Sleeping Dua and Best Practices from the Sunnah
End Your Day With the Light of Remembrance
At the end of a long day—filled with work, study, emotions, conversations, victories, and stumbles—the believer is given a sacred invitation: to close the day with dhikr (remembrance) and reconnect with the One who never sleeps. Sleep is not just a biological need; in Islam, it is also a moment of submission, trust, and renewal.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught us to conclude our day with specific practices and supplications (duas). These are not empty rituals. Each one carries a purpose: protection, forgiveness, gratitude, peace, and a closer bond with Allah.
This article is a complete guide to the prophetic bedtime routine, exploring the meaning and purpose behind each act and each dua—so that you not only fall asleep with a clean body and heart, but also rise spiritually renewed.
Why Your Sleep Matters in Islam
Sleep is a form of death. The Qur’an refers to it as a temporary separation of the soul:
اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنْفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَا
“It is Allah who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die, [He takes them] during their sleep.”
Surah Az-Zumar (39:42)
Sleep is therefore a time when the soul is returned to Allah. You are no longer in control. In that moment of surrender, the believer seeks divine protection, forgiveness, and mercy—placing their affairs entirely in Allah’s hands. This is why the bedtime Sunnah is not to be skipped. It is an act of faith, not just habit.
Begin with Wudu: Sleep Like a Worshipper
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“When you go to bed, perform wudu as you would for prayer.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari 247 and Sahih Muslim 2710)
Sleeping in a state of purity is not only physically refreshing but spiritually uplifting. It symbolizes ending the day in a state of worship. Angels stay close to those who sleep in a state of wudu, praying for their forgiveness throughout the night.
What it does: Purifies your body, brings angelic companionship, and prepares your soul for a peaceful sleep.
Sleeping on the Right Side: The Sunnah of Peace
It was narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would lie on his right side, placing his right hand under his cheek.
(Sahih al-Bukhari 247 and Abu Dawud 5040)
Modern science confirms that this position supports optimal breathing and heart function. More importantly, it’s the position of attentiveness—ready to rise for Fajr—and imitates the resting posture of the righteous.
What it does: Aligns your sleep with the way of the Prophet, enhances body function, and builds mindful rest.
Powerful Verse for Night Protection | Ayat al-Kursi
Sleeping Dua
The Prophet Mohmamed (ﷺ) taught us many sleeping dua that are important to recite: dua for sleeping.
Prophet Mohmamed (ﷺ) taught us that whoever reads Ayat Al Kursi when he lies down to sleep will have a guardian from Allah SWT remain with him and Satan will not be able to come near him until he rises in the morning.(Sahih al-Bukhari 2311)
These are the verses of Ayat al Kursi. They are below:
اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا 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
What it does: Shields you from shaytan, safeguards your home, and keeps you under divine watch
Surah Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, and an-Nas | Triple Protection
The Prophet (peace be upon him) would recite these three surahs before sleeping, blow into his hands, and wipe his body starting from the head and moving downward.
(Sahih al-Bukhari 5017)
What it does: Acts as a spiritual armor, guarding your body and soul from envy, harm, and whispers of shaytan.
Audio | Sleeping Duaas
The Master Dua Before Sleeping: Surrender and Forgiveness
اللَّهُمَّ بِاسْمِكَ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا
Allahumma bismika amūtu wa aḥyā
“O Allah, in Your name I die and I live.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari 6324)
This short, profound statement reminds the believer that sleep is a return to Allah and life is sustained only by His will.
What it does: Declares your surrender to Allah, acknowledging that both sleep and waking are in His control.
Upon waking, the Prophet would say:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا أَمَاتَنَا وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ
Alhamdulillah allathee ahyana ba‘da ma amatana wa ilayhi al-nushoor
“All praise is for Allah who gave us life after having taken it from us, and unto Him is the resurrection.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari 6312)
What it does: Revives your gratitude the moment you wake up, reminding you of your return to Allah.
The Shield of Protection: Seeking Refuge from Evil
اللَّهُمَّ قِنِي عَذَابَكَ يَوْمَ تَبْعَثُ عِبَادَكَ
Allahumma qinī ʿadhābaka yawma tabʿathu ʿibādak
“O Allah, protect me from Your punishment on the Day You resurrect Your slaves.”
(Sahih Muslim 2710)
The Prophet taught this supplication as part of a comprehensive bedtime dhikr. It’s a heartfelt plea for safety in both sleep and in the Hereafter.
What it does: Provides spiritual protection from harm in sleep and beyond.
