Manners (Part 1)
Chapter 3
Sleeping Manners
20847: Is it permissible for
a woman to do her household duties when she is
junub?
Question:
Is it permissible for a woman to do her usual
household duties such as cooking, looking after
the children, and housework, before she does
ghusl following intercourse?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It is haraam for the person who is junub (in
a state of impurity following sexual activity)
to pray, perform tawaaf, stay in the mosque,
recite Qur'aan or touch the Mushaf. Everything
else is permissible.
There is nothing wrong with a woman who is
junub cooking, looking after her house, taking
care of her children or fulfilling any other
needs. This is indicated by several pieces of
evidence including the following:
(a) It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) met him on one of the roads of
Madeenah when he was junub. He said: I turned
back and went and did ghusl, then I came. He
said: "Where were you, O Abu Hurayrah?" I said:
"I was junub and I did not like to sit with you
when I was not in a state of purity." He said,
"Subhaan Allaah, the Muslim does not become
impure."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 279; Muslim, 371.
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said: This indicates that
it is permissible to delay doing ghusl from the
time when it first becomes obligatory, and that
it is permissible for the one who is junub to go
about his business. Fath al-Baari, 1/391.
It is better for the one who is junub to
hasten to do ghusl, lest he forgets that he is
junub. And it is recommended for him to do
wudoo' before he touches food and drink and
before going to sleep. That is better than doing
these things when he is junub. But this wudoo'
is not obligatory, rather it serves to reduce
the impurity, and it is mustahabb. There are a
number of ahaadeeth concerning that, including
the following:
(i) It was narrated that `Aa'ishah said: When
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) was junub and wanted to eat
or sleep, he would do wudoo' as for prayer.
(Narrated by Muslim, 305).
(ii) It was narrated from Ibn `Umar that
`Umar ibn al-Khattaab asked the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), "Can one of us go to sleep when he is
junub?" He said: "Yes, if he does wudoo' then he
can go to sleep when he is junub."
(narrated by al-Bukhaari, 283; Muslim, 306)
Al-Nawawi said: This indicates that it is
mustahabb to do wudoo' and to wash one's private
parts before doing all these things, especially
if the man wants to have intercourse with a wife
with whom he has not yet had intercourse. It is
definitely mustahabb to wash one's private part.
Our companions have stated that it is makrooh to
sleep, eat, drink or have intercourse before
doing wudoo', and these ahaadeeth indicate that.
There is no dispute among us that this wudoo' is
not obligatory. This is also the view of Maalik
and the majority.
Sharh Muslim, 3/217
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
It is mustahabb for the one who is junub to
do wudoo' if he wants to eat, drink, sleep or
have intercourse again, but it is makrooh for
him to sleep if he has not done wudoo'. It was
proven in al-Saheeh that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was
asked, "Can one of us go to sleep when he is
junub?" He said: "Yes, if he does wudoo' as for
prayer…"
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 21/343
See also question no. 6533.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
(www.islam-qa.com)
20943: Is it permissible to
sleep with one's feet towards the qiblah?
Question:
Is it allowed to sleep with legs directing
towards Qibla.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said: "There is no sin
on a person if he sleep with his feet towards
the Ka'bah, rather the fuqaha' (may Allaah have
mercy on them) said: if a sick person cannot
stand or sit, he should pray lying on his side
with his face towards the qiblah, and if he
cannot then he should pray on his back with his
feet towards the qiblah."
Fataawa Ibn `Uthaymeen, 2/976
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
21388: Sleeping naked
Question:
Is there any prohibition on sleeping without
clothes on, even if one is with one's wife?
Please note that I do not mean during
intercourse, rather I mean when going to sleep.
May Allaah reward you with good.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The `awrah must be covered in all
circumstances except when necessary, such as
when bathing, having intercourse, relieving
oneself, etc. But when there is no reason, the
`awrah must be covered, because of the report
narrated by Bahz ibn Hakeem from his father,
from his grandfather, who said: "O Messenger of
Allaah, what should we do about our `awrahs?" He
said, "Guard you `awrah except from your wives
and those whom your right hand possesses
(concubines)." He asked, "What about when a man
is with another man?" He said, "If you can
manage not to let anyone see it, then do that."
He asked, "What if one of us is alone?' He said,
"Allaah is more deserving that you should feel
shy before Him." (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2769,
and others).
Based on the above, it is not permissible for
you to sleep with no clothes on that would cover
your `awrah, whether you are sleeping with or
without your wife. Rather it is permissible for
you to uncover your `awrah only at times of
necessity. And Allaah knows best.
Answered by Dr. Ahmad al-Khaleel.
(www.islam-qa.com)
31762: He loves da'wah but he
had a disturbing dream
Question:
I hope you could help me out with this
confusion,I had prayed Istikhara namaz 5 days
back.I asked ALLAH if I would be able to convert
a non-muslim to a muslim and guide him to the
wright path for my love for islam and ALLAH,I am
very obsessed with this because it's my dying
wish that i should be able to do this atleast
once in my lifetime,because i love ALLAH dearly
and with all my heart.I had prayed istikhra
namaz asking ALLAH if I will ever be successful
in executing this dream into reality,I also
asked if he would guide me.
but today
morning i had a bad dream .
