Sleep management according to Sunnah

[Flos]

Assalamu alaikum,

Lately, I'm trying to establish sleep habits similar or if ever possible same as of our Prophet saws.

What I've read of hadith and explanations and mostly related to night sunnah was that our Prophet saws would sleep between Qiyamul Layl and Fajr. Also, he saws would sleep right after Isha salaah.

So many Muslims around the world wake up for Tahajjud prayer at least one hour before Fajr and of course don't sleep. So my question to this would be: Is there anywhere explanation why it's better to get up before Fajr and pray Tahajjud, then Fajr Sunnah, then Fajr Fard, instead of our Prophet's saws way? - Did I miss something?

My next concerns are, mostly, leading to Summertime problems where I live (Europe).

In June and July Fajr starts around 2:30 (I think the earliest is at 2:20). And Isha starts sometimes around 11 PM. That means that Isha and Tahajjud should be connected, meaning - no sleep before Fajr at all and most of Muslims over here actually do that.

This leads to sunnah regarding sleeping during morning.

Sunnah I read and its explanation is that it's Makruh, not just to sleep before sunrise but also after that and that it's ok to sleep a bit before Dhukhr time and during Dhukr for half an hour.

I used to, before, during summertime, go to sleep after Fajr time (sunrise), since it's around 4 AM. I can't imagine staying up until 1 PM, or noon, especially during working week, when the work starts at 9 AM and I've been up whole night.

Could anyone explain all this to me, since I didn't manage to find a solution?

 

[Supernova]

Assalamu alaikum,

Lately, I'm trying to establish sleep habits similar or if ever possible same as of our Prophet saws.

What I've read of hadith and explanations and mostly related to night sunnah was that our Prophet saws would sleep between Qiyamul Layl and Fajr. Also, he saws would sleep right after Isha salaah.

So many Muslims around the world wake up for Tahajjud prayer at least one hour before Fajr and of course don't sleep. So my question to this would be: Is there anywhere explanation why it's better to get up before Fajr and pray Tahajjud, then Fajr Sunnah, then Fajr Fard, instead of our Prophet's saws way? - Did I miss something?

My next concerns are, mostly, leading to Summertime problems where I live (Europe).

In June and July Fajr starts around 2:30 (I think the earliest is at 2:20). And Isha starts sometimes around 11 PM. That means that Isha and Tahajjud should be connected, meaning - no sleep before Fajr at all and most of Muslims over here actually do that.

This leads to sunnah regarding sleeping during morning.

Sunnah I read and its explanation is that it's Makruh, not just to sleep before sunrise but also after that and that it's ok to sleep a bit before Dhukhr time and during Dhukr for half an hour.

I used to, before, during summertime, go to sleep after Fajr time (sunrise), since it's around 4 AM. I can't imagine staying up until 1 PM, or noon, especially during working week, when the work starts at 9 AM and I've been up whole night.

Could anyone explain all this to me, since I didn't manage to find a solution?

Asalaamualaykum:

Firstly, the objective of Thahajud is not a sleep and wake up test. The objective of Thahajud is to pray Thahajud in privacy whereby its only you and your Rabb. The best and most fitting time is when everyone is asleep and you have as much privacy as humanly possible. It's very important to understand that although we have a sunnah of certain actions, that sunnah in certain cases is a guideline and not a Fard.

Let me give you an example: Many people (both men and woman in certain parts of the muslim world are shift workers like in factories and so on). If a person comes back home say 10pm in the night, prays Isha & sleep, It will be merely impossible to wake up for Thahajud. Reality is they might even feel Fajr a task.

In these cases, the person does not have to "sleep" and then wake up again. They can merely wait a little while after Isha, everyone will be fast asleep, and pray Thahajud in the earlier part of the night rather than the latter. Although most reward would be the latter, the person is praying Thahajud ( in their circumstances) rather than dismissing it totally.

Like you pointed out yourself, I also live in Europe, and summer can be very testing as the time between Isha and Fajr and a mere 4 to 5 hours.

In these cases its very important to go to a Aalim/a locally as fiqh issues can change as per circumstances based on geography and life style etc.

To conclude, yes a person should try their utter best to fulfil the sunnah as reported in Hadith, however, sometimes, the reality of life 1500 years later will impact the Fiqh and Hadith application.

 

[Flos]

Asalaamualaykum:

Firstly, the objective of Thahajud is not a sleep and wake up test. The objective of Thahajud is to pray Thahajud in privacy whereby its only you and your Rabb. The best and most fitting time is when everyone is asleep and you have as much privacy as humanly possible. It's very important to understand that although we have a sunnah of certain actions, that sunnah in certain cases is a guideline and not a Fard.

