Is it Haram to Sleep on Your Stomach?

Islamic scholars have conflicting opinions about whether it is haram to sleep on your stomach or not. Some consider sleeping on your stomach as haram, while others believe it is makruh (disliked) or mubah (allowed). Most Islamic scholars advise Muslims to avoid sleeping on their stomachs unless there is a specific reason to.

Is it Haram to Sleep on Your Stomach?

As mentioned above, scholars have different opinions about whether it is haram to sleep on your stomach or not. Some scholars consider the practice haram while others consider it makruh or mubah.

Sheikh Kifah Mustapha, a renowned scholar and representative of Dar El Fatwa Lebanon in the United States, explained why there is a difference of opinion. The Sheikh clarified that Islamic scholars dispute the authenticity of the ahadith that address sleeping on your stomach; some scholars consider the ahadith to be not authentic.

Sheikh Kifah explained that Ibn Abi Hatim, Ad-Daraqutni, Imam Abu Ishaq Al-Harbi, and Imam Al-Bukhari all consider the hadith as not authentic. The Sheikh’s own view is that sleeping on your stomach is mubah (allowed), but he clarified that sleeping on your side is sunnah (source).

Sheikh Assim Al Hakeem also explained the differences in opinion in the same way that Sheikh Kifah Mustapha did. You can hear Sheikh Assim Al Hakeem’s directly from this YouTube video:

Moreover, the scholar clarified that he considers it best to avoid sleeping on your stomach unless there is a specific reason to, such as a medical need.

The Sheikh mentioned that to be on the safe side, you should sleep on your right or left side, or on your back.

Why is it Haram to Sleep on Your Stomach?

Some Islamic scholars consider it haram to sleep on your stomach because they believe that the Prophet (SAW) forbade us from doing so.

Islam Q&A carries the opinion that sleeping on your stomach is haram (source). They reference the following as evidence:

I stayed as a guest with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with those of the poor whom he hosted. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out in the night to check up on his guests, and saw me lying on my stomach. He prodded me with his foot and said, ‘Do not lie in this manner, for it is a way of lying that Allaah hates.’

Reported by Ya’eesh ibn Tihfah al-Ghifaari who said that these were the words of his father.

According to another report, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prodded him with his foot and woke him up, and said,

“Do not lie like this, for this is how the people of Hell lie.”

(Reported by Ahmad, al-Fath al-Rabbaani, 14/244-245; by al-Tirmidhi))

Islam Q&A believes that these evidences forbid Muslims from sleeping on their stomachs. The Islamic authority site said that this principle applies to both men and women.

However, some scholars cite the same ahadith as evidence that sleeping on your stomach is makruh (dislikable), rather than haram (source). IslamWeb’s Fatwa (source) concluded that:

So, sleeping on the belly is dislikable and can be harmful to health. Allah knows best.

in their fatwa about whether it is haram to sleep on your stomach.

Is it Haram to Sleep on Your Left Side?

According to Islamic scholars, sleeping on your left side is halal as there is no evidence to forbid it.

We consulted different sources to confirm that this is indeed the majority opinion of Islamic scholars, including the talk by Sheikh Assim Al Hakeem mentioned above and a fatwa by Islam Q&A (source)

However, Islam Q&A further clarified that if you sleep on your left side, you miss out on the reward for sleeping on your right side.

Islamic scholars unanimously consider sleeping on your right side to be sunnah, They formed this understanding based on various ahadith, including (source):

The Prophet (SAW) said:

When you go to bed, do wudoo’ as if for prayer, then lie down on your right side…

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Wudoo’, 239).

and, It was narrated that Hudhayfah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said,

When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to bed at night, he would put his hand under his cheek, then say, ‘Allaahumma bismika amootu wa ahyaa (O Allaah, in Your name I die and I live).’ Then when he woke up he would say, ‘Al-hamdu Lillaah alladhi ahyaanaa ba’da ma amaatanaa wa ilayhi al-nushoor (Praise be to Allaah who has brought us back to life after causing us to die, and to Him is the resurrection).’

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6314)

Is it Haram to Sleep on Your Back?

Islamic scholars unanimously agree that it is halal to sleep on your back (source). However, most scholars believe it is sunnah to sleep on your right side.

Is Sleeping on Your Stomach Haram or Makruh?

Islamic scholars have different opinions about this – some consider sleeping on your stomach to be haram, while others consider it makruh or mubah.

What we do know thus far is that it is encouraged to sleep on your right side. According to modern day science, it is recommended that you sleep on your side because sleeping on your stomach can create stress on the back because the spine can be put out of position (source).

Final Word

From our research, we found that scholars have conflicting opinions about whether sleeping on your stomach is haram or halal. Islamic scholars consider the action to be either haram, makruh, or mubah, depending on their understanding of the ahadiths’ authenticity and their interpretation of them.

We also discovered the Islamic Scholars share similar opinions about sleeping in other positions. They unanimously consider it permissible to sleep on your back, left, and right sides. And most scholars consider it sunnah to sleep on your right side.

Sheikh Assim Al Hakeem provided some insightful advice on the matter. He suggested avoiding sleeping on your stomach unless there is a need (such as a medical need), to be on the safe side. However, we also encourage you to do your own research and follow what you consider to be the strongest opinion.

May Allah (SWT) guide us all.