Advanced search
Visit
15816
Last Updated: 2009/09/01
Summary of question
Is it possible to sleep in heaven?
question
Is it possible to sleep in heaven? Can those in heaven sleep? Or is sleep there something else the same way it is in this world?
Concise answer

Sleep is the body’s natural response to fatigue and tiredness, and as the Quran directly says, we know that those who enter paradise never become tired. It is because of this that our hadiths tell us that those in paradise never experience any of the entailments of the material world, such as death, sleep, sorrow, distress, poverty, etc.

Detailed Answer

Allah (swt) introduces sleep as a blessing that is the remedy for tiredness and sorrow without which life is not possible.[1]

In our material world, sleeping is to remove any fatigue, sorrow and fear thus it should only be used as much as needed and not more, because time that passes in sleep is in reality lost and wasted time [of course, sleep that is needed is somewhat an investment; it is time that is used so that we can make use of the rest of the day but in any event, during that time we aren't doing anything, thus we must try to limit ourselves to the amount needed].

Individuals with stronger faiths try to sleep less and engage in worship or anything that counts as worship (such as working to make a halal living). At the same time, materialistic people try their best to make the most of their lives, and especially to take advantage of opportunities at their right times, such as a good business deal, meeting up with a good friend or going to the movies. Thus they try to postpone their sleep to get the most out of life!

 Therefore, sleep is valuable only when it is used to bring relief from fatigue, fear or sorrow and of course, sometimes you see people who have nothing to do which itself is a form of sorrow, taking refuge in sleep.

But in eternal paradise, there is no fatigue[2], nor sorrow and fear[3], and because of all the many various and diverse blessings there, people never have nothing to do. In this case, then what will the meaning of sleep be?!

In a hadith by Imam Baqir (as), we read: “Those in heaven are always alive and never die, they are awake and never sleep, they have everything and never become needy, they are happy and never have distress, they are laughing and never weep, are continuously honored and never insulted…”[4].

One question that might rise here is that what if someone, for no reason at all and not out of need, just desires to sleep, will that be an option?[5]

To get the answer to this question, please pay attention to this example:

If the owner of a garden with a variety of fruits gives you permission to eat from the fruit without any restrictions, will it not be awkward to ask him whether it is okay to also eat from the fruit that has fallen a long time age and rotted?

Naturally, when someone gives you permission to eat from fresh, ripe fruit, it means that he will also give you permission to use the useless, worthless rotten fruit if you like as well. The question is, which person in their right mind will make such a request?! It seems that the problem is that we aren't truly familiar with how great heavenly blessings are compared to worldly pleasures and blessings, hence questions like these! If we truly knew what is going on there, it would never come to our minds to even think of this world’s pleasures in heaven.

Considering what was said, the answer to your question is yes, what verses of the Quran tell us is that all of our requests will be fulfilled in heaven; if anyone by chance asks for sleep, he will get it, but you can be sure that with all the other blessings heaven has in store for us[6], no one will ever ask for such a thing and as a result there will be no sign of sleeping there.

Question 5864 of this website is a similar inquiry about “Inventing in heaven” that you can also refer to.


[1] Naba’:9; Furqan:47; Ale Imran:154; Anfal:11; Rum:23 etc.

[2] Hijr:48; Fatir:35 “لا یمسنا فیها نب و لا یمسنا فیها لغوب”.

[3] Fatir:34; A’raf:49.

[4] Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir, Biharul-Anwar, vol. 8, pg. 220, hadith 215.

[5] Nahl:31; Furqan:16; Zumar:34; Shura:22; Qaf:35; Fussilat:31; Zukhruf:71…

[6] In this regard, Question 1823 (website: 1977) can also be helpful.

Question translations in other languages
Comments
Number of comments 0
Please enter the value
Example : Yourname@YourDomane.ext
Please enter the value
Please enter the value

Thematic Category

Random questions

  • What is the Sunni opinion on Bilal al-Habashi?
    14384 تاريخ بزرگان 2008/07/02
    What Sunni references say about the great sahabi, Bilal, is that he was freed by Abu Bakr, a resistant believer against the tortures of the Kuffar, the Prophet's Mu'adhin, and one of the Mujahidin (soldiers) of Islam in different battles alongside the Prophet (pbuh). After the Prophet's demise, he ...
  • How can we be assured of the issuance of hadiths from the infallible imams?
    9889 Science of narrators 2011/11/21
    One’s trust in history can to an extent be attained through the clues, evidence, proof and fame that have been passed down generation after generation and from era to era. The clues and evidence for certain incidents in history are so many that hardly anyone can doubt in ...
  • Did the Ansar believe in the caliphate of Abu Bakr and is that why they did bey’ah with him?
    13234 Exalted scholars 2011/05/08
    In our view, doing bey’ah and pledging allegiance to Abu Bakr without the presence of Imam Ali (as) and without his consultation, who, compared to the prophet, according to the famous hadith of manzilah, was like Prophet Harun for Prophet Musa, doesn’t bear much ...
  • Is it permissible for me to wear rings made of white gold and silver?
    8126 Laws and Jurisprudence 2011/12/07
    According to the verdicts of grand religious authorities, it is not permissible for men to adorn themselves with whatever is called gold irrespective of whether the gold is yellow or red or white. However, it is necessary to note that platinum is not gold; it is a ...
  • Is it permissible for men to wear white gold?
    41129 Laws and Jurisprudence 2011/12/04
    Office of Grand Ayatollah Khamenei (may Allah grant him long life):If a metal is called white gold, it is in fact the yellow gold which becomes white when a white metal is blended with it; therefore it is haram. In case, ...
  • Can one turn back from repentance?
    6787 Practical 2010/11/21
    This question doesn’t have a brief answer. Please click on the detailed answer. ...
  • Is it okay to say "Ali is the inheritor"?
    8348 Traditional 2011/02/15
    An heir is someone who inherits, or is designated to inherit, the property or position of another without an external cause like purchase and sale, dedication etc. rather by descent and right of relationship.
  • If the local imam of a mosque in the United States have close ties with the American government, can one have any forms of cooperation with that mosque?
    6209 System 2008/07/22
    People have no other choice but to have ties and relationships with others in society no matter what their religion, beliefs and methods are. Islam has also allowed these types of normal relationships.[1] Muslims can have friendly and just relationship with followers of other ...
  • How is Imam Mahdi’s food and clothing?
    8335 Traditional 2010/11/22
    The imam (aj) lives a normal life just like everyone else. What can be concluded from hadiths about his food and clothing, is that they are at a minimum.Nu’mani, in his book of Gheybah, narrates a hadith from Imam Sadiq (as) and Imam Ridha (as) about Imam Mahdi ...
  • What conditions make it obligatory for one to financially support one’s wife?
    8117 Laws and Jurisprudence 2012/04/14
    Financially supporting the wife becomes obligatory upon the husband when all the following conditions are met: The marriage contract is a permanent one The female meets the requirements for entering into wedlock (financially supporting a female child who does not meet the requirements for ...

Popular