Is It Disliked to Lie Down on My Stomach?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: Assalam alaykum,

Is it disliked to lie down on my stomach?

Answer: Assalam alaykum wa rahmatullah,

Generally, lying down or sleeping on your stomach without excuse would be deemed disliked due to the interdictions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) against doing so. Reasonable excuses, nonetheless, would include recovering from pain, or illness in general, digesting food, getting a massage or other similar reasons.

Although the traditions (hadith) seem to mention specifically sleeping on your stomach, the excuses the jurists (fuqaha) give as exceptions to the general rule would appear to point to the disliked nature of simply lying down in such a manner as well.

Ibn Majah related with his chain to Abu Dharr (Allah Most High be well-pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) awoke him with his blessed foot as he slept on his front saying, “this is the lying of the people of the Fire.” And in another tradition, the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) remarked, “This is a lying which is disliked by Allah Most High.” [Tirmidhi]

[Khadimi, al-Bariqa al-Mahmudiyya; Nabulsi, al-Hadiqa al-Nadiyya (2.588); Qari, Mirqat al-Mafatih; Ibn ‘Allan, Dalil al-Falihin; al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya]

Please also see: Is It Prohibited to Sleep on One’s Stomach? and: Is It Allowed to Sleep After the Prayer of Asr? and: Is It Sunna to Renew My Wudu Right Before Going to Sleep?

And Allah Most High alone knows best.

قال الخادمي في البريقة شرح الطريقة: (((ومنها الانبطاح) وهو الاضطجاع على البطن (بلا عذر) كعذر هضم الطعام أو غمز الأعضاء عند الحاجة إليه (مج عن أبي ذر – رضي الله تعالى عنه – أنه قال «مر بي رسول الله – صلى الله تعالى عليه وسلم – وأنا مضطجع على بطني» استراحة بلا اقتضاء «فركضني» ضربني وحركني «برجله وقال يا جنيدب» تصغير جندب اسم أبي ذر وهو كنيته «إنما هذه ضجعة أهل النار» فسر هكذا يلقون في النار على وجوههم فلا تشابههم))اهـ.
وفي الفتاوى الهندية نقلا عن الغرائب: ((…وعلى الوجه اضطجاع الكفار ولو كان ممتلئا يخاف وجع البطن فلا بأس بأن يجعل وسادة تحت بطنه وينام عليها يذكر الله تعالى في حالة النوم بالتهليل والتحميد والتسبيح حتى يذهب به النوم)) اهـ.

wassalam,
[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam

Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Tabraze Azam was born and raised in Ipswich, England, a quiet town close to the east coast of England. His journey for seeking sacred knowledge began when he privately memorized the entire Qur’an in his hometown at the age of 16. He also had his first experience in leading the tarawih (nightly-Ramadan) prayers at his local mosque. Year after year he would continue this unique return to reciting the entire Quran in one blessed month both in his homeland, the UK, and also in the blessed lands of Shaam, where he now lives, studies and teaches.