Midday rest (qaylula)

In the lexicon qaylula is sleeping in the middle of the day; the jurists keep that sense and mean a nap before noon, or around the middle of the day ¹.

A midday nap is recommended, as al-Mawsili states ¹.

A hadith that urges the midday nap gives as its reason that the devils do not nap. Another report links the nap to strength for night prayer; al-Busayri notes that one narrator in its chain is weak ¹. The sense given is that a person who has rested in the afternoon meets the night's vigil with energy, so the midday rest helps obedience just as pre-dawn food helps a fast ¹. Al-Shirbini says the person who prays at night should take a midday rest ¹.

Midday is one of the times when people commonly uncover themselves and are often without outer clothing. Surat an-Nur (verse 58) names three such times, before the dawn prayer, at midday when people take off their clothes, and after the night prayer, and sets the rule that household servants and children who have not reached puberty should ask permission at them ². The book reports that Umar was woken at midday when a boy sent by the Prophet ﷺ came in, something of him was uncovered, and he wished God had forbidden entry at those hours without permission; the verse was then revealed, and he fell in prostration in thanks ².

The Companions disagreed on whether the verse is still in force. Ibn Umar held it firm and applying to men in particular; Ibn Abbas held its ruling had gone, explaining that houses then had no screens or curtains, and that once curtains came he saw no one act on it ².