The 365 · Sunnah · Day 13 · Morning
Qaylūlah: A Brief Midday Nap
The hadith
قِيلُوا، فَإِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ لَا تَقِيلُ
The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Take a midday nap (qaylūlah), for the shayātīn do not take a midday nap.' Reported in al-Tabarani's Awsat and graded hasan by some scholars; the practice is well-established in the Prophetic Sunnah through multiple narrations of the Companions' practice.
Svenska: Profeten ﷺ sade: 'Ta middagsvila (qaylulah), för shaytanerna tar inte middagsvila.'
al-Tabarani Awsat (the qaylūlah hadith); Sahih al-Bukhari 939, 941 (Companions' practice after Jumu'ah)
The story
Anas ibn Mālik narrated that the Companions would pray Jumu'ah, then come home and take a qaylūlah, then eat lunch (Sahih al-Bukhari 941). The pattern was rest, then eat, not the modern reverse. Sahl ibn Sa'd narrated that he and the Companions would not lunch or take qaylūlah until after Jumu'ah (Sahih al-Bukhari 939). The midday nap was not laziness; it was structural.
Why it's here
The qaylūlah serves two purposes the Prophet ﷺ named: one spiritual (distinguishing the Muslim's daily rhythm from the unbroken pattern of the shayātīn) and one practical (energy reserve for the night prayer). The Companions practiced it as a daily discipline.
Try it today
1. If your schedule permits, take a 15-30 minute nap between Zuhr and 'Asr.
2. Lie down with the niyyah of following the Sunnah and gathering energy for the night prayer.
3. Avoid sleeping past 'Asr; the late-afternoon sleep is discouraged in some narrations.
In your day
Modern offices and schools rarely accommodate a midday nap. Where possible (working from home, weekend, lunch break with privacy), apply the Sunnah. The cumulative health benefit (cardiovascular, cognitive) is documented in modern research; the Sunnah benefit is documented by the Prophet ﷺ.
A reflection to carry
Qaylūlah is the midday rest: a brief nap before Ẓuhr. The Prophet ﷺ: 'Take qaylūlah, for the shayāṭīn do not take qaylūlah.' (Reported with various chains; the practice is established sunnah.)
Read the longer reflection
Modern science confirms the cognitive and health benefits of brief midday naps (10-30 minutes). The Prophetic structural pattern: light sleep before Ẓuhr enables the night-prayer (qiyām) by reducing total sleep-debt. Cure: schedule a brief qaylūlah (15-20 minutes) before Ẓuhr when possible; do not extend (longer naps reduce nighttime sleep quality); pair with the intention of strength for evening worship. Modern professional life often makes qaylūlah difficult; weekends and breaks provide the structural opportunity. The Companions practiced qaylūlah as standard daily rhythm.
Sources: Sahih Bukhari. The Qur'an and its translation are verified; the scholarship is retold faithfully in our own words and credited to its sources, never reproduced verbatim.
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