Islamic marriage advice and family advice

Fajr prayer missed due to illness

Man in prayer

ASSALAMUALAIKUM

Previously I used to get up from bed to pray my fajr but after I had insomnia I don't, even though it's better than before alhamdulilah. But sometimes it bothers too much. After that I've stopped getting up early for fajr and prayed after I woke up(after sun rise), because due to lack of sleep I used get tired, constipated, severe headache and sometimes unable to focus.

My questions are:

~ Will I be excused by ALLAH(SWT) and will I be forgiven for my illness?

~ What is shuruq and duha prayer and when is it to be prayed?

~ I have a Quran app in iphone, but frequently my phone slips from hand and thus it has the quran app. I feel guilty but I even don't want to delete it. Should I delete and will be forgiven?

~Emma


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21 Responses »

  1. Salaams,

    In my understanding, insomnia is not considered an illness in and of itself. As far as I know and what I personally feel, even if you have a hard time falling or staying asleep, you are still obligated to wake for fajr salat and make up the sleep you may have missed later. If you are having trouble sleeping that is leading to the other symptoms you mentioned, it seems to me the solution is to find a way to get better rest at night instead of skipping morning prayers routinely. Even when we are ill with a serious illness, we are still admonished to pray from bed or with gestures if it's possible. I can assure you that there are people suffering from much worse afflictions than you that are still trying to make their salats on time in some way, shape or form. If you truly regret what you have done, Allah will forgive missed salats if you make up the ones you've missed, start making salat on time going forward, and set your intention to never let yourself miss salat for these reasons again as much as you are able.

    As far as apps are concerned, my first reaction was, "wow I can't believe we have to start worrying about these types of things just because of our technology". I am not even sure if fatwas have been made on such things yet. My advice to you (based strictly on my own sense and opinion) is not to have the app actively on (meaning showing ayats of quran) if you think you are going to drop your phone. If the app is off or not visible and you drop your phone, it shouldn't matter. Even if you happen to have the app on when you drop it, it should be able to be managed just as if someone accidentally dropped the Qu'ran in book form. I know we don't mean these things to happen, but accidents do occur.

    As far as deleting the App, I think that shouldn't be a problem. The app is not something tangible like a book or paper. Even then, there are means of disposing them when necessesary. You can't bury the app, but I think deleting it just undoes the memory of the information it was pulling and storing, so technically you are not taking away anything essential. But like I said, this is just my opinion.

    -Amy
    IslamicAnswers.com Editor

    • Ya Allah, for Allah's sake, insomnia should be perceived as a chronic illness. Insomnia IS AN ILLNESS. We who dont have insomnia wont understand. You just thought it can be cured with some willpower, right? Please dont belittle the suffering while preaching.

      • It is so easy for people to belittle someone else's suffering just because they don't understand it or haven't experienced it. Fajr prayer is extremely important and whatever we are afflicted with, Fajr prayer has to be prayed as it's an obligation on us by Allah SWT. We have to try our best. But that doesn't take away from the fact how real insomnia is. May Allah protect each and everyone of us. We shouldn't just go around and belittle other people's suffering by saying that it is not suffering enough. Insomnia IS an illness and a trial and not an easy one at all. May Allah protect us and grant us ease and shifaa. Ameen.

    • Brother, as a Muslim who is studying medicine, disregarding those suffering from a MENTAL ILLNESS such as insomnia is very demeaning. I suffer myself from this condition and can barely even sleep 4 hours a night. It is seen as a chronic illness in the medical field and can have major impacts on health and well being causing the immune system and brain and bodily functions to weaken in some conditions. Brother, please do your research before you answer these questions and do not make it sound like pills or fixing your sleeping pattern will fix your problems. Firstly, we do not have sleeping patterns I may slee 8 hours one night and then not sleep at all the next night I do not know when I will feel tired or when I will sleep. Secondly, pills cause a reliance and after a while your body will have an inability to produce enough of the hormone to make you sleep so it is easier said than done. Jazaakalah

  2. salamualaikum

    if some illness bothers you and you are not able to get us for the prayer, then make sure Shaitaan is not around, making you sleep. But insomnia is not an excuse, per me. Before you can consult a Aalim, you should try going early to bed, after recitation of 'supplications before sleep' (you can find these in a book called Hisn al Muslim or Fortress of the Muslim which is generally available and is also available on the internet).