I don't know what this means,shuld i believe
in the dream or should I listen to my heart.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
We ask Allaah to make you steadfast in your
efforts to fulfil the duty of calling people to
Allaah and in your keenness to spread good. Your
love of good and your efforts to spread it
indicate that you are a good person, in sha
Allah. We ask Allaah that you will be included
in His words (interpretation of the meaning):
"You (true believers in Islamic
Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet
Muhammad and his Sunnah) are the best of peoples
ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin
Al-Ma`roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that
Islam has ordained) and forbid AlMunkar
(polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has
forbidden), and you believe in Allaah"
[Aal `Imraan 3:110]
Your saying that you love Allaah is the
characteristic of those whom Allaah loves, of
whom He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"a people whom He will love and they will
love Him"
[al-Maa'idah 5:54]
Whoever loves Allaah sincerely, Allaah will
love him. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever
loves to meet Allaah, Allaah loves to meet him."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6507; Muslim, 2683).
Al-Bukhaari (7375) and Muslim (813) narrated
from `Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her)
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) sent a man on a campaign; when he
led his companions in prayer, he used to end his
recitation with Qul Huwa Allaah Ahad.
When they came back, they mentioned that to the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). He told them, `Ask him why he does that."
He said, "Because it speaks of the Most Merciful
and I love to recite it." The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "Tell him
that Allaah loves him." This man loved the
attributes of Allaah, so Allaah loved him.
If you want to know how sincere your love for
Allaah is, then examine yourself in the light of
the following verse, in which Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad to mankind): If you
(really) love Allaah, then follow me (i.e.
accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur'aan
and the Sunnah), Allaah will love you and
forgive you your sins"
[Aal `Imraan 3:31]
i.e., follow the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him).
If Allaah loves you, you may receive the glad
tidings of great goodness. Allaah says in a
hadeeth qudsi: "Whoever shows enmity to someone
devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My
slave draws noy near to Me with anything more
beloved to Me than the religious duties I have
enjoined on him, and My slave continues to draw
near to Me with supererogatory works so that I
shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing
with which he hears, his seeing with which he
sees, his hand with which he strikes and his
foot with which he walks. Were he to ask
something of Me, I would surely give it to him,
and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely
grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything
so much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul
of My faithful slave: he hates death and I hate
hurting him."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6502).
The following are six benefits that a person
gains by loving Allaah, in order of importance:
1- Allah becomes his hearing, i.e., he does
not listen to anything except that which pleases
Allaah.
2- Allaah becomes his seeing, i.e., he does
not look at anything but that which pleases
Allaah.
3- Allaah becomes his foot with which he
walks, i.e., he does not walk for anything
except that which is pleasing to Allaah,
4- Allaah becomes his hand with which he
strikes, i.e., he does not take revenge for
himself but rather for the sake of Allaah, so he
does not do anything with his hand except that
which pleases Allaah.
5- Allaah answers his du'aa's
6- Allaah grants him refuge from everything
that he dislikes.
So congratulation to those whom Allaah loves,
to the close friends of Allaah, to the party of
Allaah.
"They are the party of Allaah. Verily, it
is the party of Allaah that will be the
successful"
[al-Mujaadilah 58:22]
With regard to istikhaarah, it is prescribed
when a person is thinking about doing something,
then he hesitates about it. But with regard the
thing that you are doing, namely calling people
to Allaah, there is no need to pray istikhaarah,
rather you should go ahead and call people to
Allaah with wisdom and beautiful preaching.
With regard to the bad dream that you saw, it
is from the Shaytaan. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught us, if
we see something good in our dreams, to tell
those whom we love about it, but if we see
something bad, we should seek refuge with Allaah
from the Shaytaan and spit drily to the left
three times, then turn over onto the other side,
and we should not pay attention to that bad
dream. See question no. 9577.
If you want to know more about the Prophet's
teachings regarding sleep, see question no.
21216.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
30784: Delaying prayer until
night-time because of work
Question:
Many workers delay Zuhr and `Asr prayers
until night-time, giving the excuse that they
are too busy at work or that their clothes are
najis (impure) or not clean. What advice can you
give them?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It is not permissible for a Muslim man or
woman to delay an obligatory prayer beyond the
proper time, rather every accountable Muslim man
and woman is obliged to perform the prayers on
time as much as they can.
Work is not an excuse for delaying prayer,
neither is impurity on clothes or clothes being
dirty. None of these are acceptable excuses.
People should be excused from work at prayer
times; at the time of prayer a worker has to
wash the impurity from his clothes, or change
into clean clothes. As for regular dirt (as
opposed to impurities), this does not prevent
one from praying in those clothes, so long as
that dirt is not impure and does not have an
offensive smell that would bother other
worshippers. But if the dirt or its smell will
bother others, then he has to wash it before
praying, or change into clean clothes so that he
can pray in congregation.
