The Fatwa Committee of Al-Azhar’s Islamic Research Academy issued a detailed explanation regarding whether sleep invalidates wudu. Sleep was categorized into three types: lying-down sleep, which breaks wudu according to all four schools; seated light sleep, which does not invalidate wudu according to Abu Hanifa, Malik, and Ahmad as long as the person remains aware enough to sense passing wind; while Al-Shafi‘i holds that seated sleep does not break wudu even if long, as long as the person is firmly seated. As for standing, bowing, or prostrating sleep, it invalidates wudu according to Al-Shafi‘i and one narration from Ahmad, whereas Abu Hanifa considers it valid if the person is in a prayer-like posture.

Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Samie from Dar Al-Ifta added that seated, stable sleep does not break wudu because the person would still sense any event. Sleeping during the Friday sermon does not invalidate the prayer but does reduce its reward. He confirmed that anyone who sleeps while firmly seated may pray without renewing wudu.

Dar Al-Ifta also presented five scholarly views: that sleep always invalidates wudu; that it never invalidates wudu; that it depends on whether one is firmly seated; that all sleep invalidates wudu except light sleep of the seated or standing person; and finally, that only deep sleep breaks wudu while light sleep does not—supported by the hadith: “The eye is the string of the anus; when the eye sleeps, the string loosens.”