Mishkat al-Masabih
Mishkat al-Masabih 316, 317
وَعَنْ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «وِكَاءُ السَّهِ الْعَيْنَانِ فَمَنْ نَامَ فَليَتَوَضَّأ» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد قَالَ الشَّيْخ الإِمَام محيي السّنة C: هَذَا فِي غير الْقَاعِد لما صَحَّ: عَن أنس قَالَ: كَانَ أَصَابَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَنْتَظِرُونَ الْعشَاء حَتَّى تخفق رؤوسهم ثمَّ يصلونَ وَلَا يتوضؤون. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد وَالتِّرْمِذِيّ إِلَّا أَنه ذكرفيه: ينامون بدل: ينتظرون الْعشَاء حَتَّى تخفق رؤوسهم
ʿAlī reported that the Messenger of God said: ‘The eyes are the tether of the anus; whoever sleeps should perform ablution.’ Abū Dāwūd transmitted it.
Shaykh, Imām, and Muḥyī al-Sunna said: ‘This applies to someone who is not seated, in light of the sound report from Anas: the Companions of the Messenger of God used to wait for the night prayer until their heads nodded, then they would pray without performing ablution.’ Abū Dāwūd and al-Tirmidhī transmitted it, though al-Tirmidhī’s version says ‘they slept’ instead of ‘they waited for the night prayer until their heads nodded.’
Translation notes
The accompanying grading lists both reports as ṣaḥīḥ (sound). The first report uses a metaphor; the accompanying commentary qualifies its scope by citing a report about seated people dozing while waiting for the night prayer.