Revive a Sunnah: Take a Nap!

Most of us don’t get enough sleep. During the mornings, we struggle to get up from our beds. Later in the day, we have periods of drowsiness. At night, we can’t wait to crawl between the comforters. When we don’t get enough sleep, our productivity often suffers. And sometimes, our lack of sleep can be dangerous, facilitating accidents and exacerbating health conditions.

One remedy for our modern, sleep-deprived lives is to revive the sunnah of napping. 

Allah tells His servants that the blessing of sleep, whether the sleep we enjoy at night or the naps we take in the day, is from among His magnificent signs.

“...the sleep that you take by night and by day, and the quest that you (make for livelihood) out of His Bounty: Verily, in that are signs for those who hearken.” 

(Surah Ar-Rum, 30:23)

In Islam, taking a qaylulah or midday nap is highly encouraged. It is a well-documented sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, but it is a practice that has become less common as our days have become filled with the activities of modern life.

According to the various ahaadith, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and his companions took a brief nap around the time for the midday prayer. Although reports vary, most suggest that he took a brief nap after Dhuhr or Jumuaah prayers. Sahl  bin  Sa‘d stated: 

“We  used to offer the Friday prayer with the Prophet and then take the afternoon nap.” 

(Bukhari, #941)

Many cultures around the world have a tradition of midday napping. Usually, these cultures are in hot climates, and the nap offers a reprieve from working in the heat of the day. Naps in Spanish-speaking countries are known as siestas, named after the Latin hora sexta, which means “sixth hour” because they occur around noon or midday. The siesta is not only common in Spanish-speaking countries, but it is also a cultural practice in Europe, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa.

Children and Napping

Our children need sleep, and most of them do not get enough. The following chart outlines how much sleep children need each day.

Muslim children who stay up late for the night prayer and wake up early for the dawn prayer should be encouraged to take short, midday naps. Children with special needs, particularly autistic and hyperactive children, may benefit from having some quiet time and the sense of calm and mental relaxation that results from napping.¹

Make Time for Naps

In cultures that believe “time is money,” napping may be seen as counter-productive and a form of laziness. However, abundant research data support the idea that a nap can actually boost productivity. Human resource professionals, managers, educators, and medical professionals must all become more educated about human sleep cycles and which work/study schedules are most productive. A short “cat nap” may turn a person into a lion at school or a tiger at work.

Endnotes

¹ Lau, H., Tucker, M. A., & Fishbein, W. (2010). Daytime napping: Effects on human direct associative and relational memory. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 93(4), 554-560.

Candice “Sister Islaah” Abd’al-Rahim reverted to Islam in 1976 and considers herself a student of knowledge. She has deep education credentials which include a M.A. in Teaching, Certificate of Advanced Studies (Post-Masters) in Administration and Supervision, B.S. in English, and experiences as a principal (in fact the first hijab public school principal in Maryland!), curriculum and staff developer, mentor, and classroom teacher of grades pre-K through 12. She is a former adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University’s Graduate School of Education and is a doctoral candidate in Islamic Sciences at the International Online University. Islaah’s contributions to the field have earned her honors in the Who’s Who of Distinguished JHU Alumni. She is wife, daughter, mother, and grandmother and is an active member of several Muslim communities in the Baltimore area.