The Dua of Accountability: Return to Fitrah
This duaa before sleeping that was taught by the Prophet ﷺ to Al-Barā’ ibn ʿĀzib. It is a comprehensive, powerful supplication of surrender, trust, and tawḥīd, and it is authentically reported in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْلَمْتُ نَفْسِي إِلَيْكَ، وَوَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِي إِلَيْكَ، وَفَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِي إِلَيْكَ، وَأَلْجَأْتُ ظَهْرِي إِلَيْكَ، رَغْبَةً وَرَهْبَةً إِلَيْكَ، لَا مَلْجَأَ وَلَا مَنْجَى مِنْكَ إِلَّا إِلَيْكَ، آمَنْتُ بِكِتَابِكَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلْتَ، وَبِنَبِيِّكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ
Allāhumma innī aslamtu nafsī ilayk, wa wajjahtu wajhī ilayk, wa fawwaḍtu amrī ilayk, wa aljaʾtu ẓahrī ilayk, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilayk, lā maljaʾa wa lā manjā minka illā ilayk, āmantu bikitābik alladhī anzalt, wa binabiyyik alladhī arsalt.
O Allah, I have submitted myself to You, and I have turned my face to You, and I have entrusted my affairs to You, and I have relied completely upon You, out of desire for and fear of You. There is no refuge and no escape from You except to You. I believe in Your Book which You have revealed, and in Your Prophet whom You have sent.
Source:
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (Hadith 247)
- Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (Hadith 2710)
The Prophet ﷺ instructed Al-Barāʾ ibn ʿĀzib:
“If you go to your bed, perform wudū’ as you do for ṣalāh, then lie on your right side and say this duʿāʾ. Then, if you die during the night, you will die upon the fiṭrah.”
Key Benefits:
- Entrusts your soul to Allah before sleep
- Reinforces tawḥīd (monotheism) and īmān
- Affirms belief in the Qur’an and the Prophet
- Ensures your last words before sleep are of submission and faith
- Brings reward and peace, and protects in case death occurs during sleep
What it does: Purifies the heart, renews your submission, and ensures that your last words of the day are words of tawheed (monotheism).
The Sunnah of Remembering Death Before Sleep
The Prophet ﷺ once said:
“When one of you goes to his bed, let him shake out his bed with the edge of his garment… and say:
بِاسْمِكَ رَبِّي وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِي وَبِكَ أَرْفَعُهُ، إِنْ أَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسِي فَارْحَمْهَا، وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا بِمَا تَحْفَظُ بِهِ عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِينَ
Bismika Rabbi wadaʿtu janbī wa bika arfaʿuh, in amsakta nafsī farḥamhā, wa in arsaltahā faḥfaẓhā bimā taḥfaẓu bihi ʿibādaka al-ṣāliḥīn
“In Your name, my Lord, I lay down and in Your name I rise. If You take my soul, then have mercy on it. If You return it, then protect it as You protect Your righteous slaves.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari 6320, Sahih Muslim 2714)
What it does: Teaches remembrance of death, promotes reliance on Allah, and cleanses the heart of attachment to dunya.
Forgiveness: Ending the Day with a Clean Slate
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever lies down intending to sleep and says:
أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ الَّذِي لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ
Astaghfirullāh alladhī lā ilāha illā huwa al-ḥayyul-qayyūm wa atūbu ilayh
Will be forgiven—even if he had fled from the battlefield.”
(Sunan Abi Dawud 4391)
What it does: Wipes away sins, even major ones, and ends your day with Allah’s forgiveness.
Sending Salawat Before Sleep: Love for the Messenger
The Prophet ﷺ encouraged his companions to frequently send salawat upon him, and doing so before sleeping is among the best times.
It increases blessings, removes sins, and connects you to the one who loved you most.
What it does: Revives your connection to the Prophet ﷺ and earns intercession.
Say “SubhanAllah”, “Alhamdulillah”, and “Allahu Akbar”
Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet, once asked for help due to exhaustion. He didn’t give her a servant. He said:
“Shall I not tell you what is better than that?
Say Subḥānallāh 33 times, Alḥamdulillāh 33 times, and Allāhu Akbar 34 times before sleeping.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari 5361)
What it does: Recharges the soul with gratitude, calms the body, and prepares you for deeper sleep with spiritual strength.
Best Practices to Prepare for Sleep (Adab of Sleeping)
- Turn off distractions (phones, screens) and make your last words the remembrance of Allah.
- Pray Witr if you haven’t already. It is the final prayer of the night.
- Forgive others before sleeping. Purify your heart.
- Sleep early. The Prophet disliked sleeping after Isha unless there was a need.
- Keep a clean bed. Shake out your sheets as the Prophet did (Sahih al-Bukhari 7393).
Let Your Night Worship Begin Before You Sleep
Your sleep is not a pause in worship. It is a continuation of your submission. When you follow the Sunnah of sleeping, your rest becomes reward, your dreams become blessings, and your body recovers while your soul is in Allah’s care.
Make your pillow your mihrab. Let your silence be filled with tasbih. Go to sleep not just to escape the day—but to ascend in faith. Say the duʿāʾs, reflect on your deeds, and renew your intention to rise for Fajr.
Sleep, then, becomes a gentle ibadah. And when the eyes open at dawn, they do so not in heedlessness—but in remembrance.