Hadith 4546

Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited a man from raising one leg over the other while lying on his back.” [Narrated by Muslim] In another narration from him: “The Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘Let none of you lie on his back and place one leg over the other.’” In a narration [Agreed Upon] from Abbad ibn Tamim, from his uncle (may Allah be pleased with him): “I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the mosque lying on his back with one foot placed over the other.” Ali al-Qari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The reconciliation between the Hadiths of Jabir and Abbad is that placing one leg over the other can be of two types: one where both legs are extended, one over the other, and there is no issue with this, as it does not expose the private parts in this posture; or where one leg is raised with the other placed over the raised knee, and in this case, if there is no exposure of the private parts—such as wearing trousers or having a long garment or hem—it is permissible, otherwise not. Some of our scholars said: The prohibition was stated in absolute terms because wearing a lower garment was prevalent among them.”