Hadith Reference:
Anas (رضي الله عنه) narrated:"The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to sleep, then wake up and pray without performing wudu."
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 3746]
Explanation:
This hadith refers to dozing off (napping), which does not invalidate wudu. However, if one falls into a deep sleep, wudu is required.
Another narration from Aḥmad bin ʿUbayd states:
"During the time of the Prophet (ﷺ), the Companions would sleep, wake up, and pray without renewing their wudu."
[Authenticity: This hadith is ṣaḥīḥ. Reported by al-Bayhaqī (1/120) through Aḥmad bin ʿUbayd al-Ṣaffār.]
A narration from al-Bayhaqī states:
"I saw the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) being awakened for prayer. I could even hear some of them snoring, yet they would stand up and pray without performing wudu."
ʿAbdullāh bin al-Mubārak commented:
"In our opinion, this applies to when they were sleeping while sitting."
[Authenticity: This hadith is ṣaḥīḥ. Reported by al-Dāraquṭnī (1/130-131) and al-Bayhaqī (1/120).]
Key Lessons Derived from the Hadith:
➊ Dozing off (light sleep) does not break wudu, but deep sleep does.➋ It is permissible to pray after a light nap. This also proves that it is correct to refer to the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) as "Aṣḥāb" (Companions).
➌ Deep sleep, which necessitates wudu, is when a person loses awareness of their surroundings.
- If someone dozes off while sitting without leaning (even if they snore), their wudu remains valid.
- If someone sleeps while leaning against a support (such as a pillow or a wall), their wudu is nullified because their body relaxes, and they may unknowingly pass wind.