    If you still dont get sleep you can recite 'Aoozu bikalimatillahit taammaati min Gazabihi wa Iqaabihi, wa sharri ibaadihi wa min hamazaatish Shayateeni wa an yahzuroon'

    if you are turning to other side while lying down, recite 'La ilaha illallahul Waahidul Qahhaar Rabbus Samawaati wal Arzi wa ma bainahumal Azeezul Ghaffaar'

    And Insha Allah, sleep shouldn't be a problem. Otherwise, if you are awake, missing the prayer is not right. If you are awake, you are supposed to pray, and by not praying, you'd be commiting a sin. But if you forget or 'sometimes' oversleep, you should pray, the moment you relize that you haven't prayed.

    Your question about the Qur'aan app... The Ulama have said that having a Quran app on a phone does not amount to disrespect, even if it falls. A person who has memorized the Qur'aan has the Qur'aan in his heart. He takes it everywhere and sometimes falls and even goes to the toilet with it. Does he disrespect the Qur'aan by all this? The feeling of guilt is nothing but a trick of Shaitaan to keep you away from the Qur'aan.
    Insha Allah, you can keep the app.

    Ishraaq means sun rise, so it has to be prayed after sunset. The time starts 5 to 10 minutes after the sunrise and ends just before noon. Praying Ishraaq is very beneficial. If it is prayed at an early time (while you wait for it after praying Fajr - if you are a man, then praying in masjid with Jama'ah -) and pray 5 mins after sunrise, 2 raka'aat. Otherwise, it will still be beneficial at other times as it is enough for charity on behalf of all the joints in your body according to the ahadeeth.

    According to the Ulama, when this parayer is prayer early, it is called Ishraaq, when prayer late - maybe 1 or 2 hours after sunrise, it is called Duha' and when prayer just before sunrise, it is called al Lawwabeen or Awwabeen.

    And Allah knows best.

  3. Sister Emma,

    I have not had a proper 8 hours sleep in many years. I have a very eradic sleep pattern. So before going to bed make wudu and pray to Allah swt or do ziker to Allah. So for the time you are not able to sleep you can spend time in prayer while laying down. One other thing i do is to listen to Quran or tafsir. If it is shatan that is stopping you from sleeping then shatan will go away. If not then you have at least increase the time you spend praying to Allah. Use your time wisely. Pray Fajar on time as much as you can but also pray nafil salat when you can not go to sleep. Think of it as a blessing.

  4. Asalaam alaikum,

    Why are you suffering from insomnia is a key issue to focus on. What are your stress levels, are you suffering from anxiety, is it work related, etc.? Find the root cause of your insomnia and deal with this problem head on instead of missing the greatest invitation of Allah (swt): the time of worship!

    You can also change your diet to make you naturally sleepy at the proper time, but I caution against using sleeping pills as they can be an addictive crutch. Instead, you may think about eating halal turkey as a part of your dinner, as the meat has natural sleep causing nutrients. It's why Americans usually sleep after a Thanksgiving meal, for instance. So think about having turkey breast salads, sandwiches, turkey legs, etc., but avoid processed lunch meats that contain too much salt and will make you feel bloated.

    Warm milk can also cause natural tiredness and certain teas such as chamomile can cause you to become naturally drowsy and sleepy.

    Here are a few resources to look over for you to incorporate and get control of your sleeping habits.

    Explaining the chemical process within us:
    http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/family-nutrition/foods-sleep/foods-help-you-sleep

    Snacks to try:
    http://www.rd.com/health/20-foods-that-make-you-sleepy/

    Saffron! Yes, it's true what many Muslims of the past often indulged in was indeed full of benefits:

    After my meal though – which is topped off with a lemon sponge and an extraordinary olive oil sorbet that tastes just like ice-cream – San Román reveals that the secret ingredient was in the lasagne. It's the highly expensive spice saffron (which is essential for paella).

