One night the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) was busy and he delayed the night (isha) prayer so much so that we dosed in the mosque. We awoke, then dozed, and again awoke and again dozed. He (the prophet) then came upon us and said: There is none except you who is waiting for prayer.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ شُغِلَ عَنْهَا لَيْلَةً فَأَخَّرَهَا حَتَّى رَقَدْنَا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ثُمَّ اسْتَيْقَظْنَا ثُمَّ رَقَدْنَا ثُمَّ اسْتَيْقَظْنَا ثُمَّ رَقَدْنَا ثُمَّ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا فَقَالَ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ يَنْتَظِرُ الصَّلاَةَ غَيْرَكُمْ  

The Companions during the lifetime of the messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) used to wait for the night prayer so much so that their heads were lowered down (by dozing). Then they offered prayer and did not perform ablution. Abu Dawud said: Shu’bah on the authority of Qatadah added: We lowered down our heads (on accounts of dozing) in the day of the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him). Abu Dawud said; This tradition has been transmitted through a different chain of narrators.  

كَانَ أَصْحَابُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَنْتَظِرُونَ الْعِشَاءَ الآخِرَةَ حَتَّى تَخْفِقَ رُءُوسُهُمْ ثُمَّ يُصَلُّونَ وَلاَ يَتَوَضَّئُونَ  

(The people) stood up for the night prayer and a man stood up and spoke forth: Messenger of Allah, I have to say something to you. He (the Prophet) entered into secret conversation with him, till the people or some of the people dozed off, ad then he led them in prayer. He (Thabit al-Bunani) did not mention ablution.  

يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ لِي حَاجَةً فَقَامَ يُنَاجِيهِ حَتَّى نَعَسَ الْقَوْمُ أَوْ بَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ ثُمَّ صَلَّى بِهِمْ وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ وُضُوءًا  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to prostrate and sleep (in prostration) and produce puffing sounds (during sleep). Then he would stand and pray and would not perform ablution. I said to him: you prayed but did not perform ablution though you slept (in prostration). He replied: Ablution is necessary for one who sleeps while he is lying down. Uthman and Hannad added: For when he lies down, his joints are relaxed. Abu Dawud said: The statement "ablution is necessary for one who sleeps while one is lying down" is a munkar (rejected) tradition. It has been narrated only by Yazid Abu Khalid al-Dalani, on the authority of Qatadah. And its earlier part has been narrated by a group (of narrators) from Ibn 'Abbas; they did not mention anything about it. He (Ibn 'Abbas) said: The Prophet ﷺ was protected (during his sleep). 'Aishah reported: The Prophet ﷺ said: My eyes sleep, but my heart does not sleep. Shu'bah said: Qatadah heard from Abu'l-'Aliyah only four traditions: the tradition about Jonah son of Matthew, the tradition reported by Ibn 'Umar about prayer, the tradition stating that the judges are three, and the tradition narrated by Ibn 'Abbas saying: (This tradition) has been narrated to me by reliable persons ; 'Umar is one of them, and the most reliable of them in my opinion is 'Umar. Abu Dawud said: I asked Ahmad b. Hanbal about the tradition narrated by Yazid al-Dalani. He rebuked me out of respect for him. Then he said: Yazid al-Dalani does not add anything to what has been narrated by the teachers of Qatadah. He did not care of this tradition (due to its weakness).  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يَسْجُدُ وَيَنَامُ وَيَنْفُخُ ثُمَّ يَقُومُ فَيُصَلِّي وَلاَ يَتَوَضَّأُ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ صَلَّيْتَ وَلَمْ تَتَوَضَّأْ وَقَدْ نِمْتَ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا الْوُضُوءُ عَلَى مَنْ نَامَ مُضْطَجِعًا زَادَ عُثْمَانُ وَهَنَّادٌ فَإِنَّهُ إِذَا اضْطَجَعَ اسْتَرْخَتْ مَفَاصِلُهُ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: The eyes are the leather strap of the anus, so one who sleeps should perform ablution.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وِكَاءُ السَّهِ الْعَيْنَانِ فَمَنْ نَامَ فَلْيَتَوَضَّأْ