Sleep is translated in Arabic as “Naum”. Naum and its derivatives
have been used in the Glorious Qur’an 9 times.
1.
Did the people of the towns think themselves
secure from Our Wrath that could strike them at night during their sleep. (Surah
al-A’raf Ayah 97)
2. Allah exists. There is no Ilah (one deserving to be
worshipped) but He, the
Everlasting and the Guardian
of life. Drowsiness or sleep do not seize Him. (Ayatal Kursi; Surah al-Baqarah Ayah 255)
3. Your
sleeping during the night and in the day your seeking His favors are evidence (of the truth) for the
people who have hearing. (Surah al-Rum Ayah 23)
4. It
is He who has made the
night as a covering for you, sleep as a rest for you, and the day for you to
rise again. (Surah al-Furqan Ayah 47)
5. Allah preserves the souls when
they die as well as those which did not die during people’s sleep. He withholds those souls
which he has decreed to die and releases the others for an appointed time. In
this there is evidence (of the Truth) for the thoughtful people. (Surah
al-Zumar Ayah 42)
6. A
visitor from your Lord
circled around the garden during the night while they were asleep. (Surah
al-Qalam Ayah 19)
7. …made
sleep for you to rest. (Surah al-Naba’ Ayah 9)
The modern scholars have varied ideas about sleep; some of
them regard sleep as reduced blood flow in the brain, some of them treat it as
a chemical reaction on the nerves, yet some others call it the strain of
muscles. Sleep is related to the spirit or soul. The Glorious Qur’an defines
sleep as a partial death when the link between the body and the soul is
minimal. Allah the Omnipotent directs this process resulting in the suspension
of the consciousness and body movements but keeping the heartbeat, respiration
and blood circulation. Ayah 42 of Surah al-Zumr, as stated above describes it. As stated in Tafsir as-Safi and Maj’ma
al-Bayan, the Infallible imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) said, “Whoever sleeps,
his “Nafs” ascends towards skies but his “Rooh” or soul remains with the body
keeping a connection like solar rays. When Allah decrees for his death, the “Rooh”
responds to the call of “Nafs” and joins it. If Allah permits his life for an
appointed time, the “Nafs” returns to the “Rooh” in the body.”
The Gateway of
Knowledge, the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s.) directed his
companions as, “A Muslim should not sleep in “ritually impure” or “Janabat”,
perform wudhu before sleeping. If water is not available, then perform “Tayammum”
as the faithful’s soul “Rooh” ascends toward skies. If his time of death had
come, He places him in His Mercy. If the time of his conclusive death has not
been decreed, then returns it to his body.”
Looked at another way, that our nightly sleep, besides
performing the function of rest to our physical life, gives us the foretaste of
what we call death, which does not end our personality. Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, “Sleep is the brother of death. Make
sleep your last affair in this world; remember Allah with your heart and your
tongue.”
Hazrat Ibne Abbas said, “Nafs is the key to the intellect
which is separated on sleeping. Rooh is responsible for maintaining the body
and it leaves the body on death.”
Sources used: The Glorious Qur’an (Urdu translation) by
Maulana Farman Ali (r.a.)
The Glorious Qur’an – Tafsir-e-Namoona
(Urdu translation) by Ayatollah Nasir Makarem Shirazi
Lantern of the Path by the
Infallible Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (a.s.)
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