Dua for sleeping | 13 Essential Duas

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Praying before we sleep – DUA FOR SLEEPING

Before we close our eyes and rest for the night, it is essential to turn to Allah, seeking His protection and guidance in our dreams. The sleeping hours provide a time for our bodies and souls to rejuvenate, and invoking Allah’s blessings and mercy before sleep is a beautiful reminder of His infinite love and care for us.

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Dua for Sleeping 

One of the authentic duas, is the dua for sleeping, narrated by Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (r.a.), is as follows:

بِاسْمِكَ اللَّهُمَّ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا

(Bismika Allahumma amootu wa ahyaa)

Translation: “In Yourname, O Allah, I die, and I live.”

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Dua for sleeping

Reading Al-Muawithat into your palm and passing your hands over your body as described below:

يجمعُ كَفَّيْهِ ثُمَّ يَنْفُثُ فِيهِمَا فَيَقْرَأُ فِيهِمَا:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
{قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ * اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ* لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ* وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ}.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
{قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ* مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ* وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ* وَمِن شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ* وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ}.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
{قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ* مَلِكِ النَّاسِ* إِلَهِ النَّاسِ* مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ* الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ  النَّاسِ* مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ}
ثُمَّ يَمْسَحُ بِهِمَا مَا اسْتَطَاعَ مِنْ جَسَدِهِ يَبْدَأُ بِهِمَا عَلَى رَأْسِهِ وَوَجْهِهِ وَمَا أَقبَلَ مِنْ جَسَدِهِ
(يفعلُ ذلك ثلاثَ مرَّاتٍ)

Transliteration of the surahs: 

Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm. Qul huwallāhu aḥad. Allāhuṣ-ṣamad. Lam yalid wa lam yūlad. Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan aḥad. (Reference: Surah Al-Ikhlas)

Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm. Qul a`ūdhu birabbil-falaq. Min sharri mā khalaq. Wa min sharri ghāsiqin idhā waqab. Wa min sharrin-naffāthāti fil-`uqad. Wa min sharri ḥāsidin idhā ḥasad. (Reference: Surah Al-Falaq).

Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm. Qul a`ūdhu birabbin-nās. Malikin-nās.’Ilāhin-nās. Min sharri ‘l-waswāsil-khannās. Alladhī yuwaswisu fī ṣudūrin-nās. Minal-jinnati wannās. (Reference: Surah An-Nas).

Hold the palms together, blow (with a little spittle) into them, and recite:
“With the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Say: He is Allah (the) One. The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He begets not nor was He begotten, and there is none equal to Him.
With the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Say: I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of the daybreak, from the evil of what He has created, and from the evil of the darkening (night) as it comes with its darkness, and from the evil of those who practice witchcraft when they blow in the knots, and from the evil of the envier when he envies.
With the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Say: I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of mankind, the King of mankind, the God of mankind, from the evil of the whisperer who withdraws, who whispers in the breasts of mankind, of jinns and men.”
(Then pass your hands over as much of your body as you can reach, beginning with the head and the face, then the entire front of your body. Do this three times.)

Reference:
Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 9/62, and Muslim 4/ 1723.
Hisnul Muslim 99

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Dua for sleeping

Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) taught us that whoever reads this when he lies down to sleep will have a guardian from Allah remain with him and Satan will not be able to come near him until he rises in the morning.

اللَّهُ لا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ لا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلا نَوْمٌ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ وَلا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ

Allāhu lā ilāha illā huwa ‘l-Ḥayyul-Qayyūm. lā ta’khudhuhu sinatun wa lā nawm. lahu mā fis-samāwāti wa māfil-ardh. man dhal-ladhī yashfa`u `indahu illā bi’idhnih. ya`lamu mā bayna aydīhim wa mā khalfahum. wa lā yuḥītūna bishay’im-min `ilmihi illā bimā shā’. wasi`a kursiyyuhus-samāwāti wal-ardh. wa lā ya’ūduhu hifẓuhumā. wa huwal-`Aliyyu‘l-`Aẓīm.

Allah! There is none worthy of worship but He, the Ever-Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never encompass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.

Reference:
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:255.

See Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 4/487.
Hisnul Muslim 100

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Dua for Sleeping 

Reciting these two Verses from Surah Al Baqara, will be sufficient for anyone who recites them at night before sleeping.

((ءامَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ كُلٌّ ءامَنَ بِاللهِ وَمَلآئِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ  لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ وَقَالُواْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ {285}  لاَ يُكَلِّفُ اللهُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ رَبَّنَا لاَ تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا  رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لاَ طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَآ  أَنتَ مَوْلاَنَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ {286}))

Āmanar-Rasūlu bimā unzila ilaihi mir-Rabbihi wa ‘l-mu’minūn. kullun āmana billāhi wa malā’ikatihi wa kutubihi wa rusulih. lā nufarriqu bayna aḥadim-mir-rusulih. wa qālū sami`nā wa aṭa`nā. ghufrānaka Rabbanā wa ilayka ‘l-maṣīr. Lā yukallifu ‘llāhu nafsan illā wus`ahā. lahā mā kasabat wa `alayhā mak-tasabat. Rabbanā lā tu’ākhidhnā in nasīnā aw akhta’nā. Rabbanā wa lā taḥmil `alaynā iṣran kamā ḥamaltahu `alal-ladhīna min qablinā. Rabbanā wa lā tuḥammilnā mā lā ṭāqata lanā bih. wa`fu `annā, waghfir lanā, warḥamnā. Anta mawlānā fanṣurnā `ala ‘l-qawmi ‘l-kāfirīn.

The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. They say: “We make no distinction between any of His Messengers, “and they say: “We hear, and we obey.(We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return. “Allah burdens not a person beyond what he can bear. He gets rewarded for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned. Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error. Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us. Our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have the strength to bear. Pardon us and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Protector, and help us against the disbelieving people.

Reference:
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:285-6. Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari.9/94, Muslim 1/554.
Hisnul Muslim 101

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Dua for Sleeping 

بِاسْمِكَ رَبِّي وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِي وَبِكَ أَرْفَعُهُ فَإِن أَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسِي فارْحَمْهَا وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا بِمَا تَحْفَظُ بِهِ  عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِينَ

Bismika Rabbī waḍa`tu janbī. wa bika arfa`uh. fa in amsakta nafsī farḥamhā. wa in arsaltahā faḥfaẓhābimā taḥfaẓu bihi `ibādakaṣ-ṣāliḥīn.

With Your Name my Lord, I lay myself down; and with Your Name I rise. And if You take my soul, have mercy on it, and if You send it back then protect it as You protect Your righteous slaves. 2

Reference:
1 “If any of you rises from his bed and later returns to it, let him dust off his bed with his waist garment three times and mention the Name of Allah, for he does not know what may have entered the bed after him, and when he lies down he should say. . . “.

2 Al-Bukhari 1 1/ 126 and Muslim 4/2084.
Hisnul Muslim 102

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Dua for Sleeping 

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ خَلَقْتَ نَفْسِي وَأَنْتَ تَوَفَّاهَا لَكَ مَمَاتُهَا وَمَحْياهَا إِنْ أَحْيَيْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا وَإِنْ أَمَتَّهَا فَاغْفِرْ لَهَا.  اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ العَافِيَةَ

Allāhumma innaka khalaqta nafsīwa anta tawaffāhā. laka mamātuhā wa maḥyāhā. in aḥyaytahā faḥfaẓhā. wa in amattahā faghfir lahā. Allāhumma innī as’aluka ‘l-`āfiyah.

O Allah, You have created my soul and You take it back. Unto You is its death and its life. If You give it life then protect it, and if You cause it to die then forgive it. O Allah, I ask You for strength.

Reference:
Muslim 4/2083 and Ahmad 2/79.
Hisnul Muslim 103

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Allāhumma qinī `adhābaka yawma tab`athu `ibādak.

O Allah, 1 save me from Your punishment on the Day that You resurrect Your slaves. 2

Reference:
1 “When the Prophet (ﷺ) wanted to lie down to sleep, he used to place his right hand under his cheek and say…” 2 Abu Dawud 4/311. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmidhi 3/143.
Hisnul Muslim 104

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Dua for Sleeping 

سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ (ثلاثاً وثلاثين) وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ (ثلاثاً وثلاثين) وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ (أربعاً وثلاثينَ)

Subḥānallāh. Wa ‘l-ḥamdu lillāh. Wallāhu Akbar.

