It is mursal (disconnected), narrated by Qatada from Abu al-Aliya. Shu'ba said: He did not hear from him except for four hadiths, and this is not among them.

Section: The report from Ahmad differs regarding the sitting person who is leaning or the one sitting in the iḥtibā' (huddled) position. According to one report: a small amount of sleep does not nullify it. Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad being asked about wudu' from sleep? He said: "If it is prolonged." It was asked: "What about the one in iḥtibā'?" He said: "He performs wudu' (14)." It was asked: "What about the one leaning?" He said: "Leaning is severe, and the one resting against something is perhaps more severe," meaning more than the iḥtibā' position. He saw wudu' as necessary for all of these cases, unless one only dozes, meaning a little bit. According to another report: it does nullify it, meaning in every case, because he is relying on something, so he is like one who is lying down. The most correct [position] is that whenever he is relying with the place of the hadath on the ground, nothing nullifies it except for a large amount, because there is no distinction in the proof for the negation of nullification in the sitting person, so his states should be equalized.

Section: Our companions differed in defining the "large amount" of sleep that nullifies wudu'. The Qadi said: There is no defined limit for a small amount to which one may refer; rather, it is based on what is customary. It was said: The limit of a large amount is that which causes the sleeping person to shift from his position, such as falling to the ground, or that he sees a dream. The correct [view] is that there is no limit for it, because defining a limit is only known (15) through a tawqīf (scriptural stipulation), and there is no tawqīf for this. So whenever we find what indicates a large amount, such as the falling of one who was firmly seated and the like, his wudu' is nullified. If one doubts its quantity, his wudu' is not nullified, because the state of purity is certain, and it is not removed by doubt.

Section: Whoever does not lose control over his senses has no wudu' required of him, because sleep is the overpowering of the senses. Some of the linguists said, regarding the Almighty's saying: {Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him} (16): Slumber (sinah) is the beginning of drowsiness in the head, and when it reaches the heart, it becomes sleep. The poet (17) said: