What Is the Ruling on Saying That Sleep Is Better Than Prayer?

Question

After the ‘Isha prayer a man said to his wife, who was lying down, “Pray your salah.” The wife said, “I feel sleepy.” In reply the husband said, “So which is better — sleep, i.e. sleeping, or prayer?” The wife answered, “Sleep is better.” Does kufr become incumbent on the woman in this case or not? What is the status of a person who declares sleep better than prayer — does he remain within Islam or go out of Islam?

Answer

The wife’s reply that sleep is better than prayer was said in respect of the demand of nature: at that moment nature wanted sleep, sleep was overpowering, and sleep alone seemed pleasant. It does not mean that before the Pure God the rank of sleep is higher than that of the ‘Isha prayer — that if someone does not pray ‘Isha but dies instead, he is dearer to God Most High than…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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