Let me give you an example: Many people (both men and woman in certain parts of the muslim world are shift workers like in factories and so on). If a person comes back home say 10pm in the night, prays Isha & sleep, It will be merely impossible to wake up for Thahajud. Reality is they might even feel Fajr a task.

In these cases, the person does not have to "sleep" and then wake up again. They can merely wait a little while after Isha, everyone will be fast asleep, and pray Thahajud in the earlier part of the night rather than the latter. Although most reward would be the latter, the person is praying Thahajud ( in their circumstances) rather than dismissing it totally.

Like you pointed out yourself, I also live in Europe, and summer can be very testing as the time between Isha and Fajr and a mere 4 to 5 hours.

In these cases its very important to go to a Aalim/a locally as fiqh issues can change as per circumstances based on geography and life style etc.

To conclude, yes a person should try their utter best to fulfil the sunnah as reported in Hadith, however, sometimes, the reality of life 1500 years later will impact the Fiqh and Hadith application.

Jazakallahu Khair, brother.

Let's forget Tahajjud here. That's not the topic, nor any salaat.

The hadith that made me a little upset says this:

[FONT=&quot]Khawwat ibn Jubayr said, "Sleep at the beginning of the day is stupidity, in the middle of it is (an act of) character,and at the end of it is imbecility." -[/FONT][TABLE="class: hadith_reference"]
[TR]
[TD]Reference[/TD]
[TD] : Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 1242
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

For which I need someone to tell me is the whole morning considered by the morning in the hadith. I'm sure there are members of this forum who know very well Sunnah in general.

On the other hand, 1500 years make no difference in our deen. It's all just matter of management - time management. Just like interest rate loan - whether you take it or not, it's up to you, not 21st century.

In my example, I took a nap today after Dhukr. If anyone told me that I'm gonna make 30 minutes and not 3 hours in a row I wouldn't believe him/her, but I made it and my total (night sleep + nap) 4 hours of sleep feels now like 9 hours total. So, Sunnah works even in 2022.

 

[Supernova]

Jazakallahu Khair, brother.

Let's forget Tahajjud here. That's not the topic, nor any salaat.

The hadith that made me a little upset says this:

Khawwat ibn Jubayr said, "Sleep at the beginning of the day is stupidity, in the middle of it is (an act of) character,and at the end of it is imbecility." -[TABLE="class: hadith_reference"]
[TR]
[TD]Reference[/TD]
[TD] : Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 1242[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

For which I need someone to tell me is the whole morning considered by the morning in the hadith. I'm sure there are members of this forum who know very well Sunnah in general.

On the other hand, 1500 years make no difference in our deen. It's all just matter of management - time management. Just like interest rate loan - whether you take it or not, it's up to you, not 21st century.

In my example, I took a nap today after Dhukr. If anyone told me that I'm gonna make 30 minutes and not 3 hours in a row I wouldn't believe him/her, but I made it and my total (night sleep + nap) 4 hours of sleep feels now like 9 hours total. So, Sunnah works even in 2022.

Asalaamualaykum -
You misunderstood my answer and that's the reason i suggested speaking to an Aalim/a
Hence the very last word i used is imperative and I used it purposefully. "Application"

Sometimes in our deen, the application of a sunnah would change as per circumstances, (that is the point I am trying to make).

Let me give you an example. In the time of Rasool [SAW] he used a container or a jug to make wudhu. That itself is part of the sunnah of the wudhu which is to use 1 Mudd ( in measurement).

Nearly every musjid today world wide uses a Tap in the wudhu section ( which most of the times is wastage of water) however whats the Fiqh reason of substantiating this from Ulema world wide ?

Investigate that reasoning and Fiqh stance (Which is directly linked to this topic about the Sunnah and the Application of the Sunnah) and then you would understand my point.

 

[Flos]

OK, maybe I misunderstood... That's exactly why I'm asking these questions. Maybe I'm the only Muslim person in the world that sleeps after sunrise. There I don't need scholar, since this is mostly simple but not to me. Do you sleep after sunrise, during morning time? I want someone to tell me am I reading the hadith properly and connected hadiths.

 

[Hamza Asadullah]

Assalamu alaikum,

Lately, I'm trying to establish sleep habits similar or if ever possible same as of our Prophet saws.

What I've read of hadith and explanations and mostly related to night sunnah was that our Prophet saws would sleep between Qiyamul Layl and Fajr. Also, he saws would sleep right after Isha salaah.

So many Muslims around the world wake up for Tahajjud prayer at least one hour before Fajr and of course don't sleep. So my question to this would be: Is there anywhere explanation why it's better to get up before Fajr and pray Tahajjud, then Fajr Sunnah, then Fajr Fard, instead of our Prophet's saws way? - Did I miss something?

My next concerns are, mostly, leading to Summertime problems where I live (Europe).

In June and July Fajr starts around 2:30 (I think the earliest is at 2:20). And Isha starts sometimes around 11 PM. That means that Isha and Tahajjud should be connected, meaning - no sleep before Fajr at all and most of Muslims over here actually do that.

This leads to sunnah regarding sleeping during morning.

Sunnah I read and its explanation is that it's Makruh, not just to sleep before sunrise but also after that and that it's ok to sleep a bit before Dhukhr time and during Dhukr for half an hour.

I used to, before, during summertime, go to sleep after Fajr time (sunrise), since it's around 4 AM. I can't imagine staying up until 1 PM, or noon, especially during working week, when the work starts at 9 AM and I've been up whole night.

Could anyone explain all this to me, since I didn't manage to find a solution?

Assalamu Alaikum my sister. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) would sleep two thirds of the night and awaken for the last third. To know what the last third of the night is for us you divide the hours by 3 from Sunset to dawn when Fajr begins. Then the last third will be the last third if the night.

However to be in worship for the last third of the night every night is not always possible for many of us due to work and other responsibilities and commitments , although we should certainly try during Ramadan. So we can only do whatever we can within our capabilities and in accordance with our daily responsibilities and schedules. However awakening before Fajr begins does give us some of the huge rewards of being awake and praying in the third portion of the night. Also praying Isha and Fajr in congregation for men and for women at home in their usual place of prayer does gain us the reward as if we spent the entire night in worship as long as we did not commit sins between the two prayers.

In the UK and much of Europe Fajr does begin early during the Summer time. Therefore it would be best to pray Isha as soon as it begins and to sleep immediately afterwards. Then to awaken 15-30 minutes before Fajr begins again depending on our daily schedule and to make Wudu and pray 2-8 Rakah of Tahajjud and then to make sincere Dua until Fajr. Then to pray the Sunnah and Fard and to sleep immediately afterwards.

However during Ramadan if we haven't got any work or responsibilities to have to awaken early, then to continue to remain in worship until 15 minutes after Sunrise and to pray 2-4 Rakah of Nawafil and to sleep for a time in order to recuperate immediately afterwards if necessary.

Having a nap just before or after Dhuhr also helps us to be able to awaken in the night for worship. However no longer than 30 minutes, otherwise we may feel more tired if we end up going into a deep sleep.

I hope that helps. Anything else then please do not hesitate to ask.

 

[Flos]

Assalamu Alaikum my sister. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) would sleep two thirds of the night and awaken for the last third. To know what the last third of the night is for us you divide the hours by 3 from Sunset to dawn when Fajr begins. Then the last third will be the last third if the night.

However to be in worship for the last third of the night every night is not always possible for many of us due to work and other responsibilities and commitments , although we should certainly try during Ramadan. So we can only do whatever we can within our capabilities and in accordance with our daily responsibilities and schedules. However awakening before Fajr begins does give us some of the huge rewards of being awake and praying in the third portion of the night. Also praying Isha and Fajr in congregation for men and for women at home in their usual place of prayer does gain us the reward as if we spent the entire night in worship as long as we did not commit sins between the two prayers.

In the UK and much of Europe Fajr does begin early during the Summer time. Therefore it would be best to pray Isha as soon as it begins and to sleep immediately afterwards. Then to awaken 15-30 minutes before Fajr begins again depending on our daily schedule and to make Wudu and pray 2-8 Rakah of Tahajjud and then to make sincere Dua until Fajr. Then to pray the Sunnah and Fard and to sleep immediately afterwards.

However during Ramadan if we haven't got any work or responsibilities to have to awaken early, then to continue to remain in worship until 15 minutes after Sunrise and to pray 2-4 Rakah of Nawafil and to sleep for a time in order to recuperate immediately afterwards if necessary.

Having a nap just before or after Dhuhr also helps us to be able to awaken in the night for worship. However no longer than 30 minutes, otherwise we may feel more tired if we end up going into a deep sleep.

I hope that helps. Anything else then please do not hesitate to ask.

Jazakallahu Khair brother for the amazing answer!