It is permissible for those who have
legitimate shar'i excuses, such as those who are
sick or are travelling, to combine Zuhr and `Asr
at the time of either of them, and to combine
Maghrib and `Isha' at the time of either of
them.
This was narrated in the saheeh Sunnah of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). It is also permissible to join prayers
when there is heavy rain or mud, which cause
difficulty for people.
Fataawa Muhimmah tata'allaq bil-Salaah by
Shaykh Ibn Baaz, p. 19 (www.islam-qa.com)
12782: Renewing wudoo' before
going to sleep
Question:
About the Hadeeth of the Prophet (PBUH) how
we would make his Waduu for prayer before
sleeping, if i still have Waduu from Salat
Al-Ishaa, can I go to sleep with this Waduu, or
should I do it again before I sleep?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Doing wudoo' before going to sleep is one of
the things which is it recommended to do before
going to sleep.
A hadeeth was narrated to this effect, in
which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "When you go to bed, do
wudoo' as for prayer." (Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 247; Muslim 2710).
Ibn Hajar said: The apparent meaning is that
it is mustahabb for everyone who wants to go to
sleep to renew his wudoo', even if he already
has wudoo'. It may be interpreted as applying
only to the one who has broken his wudoo'.
Al-Nawawi said: if a person has wudoo', that
is sufficient for him, because the point is to
go to sleep having wudoo', lest he die in his
sleep, and so that he dreams will be more true,
and so that the Shaytaan will be less likely to
play with his dreams and terrify him.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
12871: Ruling on pointing
one's feet towards the qiblah
Question:
Some people say that you are not allowed to
point your feet at the qibla while sitting down
in the mosque and that it is bad adaab. Does
this have any basis or is it a cultural thing or
is an addition?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh `Abd-Allaah ibn Humayd (may Allaah
have mercy on him) was asked about pointing
one's feet in the direction of the qiblah. He
replied:
There is nothing to say that this is not
allowed, but some of the scholars regarded it as
makrooh (disliked) to stretch the feet out
towards the Ka'bah if one is close to it; they
regarded this as makrooh but not emphatically
so. But if there is a mosque somewhere else and
there is a Muslim there who points his feet
towards the qiblah, there is no harm in that and
he is not doing anything forbidden in sha
Allaah, as the scholars stated. And Allaah knows
best.
See Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Humayd, p.
144
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen was asked about
pointing the feet towards the qiblah whilst
sleeping. He said:
There is no blame on a person if he sleeps
and his feet are pointing towards the qiblah.
Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen,
2/976.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
21216: Guidelines of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) concerning sleep
Question:
I want to know how the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to sleep.
Did he sleep on a bed or on the floor? Did he
used to recite a specific du'aa' when he wanted
to sleep?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) used to sleep sometimes on a mattress,
sometimes on a leather mat, sometimes on a mat
made of palm leaves, sometimes on the floor,
sometimes on a bed, sometimes on the sand, and
sometimes on a black cloak.
`Abbaad ibn Tameem said, narrating from his
paternal uncles: I saw the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
lying on his back in the mosque, putting one leg
on top of the other. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
475; Muslim, 2100).
His mattress was made of leather stuffed with
palm fibres, and he had a coarse woollen cloth
that he would fold over twice and sleep on.
The point is that he slept on a mattress and
covered himself with a blanket. He said to his
wives: "Jibreel never came to me whilst I was
under the blanket of any one of you apart from
`Aa'ishah." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3775).
His pillow was also leather stuffed with palm
fibres.
When he went to bed to sleep, he would say:
"Allaahumma bismika ahyaa wa amoot (O
Allaah, in Your name I live and die)."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 7394).
He used to put his hands together and blow
into them, then recite Qul Huwa Allaahu
ahad, Qul a'oodhu bi Rabb il-Falaq
and Qul a'oodhu bi Rabb il-Naas [i.e.,
the last three soorahs of the Qur'aan), then he
would wipe his hands over as much of his body as
he could, starting with his head and face, and
the front part of his body. He would do that
three times.
He used to sleep on his right side, putting
his right hand under his right cheek, then he
would say: "Allaahumma qini `adhaabaka yawma
tab'ath `ibaadaka (O Allaah, protect me from
Your punishment on the Day You resurrect Your
slaves)."
