This post contains a few powerful acts of worship you can do every night before sleeping to remember Allah ﷻ and earn immense rewards, insha Allah. These simple yet impactful deeds take little time, and once they become a habit, you’ll love doing them, insha Allah. Remember, these are the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)!
Preparations Before Going to Bed
- Reciting Bismillah before closing the doors of the house, covering utensils containing food, and extinguishing fires or lights.
- Dusting the bed three times before lying down, using the corner of your clothing.
- Ensuring you are in a state of Wudhu before going to sleep.
- Sleeping on your right side with your right hand under your head like a pillow.
Authentic References: Sahih Bukhari-5623–6320–247–6311 Sahih Muslim-2012–2714–2710
Reading Quran Before Sleeping
Bookmark these chapters and verses in your Quran or mobile app. Once it becomes a habit, reciting the following recommended Quranic passages before sleeping will take only a few minutes.
- Recite Ayat- ul-Kursi in Surah Al-Baqarah (2:255)
- Recite the last two Ayats of Surah Al-Baqarah (2:285-286) – Āmāna Rasūl
- Recite Surah Al-Mulk (chapter 67)
- Recite Surah Al-Kāfirūn (chapter 109)
- Recite the last three Surahs (Quls) of the Quran (chapters 112-114)
Authentic References: Sahih Bukhari-2311–5017–5009 Sahih Muslim-807 Jami` at-Tirmidhi-2882–2891–3403 Sunan Abi Dawud-5055
Dua Before Sleeping
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- Before sleeping, perform Wudhu and recite:
اللَّهُمَّ أَسْلَمْتُ نَفْسِي إِلَيْكَ، وَفَوَّضْتُ
أَمْرِي إِلَيْكَ، وَوَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِي إِلَيْكَ، وَأَلْجَأْتُ ظَهْرِي
إِلَيْكَ، رَغْبَةً وَرَهْبَةً إِلَيْكَ، لَا مَلْجَأَ وَلَا مَنْجَا
مِنْكَ إِلَّا إِلَيْكَ، آمَنْتُ بِكِتَابِكَ وَبِنَبِيِّكَ الَّذِي
أَرْسَلْتَ
Allahumma aslamtu nafsee ilayk, wafawwadtu amree ilayk, wawajjahtu wajhee ilayk, wa-alja’tu thahree ilayk, raghbatan warahbatan ilayk, la maljaa wala manja minka illa ilayk, amantu bikitabikal-lathee anzalt, wabinabiyyikal-lathee arsalt.
O Allah, I submit my soul to You, entrust my affairs to You, turn my face to You, and rely on You. There is no refuge except with You. I believe in Your Book and the Prophet You have sent.
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- Dusting the bed and reciting:
If one of you rises from his bed and then returns to it, he should dust it with the edge of his garment three times, for he does not know what has occurred in his absence. When lying down, he should supplicate:
بِاسْمِكَ رَبِّي وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِي، وَبِكَ أَرْفَعُهُ، فَإِنْ
أَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسِي فَارْحَمْهَا، وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا،
بِمَا تَحْفَظُ بِهِ عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِينَ
Bismika Rabbee wadha’tu janbee, wa bika ‘arfa’uhu, fa’in ‘amsakta nafsee farhamhaa, wa ‘in ‘arsaltahaa fahfadhhaa, bimaa tahfadhu bihi ‘ibaadakas-saaliheen.
In Your name, my Lord, I lie down, and in Your name, I rise. If You should take my soul, have mercy upon it, and if You should return my soul, protect it as You protect Your righteous servants.
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- Dua when lying down:
The Prophet (ﷺ) would place his right hand under his cheek and recite three times:
اللَّهُمَّ قِنِي عَذَابَكَ يَوْمَ تَبْعَثُ عِبَادَكَ
Allaahumma qinee ‘athaabaka yawma tab’athu ‘ibaadaka.
O Allah, protect me from Your punishment on the Day You resurrect Your servants.
Additional Dua:
بِاسْمِكَ اللَّهُمَّ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا
Bismikallahumma amootu wa-ahya.
In Your name, O Allah, I live and die.
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- For pleasant and unpleasant dreams:
Pleasant dream: Say Alhamdulillah and share it only with trustworthy individuals for interpretation.
Unpleasant dream: Spit drily to your left three times and seek refuge with Allah from its evil (A’oodhu billaahi minash-Shaytaanir-Rajeem), change your sleeping position, and do not share the dream.
Authentic References: Sahih Bukhari-247–3292–6311 Sahih Muslim-2261–2263–2710 Sunan Abi Dawud-5045
FINAL REMINDER!
We should make the habit of utilizing the little time before sleeping in the remembrance of Allah, as sleep is a form of death. When a person sleeps, his soul is taken.
“Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die [He takes] during their sleep. Then He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the others for a specified term. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.” [Quran 39:42]
“And it is He who takes your souls by night and knows what you have committed by day. Then He revives you therein that a specified term may be fulfilled. Then to Him will be your return; then He will inform you about what you used to do.” [Quran 6:60]
On the authority of Ibn ‘Umar, radiyallahu ‘anhuma, who said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took me by the shoulder and said: “Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a traveler/wayfarer.” Ibn ‘Umar used to say: “When evening comes, do not expect (to live till) morning, and when morning comes, do not expect (to live till) evening. Take from your health (a preparation) for your illness, and from your life for your death.” [Bukhari]
May Allah help us to do these duas before sleep consistently and give us the ability to wake up regularly for Tahajjud and act upon the Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
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