Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

 

Afzalussalaam to the respected Forum Members.

Kindly illustrate. What does Islam and Quraan says about Sleep at night.? When and what time a Muslim beliver should go to bed at night ?.What time our beloved holi prophet used to go to bed at night ?. In the age of today,our fellows brther n sister go to bed almost after mid night + without no valid reason and get up next morning after sun rise.your fruitfull comments highly appriciated. Hope I may get response very soon.Eagerly awaiting , With regards from continue reader.

 

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Answer:

 

Best time to sleep at night

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Your Question: What does Islam and Quraan says about Sleep at night.?

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqaan verse 47:

47      And He it is Who makes the night as a ‘robe’ for you; and sleep as ‘repose’, and makes the day (as if) a Resurrection.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumar verse 42:

42      It is Allah that takes the souls at death: and those that die not (He takes their souls) during their sleep: those on whom He has passed the Decree of death He keeps back (their souls from returning to their bodies); but the rest He sends (their souls back to their bodies) for a term appointed.  Verily in this are Signs for those who reflect.

 

Hudhaifah and Abu Dharr reported that when the Prophet (saws) went to bed, he (saws) would say, "O Allah, by Your Name I live and die." And when he (saws) woke up he (saws) said, "Praise be to Allah Who gave us life (awakeness) after death (sleep), and to Him is the return."

 

The Prophet (saws) instructed his companions that when they go to bed they should supplicate, "In Your Name, O Lord, I lay myself down to sleep. And by Your leave I raise myself up. So if You take away my soul during sleep (and keep it, ie. bestow death), forgive it; and if You return it back after my sleep, protect it just as You protect Your pious servants."

 

Your Questions: When and what time a Muslim beliver should go to bed at night ?.What time our beloved holi prophet used to go to bed at night ?.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 1.88

One should not sleep before the night (Isha) prayer, nor have unnecessary discussions after it.  Abu Barza al-Aslami related that the Prophet (saws) loved to delay the night (Isha) prayer, and he (saws) hated sleeping before it, and (unnecessary) talking or discussions after it."

Related by Bukhari and Muslim.

 

Ibn Mas'ud reported, "The Messenger of Allah (saws) ordered us not to talk (unnecessarily) after the night (Isha) prayer." (Related by Ibn Majah.)

 

The wisdom behind this recommendation to sleep soon after the Isha prayers are offered are: unnecessary talking or discussions or socializing after Isha time would cause one to misappropriate a time from which one could greatly benefit, ie. spending time with one’s wife, the voluntary night prayers of tahajjud, or even miss one’s obligatory fajr prayers.

 

Said Ibn 'Umar, "The Prophet would discuss with Abu Bakr some of the affairs of the Muslims during the night, and I was with him."

Related by Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi.

 

Reported Ibn 'Abbas, "I slept in the home of Maimunah (the wife of the Prophet (saws)) one night when the Prophet (saws) was there. I watched to see how the Prophet (saws) prayed during the night. He (saws) talked with his wife for a while and then slept."

Related by Muslim.

 

The absolute majority of the scholars and jurists of Islam are of the opinion that the guidance to go to sleep as early as possible after Isha prayers is one of preference and recommendation rather than of absolute forbiddance. If one delays one’s sleep after Isha due to the discussion of a beneficial matter, or for the Cause of Allah, then it is not disliked.

 

Thus in conclusion, it is highly recommended and preferred that unless one is held or delayed by some genuine need or doing something to further the Cause of Islam, a believer should aim to retire to bed soon after one has offered their obligatory Isha prayers.

 

Your Statement: In the age of today,our fellows brther n sister go to bed almost after mid night + without no valid reason and get up next morning after sun rise.

Beloved brother, your observation unfortunately is indeed absolutely correct, and if one were to say today that they sleep soon after Isha time, they would indeed sound strange in this day and age!!!

 

Sahih Muslim Hadith 270      Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘Islam started as something strange, and it would revert to its (old position) of being strange! So good tidings for the strangers!”

 

For those fortunate believers who truly comprehend the guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws), who realize the tremendous value of worshipping at night, who realize the merits of sleeping early so that they may wake up in a portion of the night to remember and worship their Lord at ‘tahajjud’, who realize the rewards of attending their ‘fajr’ prayers in congregation, etc……to such ‘strangers’ are reserved the good tidings from their Lord Most Merciful.

 

Abu Hurairah reports that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven during the last third of the night, inquiring: 'Who will call on Me so that I may respond to him? Who is asking something of Me so I may give it to him? Who is asking for My forgiveness so I may forgive him?"'

Related by Bukhari and Muslim.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan