Medicine of the Prophet

All\h is the prayer of (the Prophet) D\w[d, and the most beloved fast
to All\h is the fasting of D\w[d. He would sleep for half the night,
stand (in prayer) for one third and then sleep for one sixth of the night.
He would (also) fast one day and not fast one day (i.e. he fasted on
alternate days).
al-Bukh\r|
Apart from refraining from excess sleep or a lack of it, the Prophet r
also advised on suitable times for sleep. The night has been created
such that man can sleep during it. All\h I says in the Qur'\n:
‘He it is Who made for you the night that you might rest in it,
and the day giving light, most surely there are signs
in it for a people who would hear.’
Qur’\n, Y[nus 10:67
Sleeping on a full stomach has strongly been discouraged. The best
time to sleep is after the food has been digested. The Prophet r has
been reported to have said,
‘Digest your food with the remembrance of All\h (e.g. recitation of the
Qur’\n or %al\h) and do not sleep upon it (before it has digested)
otherwise you will become hardhearted.'
al-Firdaws
Sleep during the day time is also detestable apart from a short nap
during the midday heat (Qayl[lah - siesta). Experts in the field of ^ibb
claim that sleeping during the day affects the complexion adversely,
loosens the nervous system and can also hamper sexual potency. The
worst time for sleeping is late afternoon after the `A]r prayer.
`¬'ishah y reports that the Prophet r said:
“Whoever sleeps after the `A]r prayer and then goes mad, he should
blame none but himself.”
Ab[ Ya`l\
Khaw\t ibn Jubayr t, a companion who attended Badr, is reported to
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