Way of Sleeping
“Why were you absent yesterday?” Farhan asked his friend Ashad.
“Because I was not well” Ashad replied.
“Oh! What happened? You are looking so pale and there are dark circles under
your eyes.”
“Don’t know what is the matter but I am unable to sleep at night,” Ashad
replied.
“Is it the tension of the exams?” Farhan asked.
“No, I am suffering from this sleeplessness for the last two years. I’ve
consulted many doctors for a remedy but all in vain,” Ashad said sadly.
“May Allah ta’ala help you, Ashad,” Farhan said, kindly. “By the way do you
sleep during the day?”
“No, I just do Qailula as it is a Sunnah. I wake up at night after horrible
dreams and sometimes a feeling discomfort keeps me up all night,” Ashad said.
“Oh! Do you……” Farhan stopped as the bell rang and both the friends went to
their class.
x……………..x
“All of you close your copies of the Quran now, it is time for Taleem,” Qari
Sahib announced in the madrasah and all of the students obeyed.
“Hmmm …. what do we discuss today?” Qari Sahib asked.
“Today is Wednesday and that means we discuss Sunnah,” Farhan reminded him.
“Right you are! So what Sunnah shall we discuss? I think we will talk about the
Sunnah of sleeping,” Qari Sahib said.
“Yes,” Farhan replied, thinking of his friend’s problem.
“Now tell me what are the sunnah of sleeping Waqas?” Qari Sahib asked a student.
“It is to dust off the bed before lying down,” he replied.
“Excellent, another one?” he asked questioningly, watching the other students.
“To lie on our right side, with our right hand tucked under our right cheek and
facing the Qibla,” Subhan replied raising his hand.
“To recite Kalimah-e-Tayyaba and du’a of sleeping that is
('Alla-humma Bi-ismika Amutu Wa-Ahya') Oh Allah Almighty I live and die in your
name.”
“We should also put off the fire and other things that may cause us harm,”
Salman told the class.
“We should perform Wudhu and use Miswak before sleeping,” young Khalid answered.
“Qari sahib, another Sunnah is to recite 'Bismillah' and the three Quls before
sleeping and thereafter to blow on the palms and rub them three times on one's
entire body, beginning with the head and ending at the toes,” Imran said,
happily.
“Excellent! All of you are right but Subhan why shouldn’t we lie on our stomachs
or on our left side?” Qari Sahib asked.
“I don’t know, but the Sunnah is to sleep on right side,” Subhan replied.
“Does anyone else know the bad effects of sleeping in other positions?” Qari
Sahib asked again. No one replied.
“Ok, I will tell you. As you all know our heart is on the left side of our body
so if a person sleeps on his left side his heart will come under pressure and
most probably he will have nightmares. His sleep will not be deep and he won’t
wake up refreshed. And then he will miss his Fajr salat also. Allah سبحانہ
وتعالی dislikes a person who sleeps on his stomach. Thus we should sleep on our
right side and gain ajr of acting upon a Sunnah also.” Qari sahib looked at
everyone to see if they had understood everything. He then asked, “Now tell me,
how will you sleep tonight?”
“We shall sleep on our right side and follow all the Sunnahs,” the students
replied in unison.
“Masha Allah,” Qari Sahib beamed at them.
X………………x
“Aunty I want to meet Farhan. Is he at home?” Subhan went to Farhan’s home after
madrasah.
“Yes, but I think he is sleeping. You can go to his room and see,” Farhan’s
mother said.
“OK.” Subhan knocked at Farhan’s bedroom door.
“Come in,” Farhan replied in sleepy voice.
Farhan was lying on his stomach and there was a heater near his bed.
“Now I know why he can’t get a good night’s rest,” Subhan murmured.
“Farhan!” Subhan called out and then shook him awake.
“Stop, stop! I’m awake, I’m awake,” Farhan cried out and sat up in his bed.
“Sit and hear I have found the reasons of your discomfort” Subhan gave him the
good news.
“Ooh really” Farhan stood instantly.
Subhan started telling him what he heard at the madrassah, so that his friend
may get rid of the horrible dreams and discomfort. As Muslims have the solution
of every wordly problem by the blessings of Allah سبحانہ وتعالی.