‘Qaylulah’ is ‘Mid-Day sleep.’

As-San’ani in ‘Subulas-Salaam’ said: “Qaylulah is mid-day rest, even if it is not accompanied by sleep.” [End quote]

The Fuqaha have differed about defining the time of the mid-day nap for Qaylulah. Some said – it is before Zawaal (i.e., the time when the sun reaches its meridian and its highest point in the sky) while others said it is after Zawaal.

Ash-Sharbeeni al-Khateeb said: “It is the sleep before Zawaal.” [End quote]

Al-Manawi said: “Qaylulah is the sleep in the middle of the day at the time of Zawaal and the time around Zawaal, whether before it or after it.” [End quote]

Al-Badr al-Ayni said: “Qaylulah means sleep in the afternoon.” [End quote]

Lisaan al-Arab of Ibn Mandhoor cites: “Qaylulah is rest in the middle of the day, even if it is not accompanied by sleep.”

Texts which preponderate that Qaylulah is after Zawaal – i.e., after Dhuhr Salaat – is the narration reported by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Sahl ibn Sa’d who said: “We did not have a siesta or lunch until after the Friday prayer during the time of the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).” [Saheeh Muslim no. 859]

Sleep of Qaylulah is Mustahab (recommendable) according to the majority of scholars because the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Take Qaylulah (mid-day nap) because the Shayateen do not take mid-day naps.” [Authenticated by Al-Albaani in Saheeh Al-Jami’e no. 4431 and graded Hasan]

Sleep gives the body a chance to rest during the day such that when night falls, the body can stay awake with vigor and energy. It strengthens one for performing acts of obedience during the night in Tahajjud (late night prayer), remembrance of Allaah, etc.

Al-Khateeb Ash-Sharbeeni said: “Qaylulah is a Sunnah for the one who will stand in Tahajjud, and it is the sleep before Zawaal and it is like Suhoor for the fasting person. It is said in Al-Fatawa al-Hindiya: ‘It is Mustahab to enjoy with the sleep of Qaylulah.’ It is said in Kashshaf Al-Qinaa’: ‘It is Mustahab (recommendable) to sleep in the middle of the day.’ ‘Abdullaah said: ‘My father used to take a mid-day nap, whether it was winter or summer.’” [End quote]

Mid-day nap is from those Sunnah which have vanished from the lives of the Muslims. Research has been conducted regarding mid-day naps confirming its scientific benefits.

Qaylulah is short sleep during the day; relaxation and repose for a short time during the day, even without sleep. The purpose is to ward off laziness and regain energy and strength for continuing work.

Although the fact that Qaylulah has many scientific benefits, it is a divine miracle from Allaah and a noble Sunnah of the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Ponder upon this noble verse which informs us about this miracle of sleep, whether during the night or during the day. Allaah says in Surat Ar-Rum (30:23):

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ مَنَامُكُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَابْتِغَاؤُكُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَسْمَعُونَ

“One of His Signs is your sleep by night and by day for rest as well as your seeking His bounty in both. Surely in this are signs for people who listen.”

Qaylulah in the Sunnah

The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to maintain his mid-day nap. Al-Bukhaari reported from Umm Haram bint Milhan, wife of ‘Ubadah ibn as-Samit (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhuma) and sister of Umm Sulaim (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha), that one time when the Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) took a mid-day nap with them, he woke up laughing.

She (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) narrated: “I asked the Messenger of Allaah: ‘What made you laugh?’ He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) replied: ‘I saw some people who were sailing in the midst of the sea like kings on thrones.‘ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah! Beseech Allaah that He may put me among them.’ He replied: ‘You will be among them.’” She further narrated: “He again slept and woke up laughing. I asked the Messenger of Allaah: ‘What made you laugh?’ He replied as he said in the first reply. She said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah! Beseech Allaah that He may put me among them.’ He replied, ‘You will be among the first ones.’”

