How Can I Sleep?

ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb — I remind you once again of the story, when Abū Muslim al-Khawlānī came to deliver the news to ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb that a certain area in al-Shām had been opened. Abū Muslim al-Khawlānī came into Madīnah when it was the time of noon, and it was the tradition of the Arabs to sleep at noon, because it was very hot. Abū Muslim al-Khawlānī did not want to go and disturb ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, so he went to the masjid. He felt that maybe ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb was sleeping, so: I will go to the masjid. He went to the masjid, and he gave out the news; he spread the news to the people that we had won, we were victorious.

Somehow the news reached ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, and ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb called Abū Muslim al-Khawlānī and asked him: how come you did not come and tell me first? Who should you report to? To the khalīfah. You go and tell the people in the masjid — you should come and tell me first. Why did you not come and let me know? Abū Muslim al-Khawlānī said: O Amīr al-Muʾminīn, I came into Madīnah when it was the time of noon, so I did not want to disturb you, because I thought that you were asleep.

ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb said: hayhāta hayhāta an anām; in anamtu bil-nahāri ḍayyaʿtu ḥaqqa al-ʿibād, wa in anamtu bil-layli ḍayyaʿtu ḥaqqa Allāh. He said: how can I sleep? If I sleep during the daytime, I would not fulfil my duties towards the people, towards my nation; and if I sleep at night, I would not be able to fulfil my duties towards Allah. If I sleep in the daytime, I would not fulfil my duties towards the creation; and if I sleep at night, I would not be able to fulfil my duties towards the Creator.

They said that ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, when he became khalīfah, never slept the traditional way of sleeping, on a bed with a blanket. He would sleep sitting down, or leaning on a wall, or take a nap here and there, and keep on moving, keep on working. Mujāhidīn — these were the graduates of the training of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).