■ Why Do Sufis Take Sleep So Seriously?

اعوذ باللہ من الشیطان الرجیم 

بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم

You know what’s funny? People think sleep is just a natural human need—like, lie down, close your eyes, lights off, done. But when you come and sit with the Sufis for a while, and you'll realise even sleeping can be a kind of ibadah (worship) when you do it with love, adab (etiquette), and the footsteps of the Beloved Prophet ﷺ in mind.

First things first—sleep isn’t haram, don’t worry! But like everything else in the path of love, the way you sleep says something about who you are and how serious you are about walking the Path. The Murshids (guides) say sleep can either make you spiritually stronger… or it can make you lazy and lost in ghaflah (heedlessness).

Ok Let’s start from the Sunnah, because that’s where our hearts feel safest. Our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to sleep on his right side, facing Makkah. Simple, gentle, pure. Ayesha (RA) lovingly reported this beautiful detail, as if she was trying to teach the lovers of all times, "Even the way he rested was full of meaning." So the Sufis, SubhanAllah, how carefully they follow this! Some even recite a little dhikr as they lie down, saying, ❝O Allah ﷻ, I surrender my soul to You.❞ You see? Even sleep becomes surrender.

Now… sleeping during the day? Be careful, say the elders. It makes the face lose its noor (spiritual light), causes diseases to spread like rumors in a market, and turns a strong heart into a lazy one. But wait! Don’t misunderstand—not all day-sleep is bad. There’s a hadith where the Prophet ﷺ encouraged a short nap during the scorching midday heat—called Qailulah. Why? Because even the Shayatin don’t sleep, and that little siesta can help you wake up fresh for Tahajjud later. The Sufis treasure this tip. Some even plan their whole schedule around that precious nap!

But don’t go sleeping after Fajr, okay? That’s like missing out on the rain of rizq (provision) Allah ﷻ pours down in those early hours. Sufi elders used to tell their disciples, ❝If you sleep after Fajr, don’t complain to your Murshid about poverty or sadness. You missed the blessings!❞

Now here’s a strange one—don’t sleep partly in the sun and partly in the shade. Why? No, it’s not just because you’ll wake up looking half-cooked. The Prophet ﷺ specifically forbade it. There's a deep hikmah (wisdom) in it, something only the Aulia Allah seem to understand fully. It’s about balance, energy, and the unseen. Same goes for sitting in such half-and-half places. These are the statements of Imam al-Hafiz Abu Nu’aim. Imam Abu Dawood didn’t just write this in passing—he captured it in his As-Sunan for a reason.

And finally, let’s talk about how you sleep. The Prophet ﷺ disliked people sleeping face down. He called it the sleep of the Fire. The lovers of Allah ﷻ never want to imitate the people of Hellfire—even in sleep. That’s why Sufis teach their students to sleep with adab: lie on the right side, be in wudu (ritual purity), maybe even recite some Salawat or Zikr, and surrender the soul to Allah ﷻ with trust and love.

So when you're about to curl up in bed, just pause. Ask yourself, “Am I sleeping like a heedless one… or like a beloved slave who’s just handing their soul over to the Most Merciful?” Because on this path, even sleep can be sacred. Even rest can be worship.

And maybe that’s the real Sufi secret—turning the ordinary into the Divine.

● FJ 5.5.25