And loss of consciousness, except for a brief sleep while sitting or standing …

His statement, “and loss of consciousness”: this is the third of the things that invalidate ablution. Loss of consciousness is of two types:

The first is its complete absence—that is, the removal of the faculty of reason—such as through insanity.

The second is when it is obscured for a specific period by a cause that brings this about, such as sleep, fainting, intoxication, and the like.

Loss of consciousness through insanity, fainting, or intoxication is, in reality, the loss of one’s reason. Accordingly, whether it is brief or prolonged, it invalidates ablution. Thus, if someone suffers a seizure and then regains consciousness, or becomes intoxicated, or faints, his ablution is invalidated, whether the period is long or short.

His statement, “except for a brief sleep while sitting or standing”: the scholars differed over whether sleep itself invalidates ablution, or whether it is merely a circumstance in which invalidation is likely, holding several views, including the following:

The first view is that sleep invalidates ablution in all cases, whether brief or prolonged (1), and regardless of the position in which one sleeps, due to the general wording of the hadith of Safwan, mentioned previously (2). Also, because it is a state that invalidates ablution, and no distinction is made between a large or small amount of such a state, just as with urine.

The second view is that sleep does not invalidate ablution at all (3), based on the hadith of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, would wait for the night prayer in the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ until their heads began to nod, then they would pray without performing ablution” (4),