Sleep is a significant part of our daily lives, and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught specific practices (Sunnahs) that surround the act of sleeping. These practices bring protection, peace, and barakah to our rest. By incorporating them into our nightly routine, we can turn the simple act of going to bed into an act of worship and a means of earning reward.
The Sunnahs before sleeping include: performing wudu (ablution) before going to bed, even if you already have wudu — the Prophet ﷺ said that a person who sleeps in a state of wudu has an angel supplicating for them throughout the night. Dusting off the bed three times with the edge of your garment before lying down, as you do not know what may have settled on it. Sleeping on your right side and placing your right hand under your right cheek. Reciting Surah Al-Mulk (Surah 67) — the Prophet ﷺ said it intercedes for its reciter on the Day of Judgment.
The bedtime adhkar include: reciting Ayat al-Kursi (for protection throughout the night), reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, and An-Naas (three times each, blowing into your cupped hands and wiping them over your body), saying SubhanAllah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times, and Allahu Akbar 34 times, and reciting the du'a: باسمك اللهم أموت وأحيا ("In Your name, O Allah, I die and I live").
Upon waking up, the Sunnah is to say: الحمد لله الذي أحيانا بعد ما أماتنا وإليه النشور ("Praise be to Allah who gave us life after causing us to die, and to Him is the resurrection"). You should also rub the traces of sleep from your face, use a miswak (tooth stick), and rinse the nose by sniffing water and blowing it out three times. Our program provides the full Arabic text for each adhkar along with audio, making it easy to learn and practice these beautiful Sunnahs.