The reason why it is forbidden to sleep on one’s belly

 

Why is it forbidden to sleep on ones belly?
Is it forbidden for both men and women?

Praise be to Allaah.

The reason for this is that it was forbidden by the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), who left no good thing but he told us about it and left
no evil thing but he warned us against it. Ya’eesh ibn Tihfah al-Ghifaari reported
that his father said: “I stayed as a guest with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) with those of the poor whom he hosted. The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out in the night to check up on
his guests, and saw me lying on my stomach. He prodded me with his foot and said, ‘Do
not lie in this manner, for it is a way of lying that Allaah hates.’” According
to another report, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prodded him
with his foot and woke him up, and said, “Do not lie like this, for this is how the
people of Hell lie.” (Reported by Ahmad, al-Fath al-Rabbaani,
14/244-245; by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2798, Shaakir edn.; and by Abu Dawood, al-Sunan, Kitaab
al-Adab, no. 5040, al-Da’aas edn. Also reported in Saheeh al-Jaami’,
2270-2271)

This is a general prohibition that applies to both males
and females, because the basic principle is that rulings apply to both sexes, except in
cases where it is indicated that there is a differentiation between the two. And Allaah
knows best.