Question:
What should we do when we feel really sleepy when we are praying? Should we invalidate our prayer and sleep for a while, then pray again?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
There is a hadith narrated by Anas bin Malik RA, where the Prophet PBUH said:
إِذَا نَعَسَ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَلْيَنَمْ حَتَّى يَعْلَمَ مَا يَقْرَأُ
"If anyone of you feels drowsy while praying, he should sleep till he understands what he is saying (reciting).”
Sahih al-Bukhari (213)
According to Imam Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani, al-Muhallab stated that this hadith refers to being sleepy while enlivening the night (qiyam al-lail), but Ibn Hajar stressed out that it is also applicable for obligatory prayers. A person is permitted to sleep for a while to get rid of the drowsiness before praying on the condition that there is enough time for him to pray before the prayer time ends. (Refer Fath al-Bari 1/315)
According to Imam al-Nawawi, this hadith is an encouragement to pray with khusyu’ (focus), an open heart and with enthusiasm. It is also a commandment to sleep or do anything that may get rid of the drowsiness. He added, this hadith is applicable for obligatory and sunnah prayers whether it is during the day or night and this is the opinion of madhab al-Syafi’e and majority (jumhur) of the scholars. However, the condition is one should not miss the time for prayer. Still, there is also an opinion which states that this hadith is only for qiyamullail prayers because it is a normal time for us to sleep and this is the selected opinion of Imam Malik. (Refer Syarh al-Nawawi ‘ala Muslim 6/74)
Besides, there is also other hadith which states the reason why one should get rid of one’s sleepiness first. Narrated from Aisha R.Anha where the Prophet PBUH said:
إِذَا نَعَسَ أَحَدُكُمْ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَلْيَرْقُدْ حَتَّى يَذْهَبَ عَنْهُ النَّوْمُ، فَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ إِذَا صَلَّى وَهُوَ نَاعِسٌ لاَ يَدْرِي لَعَلَّهُ يَسْتَغْفِرُ فَيَسُبَّ نَفْسَهُ
"If anyone of you feels drowsy while praying he should go to bed (sleep) till his slumber is over because in praying while drowsy one does not know whether one is asking for forgiveness or for a bad thing for oneself."
Sahih al-Bukhari (212), Sahih Muslim (786), Sunan Abi Dawud (1310), Sunan Tirmizi (355), Al-Muwatto’ Imam Malik (7/3)
So, it is understood from this hadith that if one is feeling drowsy to the extent that he is unaware of what he recites and pronounces during prayer, then he should stop to sleep for a while or do anything that may get rid of the drowsiness like drinking water, walking and etc.
Imam al-Baji when commenting on this hadith added that if a person is feeling drowsy when he are performing obligatory prayers and there is enough time before the time for that particular prayer ends, or if there are other people to wake him up, then he should sleep for a while. Conversely, if the time for that particular prayer almost ends and he is certain that if he sleeps, he will miss the time, then he should continue praying and try his might to fight off the drowsiness. (Refer Al-Muntaqa Syarh al-Muwatta’ 1/212)
Conclusion
Verily, we would like to state here that if one is feeling drowsy to the extent of he is unaware of what he recites and pronounces during prayer, then he should stop to sleep for a while or do any activities that may get rid of the drowsiness like drinking water, walking and etc.
Meanwhile, if he just feel a little drowsy and this does not affect his consciousness then he should continue praying and try to counter the minor drowsiness.
Wallahua’lam.