    "Saffron is the sleeping pill!" she says. "If you put saffron on your tongue it will fall asleep. I remember when my kids were small and their teeth were coming out, my mother would say: 'You have to put saffron on their teeth.' It has the same effect on the stomach."

    And, intriguingly, a 2009 study at Mashhad University in Iran revealed an extract of saffron did have soporific qualities, on mice at least. "The mice trial is interesting," concedes Morgan. "The rodent model of the nervous system has served us well. There is something worth investigating here. Most products currently used for insomniacs started their lives in scientific laboratories being injected into rodents."

    Interesting read concerning of current lifestyles:
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/jul/13/neuroscience-biology?intcmp=239

  5. as salam mialiakum warahmatullah
    this is a very old post of mine i mean im the author of the post..after the post was published i tried getting up fajr n at that state of time my insomnia was under control n eventually dissapeared all praise n thanks to Allah.
    now it did come again n i sleep 4 or 5 hours n im tired the whole day unable to focus but dont go to slle..i try sleeping pill as nothing gives relieve .but yes i dont miss fajr..i pray to Allah but it isn;t(insomnia) isn't going away..i recently broke up my long term relationship with my bf as that displeases Allah...i try my best to please Allah..but the insomnia y is it happening again..y Allah doing this to me..even if i pray no sleep..i suffered insomnia for about 5 years n then was gone but now again it came back...im so depresss as i look like a panda now(dark circles around eyes) feel like vomitting... its hard for me to go to sleep b4 12pm n hard for me to go to sleep after fajr after 4:30 or 5..not just hard i'll say but impossible..even if i do gym in morninf i dont get a nap after zuhr n my parents pays no attention towards it..im a girl who goes for seeking medical solution before believing insomnia is caused by satan...but i kno it can b caused my satan as vweell..but i do zikr,read ayatul kursi n read falaq naas ikhlas n kafiruun surah n then go to sleep...no chances of satan comimg right?tell me what do i do?im so frustrated with the insomnia.. i hate it...it sometimes affect my dhikr as i say y Allah y do u do this...no one knows the pain a chronic insomniac suffers from..yes it says that rasulALLAH(saw) never went to sleep after fajr but im no prophet n i dont get sleep early even if i try...i go online mn seek help regarding insomnia i mean what to do like dark room n no noise should be there etc..but nothing helps... i tell Allah..why isn't Allah helping...HE just says be n that comes into existence.. im so depressred at it n it is affecting my mood ibadath behaviour with parents studies n work...is there any dua that will take me sleep after the fajr n when ever i want?i dont drink coffee coke or anything..plz help..does listening to surah mujaidalah dseriouslly help

    • Wa'alaykmsalam warahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,

      Sister, be patient and wait for Allah's mercy. Allah loves those who are patient and rewards those who are grateful. Trials and tests are the divine decree for this world and that is a mercy for the believers and a punishment for the disbelievers. Our prophet said: “How wonderful is the situation of the believer, for all his affairs are good. This does not apply to anyone but the believer. If something good happens to him, he gives thanks for it and that is good for him; if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him.” (Sahih Muslim)

      And never ever utter or even think of these words you mentioned, subhana'Allah,

      y Allah doing this to me

      i say y Allah y do u do this

      why isn't Allah helping

      Saying these words is similar to loosing trust, hope and patience in ALlah. Allah said, And of the people is he who worships Allah on an edge. If he is touched by good, he is reassured by it; but if he is struck by trial, he turns on his face [to the other direction]. He has lost [this] world and the Hereafter. That is what is the manifest loss. (Quran 22:11)

      It is possible that Allah is testing you or possible that He is punishing you for the sins you've committed, whatever it is, be happy that it is good for you. Ponder over these below verses, it helps you understand life-

      And when affliction touches man, he calls upon Us, whether lying on his side or sitting or standing; but when We remove from him his affliction, he continues [in disobedience] as if he had never called upon Us to [remove] an affliction that touched him. Thus is made pleasing to the transgressors that which they have been doing (Quran 10:12)

      "Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments..." (Quran 2:214)

      Be sure We shall test you with something of fear, and hunger, some loss in goods, or lives, or the fruits (of your toil); but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.Who say when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah we belong and to Him is our return." they are those on whom (descend) blessings from Allah and Mercy; and they are the ones that receive guidance. (Quran 2:155-157)

      Therefore, do not hasten when asking Allah for relief, just have faith in Allah and be patient.

