Allah Almighty does not sleep, and it is not befitting of Him to sleep

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Hadith narrated by Narrated by Muslim

Authenticity grade : Authentic

Hadith text: Allah Almighty does not sleep, and it is not befitting…

عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَامَ فِينَا رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِخَمْسِ كَلِمَاتٍ، فَقَالَ: «إِنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَا يَنَامُ، وَلَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَنَامَ، يَخْفِضُ القِسْطَ وَيَرْفَعُهُ، يُرْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ عَمَلُ اللَّيْلِ قَبْلَ عَمَلِ النَّهَارِ، وَعَمَلُ النَّهَارِ قَبْلَ عَمَلِ اللَّيْلِ، حِجَابُهُ النُّورُ -وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: النَّارُ- لَوْ كَشَفَهُ لَأَحْرَقَتْ سُبُحَاتُ وَجْهِهِ مَا انْتَهَى إِلَيْهِ بَصَرُهُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ».

Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood among us and said five statements: "Allah Almighty does not sleep, and it is not befitting of Him to sleep. He lowers the Scales and raises them. The deeds done during the night are taken up to Him before the deeds done during the day, and the deeds done during the day before the deeds done during the night. His veil is light- and in another version: fire-and if He were to remove it, the glory of His Face would burn everything of His creation as far as His sight extends."

Explanation of the hadith: Allah Almighty does not sleep, and it is not befitting…

Lessons: Allah Almighty does not sleep, and it is not befitting…

• Highlighting the fact that sleeping is impossible for Allah Almighty because it is an imperfection, and He is far exalted above all deficiencies.
• Allah Almighty honors whom He wills and humiliates whom He wills, and He guides whom He wills and leads astray whom He wills among His servants.
• Deeds are raised to Allah every day and every night, which encourages the servants to feel watchfulness of Allah Almighty both in their day and their night.
• The Hadīth indicates Allah's justice and His perfect management of His creations' affairs-and without a doubt, this is among the attributes of His absolute perfection, Glorified and Exalted be He.
• Affirmation that Allah Almighty has a veil-a barrier of light between Him and His creation-and were it not for this veil, they would be burned.
• Al-Ājurri said: People of the truth describe Allah Almighty with what He has described Himself and with what His Messenger (ﷺ) described Him, and with what the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) described Him, and this is the methodology of the scholars who have complied and did not innovate in religion. End of quote. So, Ahl-us-Sunnah establish for Allah what He has established for Himself of the names and attributes without Tahrīf (distortion), Ta‘tīl (negation), Takyīf (asking how), or Tamthīl (likening). They negate from Allah what He has negated from Himself and keep silent regarding what has neither been negated nor established. Allah Almighty says: {There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.}
• The light that is His attribute-Exalted be He-is different from the light with which He veiled Himself. The veil of light is a created light, whereas the light of Allah is a light befitting Him and His essence; there is nothing like unto Him. What the Prophet (ﷺ) saw was only the veil that exists between Allah and His servants.

Categories : Oneness of Allah's Names and Attributes · Merits of Good Deeds · Repentance