And when he went to bed he used to say:
"Al-hamdu Lillaah alladhi at'amanaa wa
saqaanaa wa kafaanaa wa aawanaa fakam mimman laa
kaafi lahu wa laa mu'wi (All praise is for
Allaah, Who fed us and gave us to drink, and Who
is sufficient for us and has sheltered us, for
how many have none to suffice them or shelter
them)." This was narrated by Muslim, who also
narrated that he used to say when he went to
bed:
"Allaahumma Rabb al-samawaati wa'l-ard wa
Rabb al-`arsh il-`azeem, Rabbaanaa wa Rabba
kulli shay'in, Faaliq al-habb wa'l-nawa wa
munzil al-Tawraati wa'l-Injeeli wa'l-Furqaan,
a'oodhu bika min sharri kulli shay'in anta
aakhidhun bi naasiyatihi. Allaahumma anta
al-awwal fa laysa qablaka shay'un, wa anta
al-aakhir fa laysa ba'daka shay'un, wa anta
al-zaahir fa laysa fawqaka shay'un wa anta
al-baatin fa laysa doonaka shay'un. Iqdi `annaa
al-dayna wa aghninaa min al-faqri (O Allaah,
Lord of the seven heavens and the exalted
Throne, our Lord and Lord of all things,
splitter of the seed and the date-stone,
Revealer of the Tawraat and the Injeel and the
Furqaan [Qur'aan], I seek refuge in You from the
evil of all things You shall seize by the
forelock [have total mastery over]. O Allaah,
You are the First so there is nothing before
You, and You are the Last so there is nothing
after You. You are al-Zaahir [the greatest and
highest] so there is nothing above You, and You
are al-Baatin [aware of the subtlest secrets] so
there is nothing closer than You. Settle our
debt for us and spare us from poverty)."
(Narrated by Muslim)
When he woke up from sleep he would say:
"Al-hamdu Lillaah alladhi ahyaana ba'd ma
amaatana wa ilayhi al-nushoor (Praise be to
Allaah Who has brought us back to life after
causing us to die, and unto Him is the
resurrection)."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6312). Then he
would clean his teeth using the miswaak, and
recite the last ten aayahs from Soorat Aal
`Imraan, from the verse (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Verily, in the creation of the heavens
and the earth…"
[Aal `Imraan 3:190-200]
And he would say: "Allaahumma laka al-hamd
anta noor al-samawaati wa'l-ard wa man fihinna,
wa laka al-hamd anta qayyim ul-samaawaati
wa'l-ard wa man fihinna, wa laka al-hamd anta
al-haqq wa wa'duka al-haqq wa liqaa'uka haqq
wa'l-jannatu haqq wa'l-naaru haqq wa'l-nabiyoona
haqq wa Muhammadun haqq wa'l-saa'atu haqq.
Allaahumma laka aslamtu wa bika aamantu wa
`alayka tawakkaltu wa ilayka anabtu wa bika
khaasamtu wa ilayka haakamtu faghfir li ma
qaddamutu wa ma akhartu wa ma asrartu wa ma
a'lantu anta ilaahi laa ilaaha illa anta (O
Allaah, to You be praise, You are the Light of
the heavens and the earth and everyone in them.
To You be praise, You are the Sustainer of the
heavens and the earth and everyone in them. To
You be praise, You are the Truth (al-Haqq), Your
promise is true, the meeting with You is true,
Paradise is true, Hell is true, the Prophets are
true, Muhammad is true and the Hour is true. O
Allaah, to You I submit myself, in You I
believe, in You I put my trust, to You I repent,
by Your help I strive (against Your enemies) and
to You I refer for judgement, so forgive me my
past and future sins, what I do in secret and
what I do openly. You are my God and there is no
god but You)." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1120).
He used to sleep during the first part of the
night and get up to pray during the last part.
Sometimes he would stay up late to deal with the
interests of the Muslims. His eyes slept but his
heart did not. When he slept, they would not
wake him up; he would be the one to wake up.
When he stopped to rest at night during a
journey, he would lie down on his right side,
and if he stopped to rest just before dawn he
would prop his head up on his forearm, resting
it in his palm. This was narrated by
al-Tirmidhi.
His sleep was of the best length and it was
the most beneficial of sleep. The doctors say
that it is one-third of the night and day,
namely eight hours.
See Zaad al-Ma'aad, 1/155 (www.islam-qa.com)
21647: Is it makrooh to
sleep after `Asr?
Question:
Is it makrooh to sleep after `Asr?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever
sleeps after `Asr and loses his mind, let him
blame no one but himself." This hadeeth was
classed as da'eef (weak) by Shaykh al-Albaani in
al-Silsilah al-Da'eefah, 39.
Shaykh al-Albaani said:
Marwaan [ibn Muhammad al-Asadi] said: "I said
to Layth ibn Sa'd _ when I saw him sleep after
`Asr during the month of Ramadaan _ `O
Abu'l-Haarith! Why are you sleeping after `Asr
when Ibn Lahee'ah has told us … (and he
mentioned it)?' Al-Layth said: `I do not give up
something that is good for me because of the
hadeeth of Ibn Lahee'ah from `Aqeel!'"
I say, I am impressed by this answer of
al-Layth, because it is indicative of
understanding and knowledge, and no wonder, for
he was one of the imams of the Muslims and well
known fuqahaa'. I know that many of the shaykhs
today do not let themselves sleep after `Asr,
even if they need to do that. If it is said to
them that the hadeeth concerning that is da'eef,
they will immediately respond by saying, "Weak
ahaadeeth should be followed with regard to
virtuous actions."
Think about the difference between the
understanding of the salaf (earlier generation)
and the knowledge of the later generations.
Al-Silsilah al-Da'eefah (hadeeth no.
39).
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
14033: It is permissible to
sleep on one's left side
Question:
Can I sleep on my left side sometimes ?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) used to sleep on his right
side, putting his right hand on his right cheek,
and this is what the Prophet SAWS (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) recommended
others to do. According to a saheeh hadeeth
narrated from al-Baraa' ibn `Aazib, the Prophet
SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "When you go to bed, do wudoo' as if for
prayer, then lie down on your right side…"
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Wudoo',
239). The Sunnah is to put one's right hand
under one's cheek. It was narrated that
Hudhayfah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said,
"When the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) went to bed at night, he
would put his hand under his cheek, then say,
`Allaahumma bismika amootu wa ahyaa (O
Allaah, in Your name I die and I live).' Then
when he woke up he would say, `Al-hamdu
Lillaah alladhi ahyaanaa ba'da ma amaatanaa wa
ilayhi al-nushoor (Praise be to Allaah who
has brought us back to life after causing us to
die, and to Him is the resurrection).'"
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6314).
Ibn Hajar said: The right side is singled out
for a number of reasons, such as: this lets a
person wake up more quickly; it also allows the
heart to lean towards the right hand side. Ibn
al-Jawzi said: the doctors have stated that this
position is more beneficial to the body. They
said to start by lying on the right for a while,
then turn over to the left, because the former
aids peristalsis and sleeping on one's left side
facilitates digestion.
Al-Nawawi said: this hadeeth mentions three
acts that are Sunnah, the first of which is
doing wudoo' before going to sleep. If one
already has wudoo', there is no need to repeat
it, because the aim is to go to sleep in a state
of tahaarah (purity). The second is to sleep on
one's right side…
This indicates that sleeping on one's right
side is Sunnah, and if a person does that to
follow the example of the Prophet SAWS (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), he will be
rewarded for that. Sleeping on one's left side
is permitted, but one misses out on the reward
for following the Sunnah. And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
9577: Ways of protecting
oneself from nightmares and disturbing dreams
Question:
How can we cure nightmares ?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
1. Dreams that disturb a person and keep him
awake come from the Shaytaan. In general, the
dreams that people see are either good dreams
which come from Allaah, a reflection of things
which a person is thinking about, or a third
type, which are dreams that come from the
Shaytaan.
It was reported from Abu Hurayrah that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Towards the end of time, hardly any
dreams that the Muslim sees will not come true.
The one whose dreams are the most truthful will
be the one whose speech is the most honest. The
dreams of the Muslim form one of the forty-five
parts of Prophecy. Dreams are of three types:
the good dream which is good news from Allaah;
dreams which cause distress, which come from the
Shaytaan; and dreams concerning matters which a
person is thinking about…" (Narrated by Muslim,
2263)
2. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) told us how to rid ourselves of the
influence of Shaytaan during sleep. This can be
achieved by reciting verses from the Qur'aan and
du'aa's narrated from him, before going to
sleep.
It was reported that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah
be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) put me in charge of guarding the zakaah of
Ramadaan. Someone came and started to scatter
the food. I took hold of him and said, `I will
take you to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him).'… He said,
`When you go to bed, recite Aayat
al-Kursi and you will be protected by
Allaah, and no shaytaan (devil) will come near
you until morning.' The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, `He told
you the truth even though he is a liar. That was
a shaytaan.'" (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3101).
(b) It was reported that Abu Mas'ood al-Badri
(may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: `The last two aayahs
of Soorat al-Baqarah _ whoever recites
them at night, they will be sufficient for
him.'" (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3786; Muslim,
807).
Al-Nawawi said: "Concerning the phrase, `The
last two aayahs of Soorat al-Baqarah _
whoever recites them at night, they will be
sufficient for him', it was said that it means,
they will be sufficient for him instead of
praying qiyaam al-layl, or as protection from
Shaytaan, or as protection from vermin. It could
mean all of these things."
(Sharh Muslim, 6/91, 92).
(c) It was reported that `Aa'ishah (may
Allaah be pleased with her) said: "When the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) went to his bed, he would
blow into his hands and recite Qul Huwa
Allaahu Ahad (Soorah 112) and the
Mi'wadhatayn (Soorahs 113 and 114). Then
he would wipe his hands over his face and his
body, as far as they could reach." `Aa'ishah
said: "When he fell ill, He would ask me to do
that for him." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5416;
Muslim, 2192)
(d) It was reported that Abu Hurayrah said:
"The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) used to tell us, when any
one of us wanted to sleep, to lie on his right
side, then say `Allaahumma Rabb al-samaawaati
wa Rabb al-ard wa Rabb al-`Arsh il-`Azeem,
Rabbana wa Rabba kulli shay'in, faaliq al-habb
wa'l-nawa wa munazzil al-Tawraata wa'l-Injeeli
wa'l-Furaan, a'oodhu bika min sharri kulli
shay'in anta aakhidhun bi naasiyatihi.
