Narrated by Aishah
When one of you feels drowsy while praying, let him sleep until his sleepiness leaves him, for if one of you prays while drowsy, he may not know whether he is asking for forgiveness or cursing himself.
Sahih al-Bukhari 212, Sahih Muslim 786
What this hadith teaches
This is about voluntary night prayer: worship is meant to be done with an awake mind, not as a burden.
Reference and grade
- Grade
- Sahih: agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim
- Narrator
- Aishah
- Chapter
- Focus and humility in prayer
The hadith in Arabic نص الحديث
إِذَا نَعَسَ أَحَدُكُمْ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَلْيَرْقُدْ حَتَّى يَذْهَبَ عَنْهُ النَّوْمُ، فَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ إِذَا صَلَّى وَهُوَ نَاعِسٌ لاَ يَدْرِي لَعَلَّهُ يَسْتَغْفِرُ فَيَسُبَّ نَفْسَهُ
Arabic text of Sahih al-Bukhari 212, as given on sunnah.com.