One of the great favor that we sometimes do not realize is sleep. Especially when our body has undergone a series of activities and experiencing a variety of exhausting events, then lying down on a soft and warm mattress has its own pleasures.
Sleep is also very beneficial for our body. Besides our body does need a rest, there are some processes in our body that will only run optimally while we fall asleep. Therefore we need to sleep well so when we wake up and go back to our activity, we will be refreshed and excited.
However, unfortunately, some of us sleep at a less precise time. One of them is the time after performing the Fajr prayer. Usually it is caused by severeal things that cause someone still tired when waking up, but even so, sleeping after Fajr (dawn) is something that is not recommended in Islam as well. See also Patience in Islam
Why?
Some hadiths and schoral opinions summarized from the following sources may explain why we are not recommended to sleep early in the morning after the Fajr prayer.
1. After Fajr (Dawn) is the best time to achieve a lot of virtues
In one of the hadiths, Rasulullah prayed that Allah will make the morning time as the time of his people’s been blessed.
“O Allah, bless my people in the morning time.” (Hadith of Abu Daud : 2606, Ibn Majah : 2236, and Tirmidhi : 1212)
Even one of the scholars who came from Damascus, namely Ibn Qayyim rahimahullah said that one of the deeds that inhibit the coming of fortune from Allah is to sleep in the morning.
“Among the things that makruh according to the scholars is to sleep after Fajr prayer until the sun rises since it is time to harvest ghonimah (time to gain a lot of virtues).” (Madarijus Salikin, 1 : 369)
2. Sleeping in the morning can make limp of the body
Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullah said that the morning of someone is like his youth and the end of the day of someone is like his old age. If in our youth alone we are lazy than it will affect our old age, that we will also laze. Moreover, sleeping after Fajr prayer will make us lazy to do useful things and wasted our times in that day. See also How the Prophet Sleep Muslim
3. Sleeping in the morning is one of the deeds that the Salafush sholih hate
Because the morning is the time to obtain “ghonimah” or an abundant reward so it is highly recommended to fill the time after Fajr with useful things.
4. The time after the Fajr prayer can be used for a useful activities
Which we can actually use for conducting dhikr, prayer, or exercise, instead it wasted because we sleep. [AdSense-B]
5. Too much sleep can also lead us to various diseases
It is also said by Ibn Qayyim rahimahullah, as follows:
“A lot of sleep can lead (us) to neglect and laziness. A lot of sleeps are included as prohibited and some may caused a danger to the body. Sleeping in the morning also causes various bodily diseases, among them is weaken lust. “(Zaadul Ma’ad, 4/222)
One that can contaminate morality is a grudge in the heart. Revenge is something that will satisfy our passions, but it is also one of the feelings that will plunge us into greater evil. Even if someone has behaved less pleasantly or even hurt us, feelings of resentment are still things that must be thrown away from the heart.
[AdSense-A]
Why Sleep After Fajr Prayer not Recommended
Beside the above 5, some of words of Ibn al-Qayyim below can explain to us why sleep after the Fajr prayer is not recommended:
1. those times are the times of fortune
“Among the hated cases between the salafs is sleeping in the midst of after Fajr prayer and the rising of the sun. Because, those times are the times of fortune. Activities done at those times have special value. Even if people had walked all night long, they were not allowed to rest at that time until sunrise.
It was the key and the beginning of the day, the time when fortune lowered and an occurance of fortune distributions and barakah (blessings). In addition, (counted) that’s when the movement of the day begins. The whole situation depends on its part. So it should (if you have to sleep), will be in an emergency sleep.”
2. prevents the coming of fortune
Sleeping in the morning prevents the coming of fortune. Since the morning time is the time to search for fortune by all creatures. Morning is the time to distributed fortune. So sleeping at that time, will be a barrier to receiving fortune, except for some reason, or emergency conditions.
3. Dangerous for body health
(Sleeping in the morning) is very dangerous for the body, since it makes the body lazy and destroy the metabolism processed by the body. As a result, (may) cause shock, darkness and physical weakness. If that happens before defecate, moves and sports and occupy our stomach with something, it will be a dangerous disease that caused some various diseases.”
Ways to Hold Grudges
Here are simple tips on ways how to hold grudges do not fill our hearts:
a. Forgive and accept with grace from the first time someone hurt us
The nature of forgiveness shows that we have the power to resist our carnality even though we can actually vent it. Allah has commandement in the Surah of Ash Shuraa and Al-A’raf:
“But whoever pardons and make reconciliation - his reward is (due) from Allah.” (QS. Asy-Shuraa : 40)
and,
“Take what is given freely, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the ignorant.” (QS. Al-A’raf ” 199)
When we begin to feel our anger peaked and resentment arise, we should follow the advice of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wassalam for perform ablution (wudu).
b. Thinking positively that something hurting our hearts may be a warning from Allah SWT
This helps us to be able to interpret the desire of Allah whereby He wants us to understand the wisdom behind it all. The badness that happens to us may be the way of Allah of elevating us or aborting our sins. See also : How to Increase Iman in Islam
[AdSense-C]
c. Do muhasabah (restopection) and istighfar (seeking for Allah’s forgiveness)
Both of these are the ways of self-introspection that are highly recommended by Allah SWT, so that we always remember the sins we have done every day. Can we ever hurt others through our speech or actions in the same way we do.
d. Remembering Allah by dhikr and praying
By always recite dhikr and praying, It will make our heart calm and eliminate carnality including feelings of resentment from our heart.
“Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remember of Allah hearts are assured. (QS. Ar-Ra’d : 28)
Even the persecuted person’s prayer is one of the prayers that will be granted by Allah SWT.
“Fear the prayers of those who are persecuted, since there is no hijab between them with Allah (to grant).”
However, as much as possible do not pray for ugliness to those who hurt us. Rasulullah Shalallahu ‘alaihi wassalam has exemplify, when he is hurt, he will plenty of goodness for those who hurt him. See also : How to Get Blessing from Allah in Islam
Those are some reasons that forbid us to sleep after Fajr. We also have to know that in Islam, the best time recommended for sleeping is in the middle of the afternoon and after Isha prayer. However if we are in a really urgent situation like sickness, having to sleep in order to get back to work, or indeed working at night, it will be understandable. See also How to Gain Forgiveness in Islam