Glory is to Allah (thirty-three times in Arabic), Praise is to Allah (thirty-three times), Allah is the Most Great (thirty-four times)

Reference:
Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 7/71, Muslim 4/2091.
Hisnul Muslim 106

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Dua for Sleeping 

اللّهُـمَّ رَبَّ السّمـواتِ السَّبْـعِ وَرَبَّ العَـرْشِ العَظـيم رَبَّنـا وَرَبَّ كُـلِّ شَـيء فالِـقَ الحَـبِّ وَالنَّـوى وَمُـنَزِّلَ  التَّـوْراةِ وَالإنْجـيل والفُـرْقان أَعـوذُ بِـكَ مِن شَـرِّ كُـلِّ شَـيءٍ أَنْـتَ آخِـذٌ بِنـاصِـيَتِه اللّهُـمَّ أَنْـتَ الأوَّلُ فَلَـيسَ  قَبْـلَكَ شَيء وَأَنْـتَ الآخِـرُ فَلَـيسَ بَعْـدَكَ شَيء وَأَنْـتَ الظّـاهِـرُ فَلَـيْسَ فَـوْقَـكَ شَيء وَأَنْـتَ الْبـاطِـنُ  فَلَـيْسَ دونَـكَ شَيء اقـْضِ عَنّـا الـدَّيْـنَ وَأَغْـنِنـا مِنَ الفَـقْر

Allāhumma Rabbas-samāwātis-sab`iwa Rabba ‘l-`Arshi ‘l-`Aẓīm. Rabbanā wa Rabba kulli shay’. fāliqa ‘l-ḥabbi wan-nawā. wa munzilat-Tawrāti wal-‘Injīli, wal-Furqān. a`ūdhu bika min sharri kulli shay’inanta ākhidhun bināṣiyatih. Allāhumma anta ‘l-awwalu falaysa qablaka shay’. wa antal-ākhiru falaysa ba`daka shay’. wa antaẓ-ẓāhiru falaysa fawqaka shay’. wa antal-bāṭinu falaysa dūnaka shay’. iqḍi `annad-dayn. wa aghninā mina ‘l-faqr.

O Allah! Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Magnificent Throne. Our Lord and the Lord of everything. Splitter of the grain and the date-stone, Revealer of the Torah and the Injeel¹ and the Furqan (the Qur’an), I seek refuge in You from the evil of everything that You shall seize by the forelock.² O Allah You are the First and nothing has come before you, and You are the Last, and nothing may come after You. You are the Most High, nothing is above You and You are the Most Near, and nothing is nearer than You. Remove our debts from usand enrich us against poverty. ³

Reference:
1 The Scripture that was revealed to ‘Isa (Jesus). 2 See Qur’an Al-‘Alaq 96:15, where seizure by the forelock preceeds being cast into Hell. (Translator) 3 Muslim 4/2084.
Hisnul Muslim 107

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Dua for Sleeping 

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنَا وَسَقَانَا وَكَفَانَا وَآوَانَا فَكَمْ مِمَّنْ لاَ كَافِيَ لَهُ وَلاَ مُؤْوِيَ

Alḥamdu lillāhil-lathī ‘aṭ`amanā wa saqānā. wa kafānā, wa ‘āwānā. fakam mimman lā kāfiya lahu wa lā mu’wī.

Praise is to Allah Who has provided us with food and with drink, sufficed us and gave us an abode, for how many are there with no provision and no home.

Reference:
Muslim 4/2085.
Hisnul Muslim 108

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Dua for Sleeping 

للَّهُمَّ فَاطِرَ السَّمَواتِ والأرضِ عَالمَ الغَيْب وَالشَّهَادةِ، ربَّ كُلِّ شَيءٍ وَمَلِيكَهُ. أَشْهَدُ أَن لاَ إِله إِلاَّ أَنتَ، أَعُوذُ بكَ منْ شَرِّ نَفسي وشَرِّ الشَّيْطَانِ وَشِرْكهِ أَشْهَـدُ أَنْ لا إِلـهَ إِلاّ أَنْت أَعـوذُ بِكَ مِن شَـرِّ نَفْسـي  وَمِن شَـرِّ الشَّيْـطانِ وَشِـرْكِه  وَأَنْ أَقْتَـرِفَ عَلـى نَفْسـي سوءاً أَوْ أَجُـرَّهُ إِلـى مُسْـلِم