2/15. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 437 — No Negligence in Sleep
Whoever Sleeps Through The Prayer (Time) Or Forgets (To Pray)
No Negligence in Sleep: A Hadith on Oversleeping Fajr
Sunan Abi Dawud : 437
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 437
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ الْبُنَانِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ رَبَاحٍ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو قَتَادَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ فِي سَفَرٍ لَهُ فَمَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمِلْتُ مَعَهُ فَقَالَ " انْظُرْ " . فَقُلْتُ هَذَا رَاكِبٌ هَذَانِ رَاكِبَانِ هَؤُلاَءِ ثَلاَثَةٌ حَتَّى صِرْنَا سَبْعَةً . فَقَالَ " احْفَظُوا عَلَيْنَا صَلاَتَنَا " . يَعْنِي صَلاَةَ الْفَجْرِ فَضُرِبَ عَلَى آذَانِهِمْ فَمَا أَيْقَظَهُمْ إِلاَّ حَرُّ الشَّمْسِ فَقَامُوا فَسَارُوا هُنَيَّةً ثُمَّ نَزَلُوا فَتَوَضَّئُوا وَأَذَّنَ بِلاَلٌ فَصَلَّوْا رَكْعَتَىِ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ صَلَّوُا الْفَجْرَ وَرَكِبُوا فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ قَدْ فَرَّطْنَا فِي صَلاَتِنَا . فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّهُ لاَ تَفْرِيطَ فِي النَّوْمِ إِنَّمَا التَّفْرِيطُ فِي الْيَقَظَةِ فَإِذَا سَهَا أَحَدُكُمْ عَنْ صَلاَةٍ فَلْيُصَلِّهَا حِينَ يَذْكُرُهَا وَمِنَ الْغَدِ لِلْوَقْتِ " .
Abu Qatadah Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) was on a journey. The Prophet (ﷺ) took a turn and I also took a turn with him. He said: 'Look!' I said: 'This is a rider; these are two riders; and these are three' until we became seven. He then said: Guard for us our prayer, i.e. the Fajr prayer. But sleep dominated them and none could awaken them except the heat of the sun.They stood up and drove away a little. Then they got down (from their mounts) and performed ablution. Bilal called for prayer and they offered two rak'ahs of (Sunnah) of Fajr and then offered the Fajr prayer and mounted (their mounts). Some of them said to others: We showed negligence in prayer. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: There is no negligence in sleep. The negligence is in wakefulness. If any of you forget saying prayer, he should offer it when he remembers it and next day (he should say it) at its proper time.
[1] Al-Khaṭṭābī said: “I do not know any of the Fuqahā’ who said that praying it the next day also at its time is required, and it appears that the order for that is of recommendation, to preserve the virtue of the time when making it up.”Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 437In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 47English translation : Book 2, Hadith 437
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 437
This Hadith explains what happened when the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and a group on a journey overslept Fajr. They had tried to guard the prayer, but sleep overtook them until the heat of the sun woke them. After moving a little, they performed ablution. Bilal called the prayer, they prayed the two rak'ahs of Fajr, and then they prayed the obligatory Fajr. Some companions felt they had been negligent. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم corrected that feeling by saying there is no negligence in sleep; negligence is in wakefulness. Then he taught that if someone forgets a prayer, he should pray it when he remembers it, and the next day pray it at its proper time. The core lesson is both mercy and responsibility.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Hadith states that negligence is not in sleep but in wakefulness.
- A forgotten prayer should be prayed when remembered.
- The companions prayed the Sunnah of Fajr and then the obligatory Fajr after waking.