Allaahumma anta al-awwal fa laysa qablaka
shay'un, wa anta al-aakhir fa laysa ba'daka
shay'un. Wa anta al-zaahir fa laysa fawqaka
shay'un wa anta al-baatin fa laysa doonaka
shay'un. Iqdi `annaa al-dayna wa aghninaa min
al-faqr (O Allaah, Lord of the heavens and
the earth, and Lord of the Mighty Throne, our
Lord and Lord of all things, Splitter of the
seed and the date stone, Revealer of the Tawraat
(Torah), the Injeel (Gospel) and the Furqaan
(Qur'aan), I seek refuge in You from the evil of
all things that You will seize by the forelock
[i.e., have full control over them]. O Allaah,
You are the First and there is nothing before
You; You are the Last and there is nothing after
You. You are the Manifest (al-Zaahir) and there
is nothing above You; You are the Hidden
(al-Baatin) and there is nothing beyond You.
Settle our debt and spare us from poverty).'"
(Narrated by Muslim, 2713).
(e) It was reported that Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: "Abu Bakr
said: `O Messenger of Allaah, teach me something
that I can say in the morning and in the
evening.' He said: `Say, Allaahumma `Aalim
al-ghaybi wa'l-shahaadah, Faatir al-samawaati
wa'l-ard, Rabba kulli shay'in wa maleekahu,
ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa anta. A'oodhi bika
min sharri nafsi wa min sharr il-shaytaan wa
shirkih (O Allaah, Knower of the seen and
the unseen, Creator of the heavens and the
earth, Lord and Sovereign of all things, I bear
witness that there is no god except You. I seek
refuge in You from the evil of my own self and
from the evil and shirk of the Shaytaan). Say
this in the morning and in the evening, and when
you go to bed.'" (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi,
3392; Abu Dawood, 5067).
3. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) also taught us what to do when
someone sees something unpleasant in a dream and
wakes up as a result. That is: to spit drily to
the left, to seek refuge with Allaah from the
Shaytaan, to change the side on which one was
sleeping, and to pray if one wishes.
(a) It was reported that Abu Qutaadah said:
"The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: `Good dreams come from Allaah
and bad dreams come from the Shaytaan. If any
one of you sees a bad dream which makes him
afraid, let him spit drily to his left and seek
refuge with Allaah from its evil, then it will
not harm him." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
3118; Muslim, 2261).
(b) It was reported from Jaabir that the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "If any one of you
sees a dream that he dislikes, let him spit
drily to his left three time, and seek refuge
with Allaah from the Shaytaan three times, and
change the side on which he was sleeping."
(narrated by Muslim, 2262).
(c) It was reported that Abu Hurayrah said:
"The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: `If any one of you sees
something that he dislikes (in a dream), let him
get up and pray, and not tell people about it.'"
(narrated by Muslim, 2263)
If the Muslim follows this advice given by
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him), before he goes to bed, it is hoped
that no shaytaan will come anywhere near him,
and if he follows this advice when he wakes up
from a bad dream, it will take away all anxiety
and distress from him.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
7846: Boy Sleeping with His
Mother or Sister
Question:
Is it allowed for a boy to sleep in the same
bed with his mother or sister after he has
reached the age of puberty?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. it is not allowed for
male children, if they have reached the age of
puberty or are ten years old or more, to sleep
with their mothers or sisters in the same
bedding or mattress. This safeguards chastity
and keeps the person away from
temptation. It also closes the door to evil.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered that the
children be separated in
their bedding when they reach the age of ten.
He said,
"Order your children to pray when they are
seven years old. And spank them [to exhort them]
to do it by the age of ten
and separate them in their bedding."3
Those who are not approaching the age of
puberty still must ask permission to enter upon
their parents at three times
during the day. These are the times in which
one is more likely to be taking off his clothing
and exposing the parts that are
usually covered. This has been stressed by
them being called times of privacy. Allah says
in the Quran,
"O you who believe! Let your slaves and those
among you who have not come to the age of
puberty ask permission [before they come to your
presence] on three occasions: before morning
prayer, and while you put off your clothes for
the
noonday [rest] and after the Isha [Night]
Prayer. [These] three times are times of privacy
for you. Other than those times
there is no sin for you or for them to move
about, attending to each other. Thus Allah makes
clear His signs to you. And
Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise" (al-Nur 58).
However, those who are past the age of
puberty must seek permission to enter at all
times of the day. Allah says,
"And when the children among you reach the
age of puberty, then let them (also) ask for
permission, as those senior to
them (in age ask permission). Thus Allah
makes clear His signs for you. And Allah is
Al-Knowing A-Wise" (al-Nur 59).
All of this is to avoid any kinds of problems
and temptations and to safeguard honors. It also
brings an end to the means
that lead to evil.
As for the child who is less than ten years
old, it is permissible for him to sleep with his
mother and sister in their bedding if
there is some need to look after him and if
there is no fear of temptation. They may also
all sleep in the same area, in their
own bedding, if they are of the age of
puberty if there is no fear of temptation.