Then ‘Ubadah ibn as-Samit (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) sailed on the sea on an expedition, taking Umm Haram with him. When she returned, a riding beast was brought near her to ride, but it threw her down breaking her neck, which resulted in her death. [Al-Bukhaari no. 7001 and Muslim no. 1912]

The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Take a mid-day nap because the Shayateen do not take mid-day naps.” [At-Tabrani in Al-Awsat and Abu Na’eem in At-Tib from Anas. Authenticated by Al-Albaani in Saheeh Al-Jami’e As-Sagheer no. 4431 and graded Hasan)

Al-Bukhaari reported from Sahl ibn Sa’d (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu): “The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) came to the house of Fatimah but did not find ‘Ali (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu). He asked: ‘Where is the son of your uncle?‘ She replied: ‘We had a fight and he got furious and left, and he did not take his mid-day nap with me.’ The Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) instructed a man to look for him, who returned saying: “O Messenger of Allaah! He is in the mosque.”

The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) came to ‘Ali (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) while he was lying down. His robe had fallen onto the ground and was grubby with dust. The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) began cleaning the dust off, saying: “Get up, O Abu Turab! Get up, O Abu Turab (i.e., the owner of dust).” [Al-Bukhaari no. 441]

New research confirms this miracle of the Lord and its benefits; mid-day naps boost productivity and improve energy levels for the activities of the day.

A study conducted by the Sleep Department in Harvard University concluded that napping during the day for a maximum of 45 minutes can help improve memory and information retrieval, provided the info was well-acquired before sleeping.

This is with regards to “Declarative Memory” which includes all theoretical knowledge. It is different from “Procedural Memory” which includes acquiring of skills. [see footnote 1 for details]

The study said that naps help in consolidating the declarative memory and retrieving it becomes easy. [see footnote 2 for details]

An experiment was conducted on thirty-three candidates who were trained in the field of ‘Declarative Memory.’ After the training, sixteen amongst them took a nap which did not reach the REM phase (see footnote 3 for detailed explanation) i.e. the phase during which the eye movement is rapid, while the remaining seventeen candidates stayed awake watching a movie.

All the participants were tested later during the same day. The test included memorizing vocabulary, twisted routes, and complicated drawings.

The research team discovered that there was enhanced memory performance in those who took a nap, compared to those who stayed awake.

The study concluded that mid-day naps boost memory and concentration and make way for more mental activity in a way that’s more comfortable – while stressing on not prolonging the nap because excessive sleep can affect the normal type of sleep (i.e., one may enter into REM phase if he slept longer than 45 minutes).

Sources:

Majles.alukah.net
Islamweb.net

Footnote by Translator: 

1. Declarative Memory is the knowledge of fact-based information, or “what” we know (for example, the capital of France, or what you had for dinner last night). Procedural Memory is the remembering of “how” to do something (for example, riding a bicycle).

Source:  https://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/benefits-of-sleep/learning-memory

2. Learning and Memory are often described in terms of three functions;

• • Acquisition refers to the introduction of new information into the brain.
  • Consolidation represents the processes by which a memory becomes stable.
  • Recall refers to the ability to access the information (whether consciously or unconsciously) after it has been stored.

Each of these steps is necessary for proper memory function. Acquisition and recall occur only during wakefulness, but research suggests that memory consolidation takes place during sleep through the strengthening of the neural connections that form our memories.

Source:  https://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/benefits-of-sleep/learning-memory

3. “Sleep is divided into two major phases, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep.

Good sleepers fall asleep quickly, usually in less than 15 minutes. They enter non-REM sleep first. During non-REM sleep, the mind slows down. The circulation slows too, as the heart rate and blood pressure fall. Breathing is slow and steady. The muscles are relaxed, but body movements do occur.
After about 45 to 60 minutes, sleep shifts into its REM phase. Although the eyes remain closed, they move rapidly in all directions. In contrast, the limb muscles are completely limp and immobile. Breathing is very slow and may even pause briefly. But the brain is turned on; dreaming occurs only during REM sleep. Although the body is entirely relaxed, the heart rate and blood pressure fluctuate from low to high; the heart pumps less blood to the body but more to the brain.”

Source: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/insomnia-restoring-restful-sleep