person's flesh means a long life. Discovering one has died suddenly means rejoicing. A deceased person eating something means that commodity will become expensive. Lying on a washing table means sins washed away and debts paid. A deceased person asking for his clothes to be washed means he needs prayers, forgiveness, debt payment, or fulfillment of his will. Washing his clothes means he is freed from burdens. Transporting the dead to a cemetery means doing right; to a marketplace means needing something or quick sales. A deceased person reviving means recovering something lost or the end of difficulties; it also means his progeny will benefit from his legacy. If he looks beautiful and happy, such happiness passes to his descendants. If busy, worried, and ill-dressed, he is engaged in a struggle. If sick, he is answerable for religious negligence. A dark or opaque face means he died in disbelief. If sprightly and joking, the dream is a hallucination, as the dead do not joke. A deceased father or mother reviving means relief from distress, especially the mother. Resurrecting a deceased person means guiding an unbeliever or admonishing an innovator or the heedless. A deceased person dying again means someone of the same name will die. A deceased person complaining of a headache means being questioned about religious negligence, injustice, or mistreatment of parents. Complaining of eyes means being questioned about debts to his wife, her dower, a will, or a wasted trust. Complaining of the left arm means questions about the rights of siblings, children, partners, or a false oath. Complaining of his side means questions about severing family ties or failing household obligations. Complaining of legs means questions about a life of corruption. Complaining of feet means questions about wealth spent falsely and a heedless path. A living person giving food or drink to a deceased person means loss of money. Giving a garment means adversity or illness. A deceased person giving his shroud to wear means the dreamer's death. Giving a cloak or adorned shirt means gaining the deceased's knowledge, wealth, blessings, or status; a shirt means livelihood, a cloak means dignity. Giving food means lawful earnings from an unexpected source. Giving honey means acquiring booty. Anything received from a deceased person is generally good news and a blessed gift. A deceased person taking one by the hand and walking means unexpected money. Talking with the dead means longevity. Kissing a renowned deceased person means acquiring something from his knowledge, wisdom, legacy, or benefiting from his descendants. Talking to the dead can mean ingratitude toward family or friends. A sick person kissing a deceased person means imminent death; a healthy person means his words are false. Having intercourse with a deceased person in a grave means adultery, consorting with evil, or losing money to a deceitful hypocrite. Intercourse with a revived deceased woman, with body spattered, means committing a regrettable act causing loss. Marrying a deceased person and moving to their house means death. Following a deceased person into an unknown house and not leaving means death; following but not entering means nearing death then recovering. A deceased person beating the dreamer means he has displeased God and should repent. A living person beating a submissive deceased person represents the living person's spiritual strength, charity, prayers, devotion, piety, or fulfilling the deceased's will. A deceased person sleeping means rest in the afterlife. Sharing a bed with a deceased person means longevity. Dead people leaving graves to sell goods means market stagnation. A dead mouse in food means product tampering. A deceased person doing good means he orders the same; doing bad means he orders against it. A deceased person telling the time of death: a day may mean a month, a month a year, a year ten years. A mother dying means loss of worldly comforts and possible heedlessness; for a spiritual seeker, loss of benefits or failure in obligatory prayers. A sick person seeing a brother die means his own death or a family member's. For a poor person, it may mean losing an eye. A wife dying means bankruptcy and loss of livelihood. Performing a funeral prayer means intercession. Answering a deceased person's call means soon following him. A deceased person drowning means being plunged into abominable sins. Dead people leaving graves for their homes means a mass prisoner amnesty or God giving life to barren land. Death for a believer means honor, dignity, and detachment. A prophet's death means weakness in religious life; his revival means spiritual flourishing. A ruler's death means weakness of his army or government. A scholar's death means innovation or invalidation of proof. A pious worshiper's death means failure in religious duties. A craftsman's death means the end of his craft. Parents' death means financial tightening. A wife's death means the end of a prosperous life. A son's death means obscurity after one's death. A deceased person conducting a funeral for another means one's actions are false, as the dead have no more deeds. A married woman marrying a deceased person means divorce; an unmarried woman means she will marry. Death can also mean inflamed love or separation from a beloved, with afterlife representing reunion or suffering in separation. (See also Agony of death, Funeral prayers, Giving up the ghost, Izrail, Relaxation, Robbery.)