Does My Wudu Break If I Fall Asleep While Seated in the Tashahhud Position?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

If I briefly fell asleep while seated in the tashahhud position, did my wudu break? Does it matter if my rear was firmly on the ground?

Answer

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

I pray this finds you in the best of states.

No, your wudu didn’t break and your prayer was still valid despite sleeping in the position of the Tashahud. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]

This is because remaining in this position despite sleeping is a clear sign that you were not relaxed enough to break your wudu inadvertently. [Tahtawi, Sharh ‘ala Maraqi al-Falah]

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) has said: “Wudu is not obligatory upon someone who has slept sitting, standing, or prostrating as long as he did not recline on his side. This is because when he lies down, his joints become relaxed.” [Tirmidhi]

And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found. Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani. He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others. He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.