Quran
Hadith
Islamic Text
Sleeping on your stomach is not Haram. However, it is best avoided since it is Makruh.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَأَى رَجُلًا مُضْطَجِعًا عَلَى بَطْنِهِ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّ هَذِهِ ضِجْعَةٌ لَا يُحِبُّهَا اللهُ
Abu Hurairah (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw a man lying on his stomach. So, he ﷺ said, ‘Indeed this manner of resting is not liked by Allah (Most High).’ (Musnad Ahmad 8041, Hasan).
This Hadith has also been narrated with this particular wording in Tirmidhi (2768), Ibn Hibban (5549), Bazzar (7982) and others. This Hadith is Hasan (sound) according to Imam al-Haythami:
رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ، وَفِيهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ عَلْقَمَةٍ وَهُوَ حَسَنُ الْحَدِيثِ، وَبَقِيَّةُ رِجَالِهِ رِجَالُ الصَّحِيحِ
It was narrated by (Imam Ahmad). Muhammad bin Amr bin Alqamah is in the chain, and he is a Hasan narrator. The remainder of the narrators are the narrators of Sahih. (Majma’ al-Zawaid 13187, Imam Noorud-deen al-Haythami).
The sound Hadith above is used as evidence for the ruling that sleeping on your stomach is Makruh. There are other Hadith narrations with variant wording. However, they go to prove the dislike (Makruh) of sleeping on your stomach.
Abu Dawood 5040:
إِنَّ هَذِهِ ضِجْعَةٌ يُبْغِضُهَا اللَّهُ
Indeed, this manner of resting is detested by Allah (Most High).
Ahmad 23616:
إِنَّ هَذِهِ ضِجْعَةٌ يَكْرَهُهَا اللهُ
Indeed, this manner of resting is disliked by Allah (Most High).
Ibn Maja 3724:
إِنَّمَا هَذِهِ ضِجْعَةُ أَهْلِ النَّارِ
Indeed, this manner of resting is that of the people of the Fire.
In his commentary upon Sunan Abi Dawood, Imam Ibn Rislaan clarified that sleeping on the stomach is Makruh. Therefore, it is not correct to refer to say that sleeping on your stomach is Haram. However, Muslims should be warned against it. Since, it is clearly and repeatedly warned against in the Sunnah.
وفيه: دليل على كراهة النوم على الوجه؛ لأنها نومة الشيطان، ونوم إخوانهم من الإنس
In it there is evidence to prove that it is disliked to sleep lying on one’s face. This is due to it being the sleep of the devils (Shayateen). And the sleep of his brothers from mankind. (Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood, Imam Ibn Rislaan).
And Allah Most High Knows Best.
-Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (08.09.2022)
See also:
What do the Hadith gradings mean?
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