A short sleep after the noon prayer is the sunnah that gives strength for night worship.
After praying the noon prayer the Prophet (peace be upon him) took a short sleep, called "qaylulah". This short rest is most valuable both for refreshing the body and for storing energy for the night tahajjud.
What does the hadith say?
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الأَنْصَارِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ ثُمَامَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، أَنَّ أُمَّ سُلَيْمٍ، كَانَتْ تَبْسُطُ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نِطَعًا فَيَقِيلُ عِنْدَهَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ النِّطَعِ ـ قَالَ ـ فَإِذَا نَامَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَخَذَتْ مِنْ عَرَقِهِ وَشَعَرِهِ، فَجَمَعَتْهُ فِي قَارُورَةٍ، ثُمَّ جَمَعَتْهُ فِي سُكٍّ ـ قَالَ ـ فَلَمَّا حَضَرَ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ الْوَفَاةُ أَوْصَى أَنْ يُجْعَلَ فِي حَنُوطِهِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ السُّكِّ ـ قَالَ ـ فَجُعِلَ فِي حَنُوطِهِ.
Text: Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith no. 6281. Grade: sahih (hadiths in al-Bukhari and Muslim are accepted as sahih).
What is the hadith source of this sunnah?
This sunnah rests on the following hadiths. The reference gives the collection, chapter and number where the hadith appears.
- al-Bukhari, Book of Asking Permission, 41 (hadith no. 6281)
- al-Bukhari, Book of Food, 17 (hadith no. 5403)
How this page was prepared: sources and verification method.
More sunnahs in Sleep Etiquette
As a table with references: Sleep Etiquette sunnahs.
- Lying on the Right Side: Lying on the right side with the right hand under the cheek is a sunnah of sleep.
- Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas Before Sleep: Reciting Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas before sleep is a beautiful part of the sunnah.
- Praising Allah on Waking: The first thing to do with eyes that open to a new life each morning is to praise Allah.
- Shaking Out the Bed: Shaking out the bed before sleeping is a sunnah of caution that the Prophet advised.
- Waking for Tahajjud: Waking from sleep for the night prayer is the deepest form of nearness to Allah.