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.

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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).

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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.

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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.

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Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

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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.

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Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

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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.

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