If sleep is a blessing, the people who sleep more are more blessed?

Question

In Islam sleep is considered as blessing and security and a sign of Allah. I'm not 100% clear about the whole thing. Of course its a sign of Allah, I read here:

http://islamfrominside.com/Pages/Tafsir/Tafsir%2839-42%29-Sleep%20and%20Death.html

But what about the people who sleep more or less. We generally try to sleep less to have a productive day. I cant sleep less than 8 hours a day, but I eel bad when I hear that many of my friends sleep 4-5 hours a day and they are perfectly okay! That means they get extra 4 hours than me in a day/ 120 hours in a month/ 1460 hours in a year! They can hold an extra graduation degree and lots of tahajjud prayer than me!!!

I did try in various ways to sleep 4-5 hours a day, but things got in worst way, had drowsiness whole day and had to feel up to 8 hours completely. After trying in several ways in last 2 years the result of reducing the sleep span is 100% zero.

If I don't sleep exactly after Esha prayer I do miss the tahajjud prayer often or have to wake up and pray tahajjud in a hurry. I became frustrated that than how is it a blessing, where my friends are getting more time to utilize the day and for prayer! Please don't tell me that I didn't have stronger intention to wake up for prayer or study. I do have more intention than these I know. If I didn't have the intention I wouldn't become that frustrated. Definitely the problem is somewhere else which I'm not able to understand yet. And thats why I'm writing this.

What happen when I go to sleep I completely forget everything about this world, thats why I really get a restful long sleep. Still, I cant welcome that restful sleep which is giving me less time to study, work and pray than my other friends.

But in Islam, it is said as a blessing, then why? Then those who sleep more (not as a leisure but who cant help to do less) are more blessed? How is it a blessing? When I'm getting really less time than some other people to fulfill my responsibilities. Or can sleep be considered as meditation, by which we can go to depth of everything and while those who sleep more are getting less time during a day are they also able to complete the exact responsibilities and can be as successful like others who sleep less? I didn't know any good examples around me yet.

Answer 1

Allah created each personally differently. Some people require more time to sleep to operate coherently throughout the day. There is nothing in that.

Even thou praying during the night is something that is good, it is not what will be the deciding factor in you entering heaven. We will know the story of the Man who walked into the Prophet's Mosque three time and every time the prophet said a man from Junnah will walk in, later for a companion to discover that he only prays the Fard with the Sunnah without any extra prayer's at night or special services. The only reason was that he slept without any contempt to his fellow Muslims:

قال الإمام أحمد رحمه الله في مسنده (12720) : حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ حَدَّثَنَا مَعْمَرٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ رضي الله عنه قَالَ : كُنَّا جُلُوسًا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ : ( يَطْلُعُ عَلَيْكُمْ الْآنَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ) فَطَلَعَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ الْأَنْصَارِ تَنْطِفُ لِحْيَتُهُ مِنْ وُضُوئِهِ قَدْ تَعَلَّقَ نَعْلَيْهِ فِي يَدِهِ الشِّمَالِ ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ الْغَدُ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ، فَطَلَعَ ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلُ مِثْلَ الْمَرَّةِ الْأُولَى ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ الْيَوْمُ الثَّالِثُ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِثْلَ مَقَالَتِهِ أَيْضًا فَطَلَعَ ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى مِثْلِ حَالِهِ الْأُولَى ، فَلَمَّا قَامَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَبِعَهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ فَقَالَ : إِنِّي لَاحَيْتُ أَبِي فَأَقْسَمْتُ أَنْ لَا أَدْخُلَ عَلَيْهِ ثَلَاثًا ، فَإِنْ رَأَيْتَ أَنْ تُؤْوِيَنِي إِلَيْكَ حَتَّى تَمْضِيَ فَعَلْتَ . قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ أَنَسٌ : وَكَانَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّهُ بَاتَ مَعَهُ تِلْكَ اللَّيَالِي الثَّلَاثَ فَلَمْ يَرَهُ يَقُومُ مِنْ اللَّيْلِ شَيْئًا ، غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ إِذَا تَعَارَّ وَتَقَلَّبَ عَلَى فِرَاشِهِ ذَكَرَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَكَبَّرَ حَتَّى يَقُومَ لِصَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ . قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ : غَيْرَ أَنِّي لَمْ أَسْمَعْهُ يَقُولُ إِلَّا خَيْرًا . فَلَمَّا مَضَتْ الثَّلَاثُ لَيَالٍ وَكِدْتُ أَنْ أَحْتَقِرَ عَمَلَهُ قُلْتُ : يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي لَمْ يَكُنْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ أَبِي غَضَبٌ وَلَا هَجْرٌ ثَمَّ ، وَلَكِنْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ لَكَ ثَلَاثَ مِرَارٍ : ( يَطْلُعُ عَلَيْكُمْ الْآنَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ) فَطَلَعْتَ أَنْتَ الثَّلَاثَ مِرَارٍ ، فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ آوِيَ إِلَيْكَ لِأَنْظُرَ مَا عَمَلُكَ فَأَقْتَدِيَ بِهِ ، فَلَمْ أَرَكَ تَعْمَلُ كَثِيرَ عَمَلٍ ، فَمَا الَّذِي بَلَغَ بِكَ مَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ؟ فَقَالَ مَا هُوَ إِلَّا مَا رَأَيْتَ ، قَالَ : فَلَمَّا وَلَّيْتُ دَعَانِي فَقَالَ : مَا هُوَ إِلَّا مَا رَأَيْتَ ؛ غَيْرَ أَنِّي لَا أَجِدُ فِي نَفْسِي لِأَحَدٍ مِنْ الْمُسْلِمِينَ غِشًّا وَلَا أَحْسُدُ أَحَدًا عَلَى خَيْرٍ أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ إِيَّاهُ . فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ : هَذِهِ الَّتِي بَلَغَتْ بِكَ ، وَهِيَ الَّتِي لَا نُطِيقُ .

As you can see, you don't need to be special to enter Jannah, the small deeds you do - being good to other people, not lying, cheating, stealing, having hatred, screaming, being a douchebag, etc.. add up for you. If you can guarantee Allah the 5 pillars and be pious he can guarantee you heaven inshala. It is true that you can pray extra, fast more days and do more good, but only if you can and doesn't effect your main goals in life.

Answer 2

Sleep is a blessing no doubt.The thing is you cant fall asleep until you feel comfortable in some way..have you noticed??There are so many ppl who cant fall asleep easily,have to take sleeping pills and all..so indeed it is one of the blessings...Al HamduLILLAH..