The Standing Committee
Footnote
1. Other than the husband's father or
sons.—JZ
2. Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim. It
implies that such close relations can easily
lead to adultery which has the death
penalty.—JZ
3. Recorded by Abu Dawud and Ahmad. Al-Albani
has graded it hasan. Al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami,
vol. 2, p. 1021.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
5287: Does sleeping next to
one's wife cancel out the wudoo' prescribed
before sleeping?
Question:
It is part of sunna to make woudou before
sleeping for the night.
However, for married couples, the usage is
that both the husband and the wife sleep next to
each other in the same large bed. I believe that
this is not compatible with sunna, and would
like to know your opinion. Jazakom allahou
khayran.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
On the contrary, it is part of the Sunnah, as
is indicated by many ahaadeeth, including that
narrated by al-Bukhaari (2945) and Muslim (2727)
from `Ali, who said that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said
to him and Faatimah, may Allaah be pleased with
them both: "When you go to your bed, or when you
lie down, say Allaahu akbar thirty-three
times, Subhaan-Allaah thirty-three times
and Alhamdulillaah thirty-three times."
According to another report narrated by
al-Bukhaari (3502), [`Ali said:] "The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came
to us whilst we were lying down, and I went to
stand up, but he said, `Stay where you are,' and
sat down between us, and I could feel the
coolness of his feet on my chest.'"
This hadeeth with its clear wording indicates
that it is sunnah for a man to sleep with his
wife in one bed. Perhaps the confusion has
arisen because when a man does wudoo' then
sleeps in one bed with his wife, he cannot help
touching her, and it may be that the questioner
is thinking that this will break his wudoo', so
what is the point of doing wudoo'? So we have to
discuss the question of whether touching a woman
breaks wudoo' or not?
The scholars differed on this matter and
there are several points of view, stemming from
their differences in the Tafseer
(interpretation) of the Aayah (interpretation of
the meaning):
"… or [if] you have been in contact with
women and you find no water, perform Tayammum
with clean earth…" [al-Nisa' 4:43]
Some scholars said that "contact" here meant
only touching with one's hand, whilst others
took it to mean sexual intercourse, as in the
aayaat (interpretation of the meaning):
"… then divorce them before you have
sexual intercourse with them…" [al-Ahzaab
33:49]
and:
"And if you divorce them before you have
touched (had sexual relations with) them…"
[al-Baqarah 2:237]
They stated that according to scholarly
consensus, the full mahr is not due if a woman
has been merely touched before her divorce; the
full mahr is due in cases where sexual
intercourse has taken place and the marriage has
been consummated. This opinion was narrated from
`Ali, Ubayy ibn Ka'b, Ibn `Abbaas, Mujaahid,
Taawoos, al-Hasan, `Ubayd ibn `Umayr, Sa'eed ibn
Jubayr, al-Shu'bi, Qutaadah, Muqaatil ibn
Hayyaan and Abu Haneefah." (Nayl al-Maraam
min Tafseer Ayaat al-Ahkaam by Siddeeq Hasan
Khaan, 1/316, 314).
The more correct view is that which was
narrated from `Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased
with her), who said that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) would do
wudoo', then kiss her, and then pray, without
repeating his wudoo'. (See al-Raayah,
1/72; Nayl al-Maraam by Siddeeq Hasan
Khaan, 318-322 _ footnote).
Al-Bukhaari narrated in al-Saheeh
(1/588, no. 513) that `Aa'ishah (may Allaah be
pleased with her) said: "I used to sleep in
front of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), and my legs
were in front of him when he prayed. When he did
sujood, he would poke me and I would move my
legs out of the way, and when he stood up I
would stretch them out again… The houses in
those days did not have lamps."
These two texts indicate that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
would touch his wife, without repeating his
wudoo' after doing so; he even touched her
whilst praying. The Sunnah, which explains the
Book of Allaah, indicates that merely touching a
woman does not cancel wudoo'. However, if there
is any emission of madhiy (prostatic fluid) or
maniy (semen), then this breaks wudoo'.
We hope that this answer will clear up the
confusion and free the questioner from any
unnecessary restrictions. And Allaah is the One
Whose help we seek.
Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih
Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
5350: Should he recite Aayat
al-Kursi aloud or silently?
Question:
I say Ayat Kursi at night before I go to bed.
I read if you recite it Shatayn will not bother
you. Do you have to reite it out loud or can you
say it to yourself and still be protected?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It was reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaari
that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) entrusted me
with the task of looking after the Zakaat of
Ramadaan. Someone came to me and started to
scatter the food about, so I grabbed hold of him
and said, `I will take you to the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him)!'… He (that intruder) said: `When you go to
your bed, recite Aayat al-Kursi, then there will
stay with you a protector from Allaah, and no
shaytaan (devil) will approach you until morning
comes.' The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said, `He spoke the truth
even though he is a liar; that was a shaytaan.'"