      Prophet said about do not hasten "..a person say "I did du'a again and again but my du'a wasn't answered and afterwards he becomes hopeless and leaves the du'a. This is called haste." (Muslim)

      Our Prophet said, "No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that." (Sahih Bukhari)

      In this is a useful du'a which you should read,

      "Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned. "Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error, our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us (Jews and Christians); our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Pardon us and grant us Forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Maula (Patron, Suppor-ter and Protector, etc.) and give us victory over the disbelieving people. (Quran 2:286)

      After a difficulty, Allah will soon grant relief. (Quran 65:7

      Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen says in Fataawa Noor ‘ala al-Darb (Fataawa Mutafarraqaat/al-Waswaas wa’l-Amraad al-Nafsiyyah):

      The case mentioned by the questioner may be faced by many young people because of mental or physical exhaustion. The remedy for that is for the person to allow himself to rest and recuperate; to remember Allah a great deal and read Qur'aan; to always seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytaan; to always ask for forgiveness because seeking forgiveness is one of the means of attaining good and warding off evil; to strive to keep company with good people like him, because a good companion is like the carrier of musk - he will either give you some or sell you some or you will find a good smell from him. He should try to keep away from that which he should not think about, because thinking of something may make a person move from imagining it to actually doing it, but if he tries to ignore it and forget it, then by Allah’s leave it will cease to trouble him. End quote.

      From Kitab Al Adhkar by Imam Nawawi,

      Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I complained to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about insomnia that I was suffering from. He said: Say: "Allaahumma ghaarat al-nujoom, wa hada-at al-’uyoon, wa Anta Hayyun Qayyoom; laa ta-khu-dhuka sinatun wa laa nawm. Yaa Hayyu yaa Qayyoom, ah-di’ layli, wa anim ‘ayni " (O Allah, the stars have come out and eyes have closed, and You are the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists; neither slumber nor sleep overtakes You. O Ever-Living, O Sustainer, bring calm to my night and let my eyes sleep.) (Ibn Sunni)

      Khaalid ibn al-Waleed (may Allah be pleased with him) complained to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): O Messenger of Allah, I cannot sleep at night because of insomnia. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: When you go to your bed, say: Allahumma Rabbas Samawaatis-Sab'i, wa ma adhal-lat, wa Rabbal-aradina, wa ma aqal-lat, wa Rabbash-Shaiateena, wa ma adhal-lat kun li jaran min sharri khalqika ajma'een ay-yafruta 'alaya ahad-um-minhum, aw ay-yatgha. Azza jaruk, wa tabarakasmuk (O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and what they shade, Lord of the seven earths and what they contain, Lord of the devils and what they misguide, be a protection for me from the evil of all Your creation, lest any of them wrong me or transgress against me. The one who is under Your protection is honoured; may You be glorified and praised, there is no god beside You, there is no god but You.) (Tirmidhi)

      Those are weak hadith but studied carefully by Hadith scholar Imam Nawawi and so its use.

      Do get psychological and medical help insha'Allah. May Allah grant you goodness. ameen.

    • Wa'alaykmsalam warahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,

      Sister is your insomania cured as of now? ,if not Please Post up here.I ll write a Detailed solution of Dealing with it in sha ALLAH.if its Cured then Alhamdulilah All praise and thanks are to ALLAH alone.

      • Assalamu alaykum Ali,

        Maybe you can help me out since I suffer from sleeplessnes every now and then. In my case it has to do with to much thinking and stress. I worry a lot about even the smallest things in live. This results in panick attacks during the night and then l cant fall asleep again.

        Can you give me some advise?

