Sleeping After Eating and Praying Fajr

Answered by Shaykh Ilyas Patel

Question: After we eat sahur and pray fajr, should we go to sleep, or are there more religious practices/duties from the sunnah that we should engage ourselves in? And from a health perspective, is sleeping right after we’ve had a light meal counter productive?

Answer: Wassalamu alaykum warahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,

I hope you are in the best of health.

Yes it would be better to engage yourself in dhikr after fajr until sunrise, as mentioned in many ahadith if possible. One will be allowed to sleep if one has to go work or has been worshiping throughout the night until sahur, otherwise he will have a difficult day.

It has been reported by Jabir ibn Samurah: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would pray the dawn prayer and sit crossed legged in his place until the sun had risen brightly. (Abu Dawud)

عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا صَلَّى الْفَجْرَ تَرَبَّعَ فِي مَجْلِسِهِ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ حَسْنَاءَ – سنن أبي داود كِتَاب الْأَدَبِ إذا صلى الفجر تربع في مجلسه حتى تطلع الشمس حسناء

Wassalam,
Ilyas Patel