(Hadith no. 4624). It is Sunnah to recite it,
and it should be recited in a voice that you can
hear. And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
827: The reason why it is
forbidden to sleep on one's belly
Question:
Why is it forbidden to sleep on ones belly?
Is it forbidden for both men and women?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. The reason for this is
that it was forbidden by the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), who left no
good thing but he told us about it and left no
evil thing but he warned us against it. Ya'eesh
ibn Tihfah al-Ghifaari reported that his father
said: "I stayed as a guest with the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) with those of the poor whom he hosted. The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) came out in the night to
check up on his guests, and saw me lying on my
stomach. He prodded me with his foot and said,
`Do not lie in this manner, for it is a way of
lying that Allaah hates.'" According to another
report, the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) prodded him with his foot
and woke him up, and said, "Do not lie like
this, for this is how the people of Hell lie."
(Reported by Ahmad, al-Fath al-Rabbaani,
14/244-245; by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2798, Shaakir
edn.; and by Abu Dawood, al-Sunan, Kitaab
al-Adab, no. 5040, al-Da'aas edn. Also
reported in Saheeh al-Jaami', 2270-2271)
This is a general prohibition that applies to
both males and females, because the basic
principle is that rulings apply to both sexes,
except in cases where it is indicated that there
is a differentiation between the two. And Allaah
knows best. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih
Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
1409: Sleeping on one's
stomach when there is a legitimate reason
Question:
Alsalam Alykuym
my question is regarding a posting i saw in
your website that it is preffered for a Muslim
to sleep on his right side and not on his
stomach. Is that true? and what if a person due
to problems with his back can't sleep except on
his stomach? Jazakum Allah Khair
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
If you have no choice but to sleep on your
back, there is nothing wrong with doing so, so
long as you are keen to follow the Sunnah and
the only reason you cannot put this particular
aspect of it into practice is your illness. And
Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
2063: Sleeping after Fajr
and `Asr
Question:
As-salamu alaikun,
I would like to know if there is any verdict
concerning sleeping after fajr salat? (subuh)
Shukran. Jazakukmul-lahu khairan.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
As far as a person's sleeping after praying
Fajr is concerned, no text (of Qur'aan or
hadeeth) has been reported to indicate that this
is prohibited, so the general principle applies
(i.e., everything is permitted except that which
has been expressly forbidden).
But the practice of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his
Companions after praying Fajr was to remain
sitting in the place where they had prayed until
the sun rose, as is reported in Saheeh
Muslim (1/463) in the hadeeth of Sammaak
ibn Harb, who said: "I asked Jaabir ibn Samurah,
`Did you used to sit with the Messenger of
Allaah?' He said, `Yes, frequently. He would not
get up from the place where he had prayed Subh
until the sun rose. When the sun rose, he would
get up. They used to talk about things that had
happened during the Jaahiliyyah, and they
would laugh and smile.'"
Also, the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) asked his Lord to bless his
ummah in the mornings, as is reported in the
hadeeth of Sakhr al-Ghaamidi, who said: "The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "O Allaah, bless my
ummah in the mornings.' Whenever he sent out
troops or an army, he would send them at the
beginning of the day.'" Sakhr was a trader, and
he used to send out his caravans at the
beginning of the day, and he did well as a
result and made money." (Reported by Abu Dawood,
al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah, with an isnaad in
which there is some jahaalah (i.e., one
narrator is unknown); corroborating evidence is
to be found in a hadeeth narrated by `Ali, Ibn
`Umar, Ibn `Abbaas, Ibn Mas'ood and others, may
Allaah be pleased with them all.)
For this reason some of the salaf disliked
the idea of sleeping after Fajr. Ibn Abi Shaybah
reported in his Musannaf (5/222, no.
25442) with a saheeh isnaad from `Urwah ibn
al-Zubayr that he said: "Al-Zubayr used to
forbid his children to sleep in the morning."
`Urwah said: "I do not hear of any man who
sleeps in the morning, but I lose interest in
that person."
In summary then, people should make the most
of this time which can bring many benefits in
this world and in the Hereafter, but if a person
sleeps at this time to gain strength to do his
work, there is nothing wrong with this,
especially if it is not easy for him to sleep at
any other time of the day. Ibn Abi Shaybah
reported in his Musannaf (5/223, no.
25454) from the hadeeth of Abu Yazeed al-Madeeni
who said: "Umar came to Suhayb one morning and
found him sleeping, so he sat down until he woke
up. Suhayb said: `The Ameer al-Mu'mineen is
sitting in his place and Suhayb is sleeping!'
`Umar said to him: `I did not like to disturb
your sleep that could be beneficial for you.'"
As for sleeping after `Asr, this is also
permitted; there is no saheeh hadeeth from the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) to indicate that sleeping at this time is
prohibited.
As for the words, "Whoever sleeps after `Asr
and loses his mind as a result has no-one to
blame but himself," which are attributed to the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), this is a false hadeeth and there is no
proof that these words were uttered by the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him).
See: Silsilat al-Da'eefah, no. 39.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
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Introduction