Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamualaikum,

I am 22 and have a problem in recent years of too much sleep. I have been to several doctors and all I am told is that some people need more sleep than others. Being a medical student myself I know that there isn't much known about sleep.

If I sleep less than 10 hours I feel sick/tired/unrefreshed as if I`ve only slept 3-4 hours and I cant function/study properly. This is becoming very problematic and I cant go on like this, I am already behind in my studies because of this problem.

Maybe the doctors cant help but is there any advice/guidance within Islam from scholars? I know many sleep only 2-3 hours, I`d be happy if I could feel well after 6-8! I also have a lot of difficulty falling asleep, sometimes several hours. I have tried all the usual things of relaxing and sleeping at regular times, all the usual medical advice but like I said there isn't much known with regards to sleep and nothing I`ve tried has helped.

I have done much dua but to no avail. Is there a specific dua or something I could do/recite to sleep less? And also to fall asleep quicker? But the main problem is sleeping too much. Jazakhallah khair for any advice/information.

wasalamualaikum

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Answer:

Sleep medical cure

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Beloved brother, the phenomena of sleep, like hunger, thirst, etc. are a natural physical phenomena and relative to each individual; and if one has any deficiency or seeks to address anything to do with one’s physical self….it would be best to consult an expert in the field of medicine who is best qualified and equipped to determined its root issue and guide towards its remedy.

Beloved brother in Islam, the main purpose of the Divine Revelation of the Quran was not to cure physical ailments of mankind, but rather the Glorious Message of the Quran was revealed by the Lord Most Merciful as a complete Guidance to ‘Straight Path’ to cure the spiritual ailments of mankind.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 185:

Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent down: this Book is a Perfect Guidance for mankind and consists of clear Teachings which show the Right Way, and are a Criterion of the Truth and falsehood.

But because the Quran are the Very Words of the Lord All-Mighty, they overflow in the sublime Message of Blessings and Mercy for those to accept and submit to its guidance.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 10 Surah Yunus verse 57:

57 O mankind! There hath come to you a direction (The Quran) from your Lord and a healing for the (diseases) in your hearts and for those who believe a Guidance and a Mercy.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verse 82:

82 We send down (stage by stage) in the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe: to the unjust it causes nothing but loss after loss.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 41 Surah Fusselat verse 44:

44 Had We sent this as a Qur'an (in a language) other than Arabic they would have said: "Why are not its verses explained in detail? What? (A Book) not in Arabic and (a Messenger) an Arab?" Say: "It is a guide and a healing to those who believe; and for those who believe not there is a deafness in their ears and it is blindness in their (eyes); they are (as it were) being called from a place far distant!"

Allah Subhanah Declares that the Quran is a ‘healing for the diseases in your hearts’; but the diseases referred to here are the spiritual diseases of disbelief, polytheism, hypocrisy, etc. and not the physical diseases like cancer, etc.

There is no person who ever walked on this planet earth who understood and implemented the commands of the Glorious Quran better than the person of the Noble Messenger of Allah (saws). When anyone has a physical ailment, the Messenger of Allah (saws) recommended that they keep their trust in Allah and get treatment by the best medical expert of their times… never did it happen that he (saws) would cure the physical ailments of the believers by reciting the Surahs from the Quran!

If the duration of your sleep is a matter of concern, our humble advice to you would be to consult a qualified physician, who is obviously best qualified and equipped to determine its cause and prescribe its remedies.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan