Sleep Reflections

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Allah Almighty says,

وَمِنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ خَلْقُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ‌ٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱخْتِلَـٰفُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوَ‌ٰنِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَ‌ٰلِكَ لَءَايَـٰتٍ لِّلْعَـٰلِمِينَ ﴿٢٢

And of His signs is your sleep by night and day and your seeking of His bounty. Indeed in that are signs for a people who listen. (23)

[Qur'an, Ar-Rum 30:22]

Ponder on the Greatness of Your Lord

In Ayat ul Kursi, Allah says,

...لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ...

...Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep...

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:255]

Ponder on how weak we are and how much we are in need of Allah. Sleep is an ayah (sign) of the Power of Allah subhanahu wa ta’alaa.

Give Thanks by Sleeping with the Right Intention

Sleep is a blessing from Allah that we don’t often reflect upon. Just like our free time, our health, our wealth, you give thanks for them by using them in the right way. Sleep with the intention to be strong for worship.

Remember Your Ultimate Destination

Just as we sleep and wake up, so will we die one day and be resurrected on the Day of Judgment where we will either get rewarded for for good deeds or punished for your bad deeds. What have you prepared for this big Day? Remind yourself of the Day of Judgment every time you wake up.

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيْلَ لِبَاسًا وَٱلنَّوْمَ سُبَاتًا وَجَعَلَ ٱلنَّهَارَ نُشُورًا ﴿٤٧

And it is He who has made the night for you as clothing and sleep [a means for] rest and has made the day a resurrection.

[qur'an, Al-Furqan 25:47]

Most of us sleep to fulfill a certain amount of sleep in order to get through our days. And we sleep 6, 7, 10 hours a day, and yet we don't have much energy in the morning. We can't get up for tahajjud or pray Fajr on time. The righteous before us used to sleep much less and had much more energy than us during the day. Some could even pray hundreds of rakats at night, not 2 or 4 or 8 rakats at night. How? The answer is barakah. Allah put barakah in their sleep.

May Allah put barakah in our life and grant us tawfiq (success) to the highest station. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam