Is It Permissible to Sleep After the ’Asr Prayer?
Answered By Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Fayez Awad
Question
Is it permissible to sleep after the ‘Asr prayer?
Answer
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
Allah (Most High) has blessed His servants with the gift of sleep, as He says:
“And we made your sleep for rest.” [Quran, 78:9]
A Muslim’s life should be balanced, giving each right its due. Sleep is beneficial when a person needs it, but it should not be excessive or cause neglect of religious obligations and duties.
Hadith
It has been reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“Whoever sleeps after ‘Asr and loses their mind should blame no one but themselves.”
However, scholars have classified this hadith as weak, and some even consider it fabricated. [Ibn Jawzi, al-Mawdu‘at; Suyuti, al-La’li’ al-Masnu‘a; Dhahabi, Tartib al-Mawdu‘at; Munawi, Fayd al-Qadir]
No Direct Statement
I have not found any direct statement from jurists (fuqaha) prohibiting sleeping after ‘Asr. Those who discourage it may be referring to potential health or medical reasons rather than it being religiously disliked (makruh) in a legal sense.
Dr. Zuhayli, in his book “al-Fiqh al-Islami wa Adillatuhu”, mentions that sleeping after ‘Asr is discouraged, citing the aforementioned weak hadith, though he does not attribute this view to any specific scholar.
Summary
In conclusion, there is no clear evidence from jurists that it is religiously disliked to sleep after ‘Asr. The discouragement may be based on practical or health concerns rather than a strict legal ruling.
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Dr. Muhammad Fayez Awad
Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Fayez Awad, born in Damascus, Syria, in 1965, pursued his Islamic studies in the mosques and institutes of Damascus. A graduate of the Islamic University of Medina in 1985, he holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from Bahauddin Zakariya University in Pakistan.
He has extensive experience developing curricula and enhancing the teaching of various academic courses, including conducting intensive courses. Shaykh Awad has taught Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Quranic sciences, the history of legislation, inheritance laws, and more at several institutes and universities such as Al-Furqan Institute for Islamic Sciences and Majma‘ al-Fath al-Islami in Damascus.
He is a lecturer at the Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih Waqf University in Istanbul, teaching various Arabic and Islamic subjects, and teaches at numerous Islamic institutes in Istanbul. Shaykh Awad is a member of the Association of Syrian Scholars, a founding member of the Zayd bin Thabit Foundation, a member of the Syrian Scholars Association, and a member of the Academic Council at the Iman Center for Teaching the Sunna and Quran.
Among his teachers from whom he received Ijazat are his father, Shaykh Muhammad Muhiyiddin Awad, Shaykh Muhiyiddin al-Kurdi, Shaykh Muhammad Karim Rajih, Shaykh Usama al-Rifai, Shaykh Ayman Suwaid, Shaykh Ahmad al-Qalash, Shaykh Muhammad Awwama, and Shaykh Mamduh Junayd.