        JazakaAllah khayran

        I hope the Sister that has started this post is cured and found rest bi idni Allah

        • Nada,
          I hope you see this message since it is 2 years later. But based on your symptoms, think of Magnesium deficiency. Oral Magnesium chloride is best, but magnesium glycinate might be also ok

  6. Alhamdulliah there were good replies here,

    However, what is not well understood by many is that sometimes sufferers are speaking of a different type of insomnia which can be severe and debilitating such that the person is unable to work, think or function. Insomnia in many occasions come with a combination of multiple disorders (Lyme disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, Thyroid disease, adrenals and hormonal issues, etc...) many of which may be unknown to the sufferer until they get checked (so get checked medically!). In these situations the person is unable to fall asleep, and when they do they fall a sleep for a very short period of time and/or if they wakup they won't be able to continue sleeping. In addition to that, sometimes even if they do fall a sleep they will still wake up fatigued and un-refreshed.

    This can get cumulative very fast, and if the person is the sole money maker in the family and their job requires mental focus (i.e. academia, hospitals etc...) then this person risks their job and credibility due to that disorder.

    What is best to do is follow the above advice by making Duaa to Allah and seeking medical attention to rule out any chronic disease or viral infections of any sort, including chronic fatigue syndrome. One must be patient by seeking these causes and relying on Allah SWT. We hope that Allah SWT pardon and forgive all who suffer and are unable to perform any act of worship that they used do, due to sicknesses. InshaAllah insomnia and associated symptoms can be cured, do not lose hope.

    If I can be of help to anyone with insomnia please let me know

    • This is a very good answer. Others were just like preaching without real understanding of the situation.

    • I often sleep at three in the morning that too with pills, but I have developed high blood pressure. When I get up for fajr then I can't sleep properly and that makes my blood pressure shoot up..Today when I slept at three and got up for fajr half an hour before sunrise, I couldn't sleep till eight in the morning. I got up again at 11:00 a.m. with severe headache especially in the neck and back of my head. When I took my bp it was 140/95 .... then the whole day it kept rising though I took a double dose of my medicine. Now it's two in the morning and I have not slept until now. I hope that I can get up for fajr, but then my blood pressure will remain high. I have had several brain haemorrhage related deaths in my family including my daughter's, cousin's and father's. In my case what shall I do. I want an Aalim to answer my question, not a layman please.
      Jazzakillah khairun kaseera.

      • Dear Almas,

        I am sorry to hear about your troubles and I ask Allah SWT to open the doors for you and heal you from this illness. Although I am not a medical doctor, I am a PhD clinical fellow specialized in diagnostic medicine and my job is to relate the tests, as well as their meaning and significance to the physicians.

        How long has this been going? you certainly seem to have issues that could be very well related. I am not sure if you have checked your thyroid? are you fatigued even in the days that you sleep "normal"? hair loss (eyebrows)? anxiety?
        You could also have a nutritional deficiency such as magnesium that could be the the main reason or a part of your problems, specially with your blood pressure issues.

        I am not sure if the brain hemorrhage would be connected to your issues and may Allah SWT have mercy on all of your family members and enter them into the highest level in Jannah. If you haven't followed up on this issue with your doctor I would immediately ask about this, they may perform genetic testing for coagulation factors and other reasons.

        My best advice to you is to seek a FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE MD or ND practitioner that will perform a full laboratory analysis of your physiology and look at all of your symptoms and inshaAllah they will get to the bottom of this. There are many people who were going through your symptoms (with varied causes) and alhamdulliah they are doing well. However you have to pursue this and seek a doctor (functional medicine) that will find the cause, not just treat symptoms by giving you sleeping pills.

        At the mean time make istikhara, and perhaps ask your doctor about taking magnesium (though it should be very safe unless you have some kidney issue). Ionic magnesium, or magnesium chloride in water multiple times a day would be best.

        May Allah SWT make it easy on you

    • Thank you for the answer on chronic fatigue syndrome. I’ve been struggling so much! This brought me comfort and understanding. Jazakallah Khairan

      • You are welcome Sarah. Stay strong inshaAllah and know that there are cures for these types of weird and misunderstood syndromes.

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