Dua before sleeping and azkar of sleep

It was part of the Prophet's custom that when he went to bed, he would join his palms together and raise them as a supplicant does, and he would blow into them in a mild manner, along with little saliva. Meanwhile, he would recite the three surahs of al-Ikhlās, al-Falaq, and an-Nās. Then, he would wipe with his palms over as much of his body as he could, starting with his head, face, and the front part of his body, repeating this three times.

Benefits

• We are recommended to recite Surat al-Ikhlās and the two refuge-seeking surahs of al-Falaq and an-Nās before going to bed and to blow with them into our palms and then wipe over as many parts of our bodies as we can.

Read on HadeethEnc.com

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that whoever recites the last two verses of Surat al-Baqarah at night, Allah will protect him from evil and harm. It is also said that they are sufficient for him in place of qiyām al-layl (supererogatory prayer at night). They are also said to suffice him in place of all regular dhikrs. Others say that they are the least sufficient amount of Qur'anic recitation in qiyām al-layl. Other opinions were also expressed. Perhaps all those views are correct and consistent with the Hadīth's wording.

Benefits

• The Hadīth points out the merit of the last verses of Surat al-Baqarah - From {The Messenger believes...} to the end of the Surah.
• The last verses of Surat al-Baqarah protect its reciter from evil, harm, and the devil if recited during the night.
• The night starts at sunset and ends at dawn.

Read on HadeethEnc.com

This Hadīth talks about the Dhikrs at the time of sleep. It is the moment when one submits his soul to his Lord, a moment in which he possesses neither might nor power. So he leaves it in the hand of its Creator to protect it and return it, as he entrusts his affairs completely to Allah, the Exalted.

Scholars stated that the wisdom behind the Dhikr and supplication at the time of sleeping and waking up is to make both the conclusion and commencement of one's deeds an act of obedience.

In this blessed Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) explains to us the actions and statements which the slave should perform as an act of the Sunnah at the time of sleeping. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) instructed us on the action to be done in that situation when he said: “When any one of you goes to his bed, let him dust off,” and this is because the Arabs used to leave their beds as they were, and it was possible that some harmful insects would enter the bed after one had left it, or it became polluted with dust or the like. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that the bed should be dusted off before sleeping. Then he referred to the dusting and cleaning tool saying: “Then let him dust off his bed with the end of his lower garment”, i.e. the end of the under clothes, because it is easier in dusting, and to prevent the external part of the clothes from getting dirty, in addition to the fact that this is a better way for concealing one's private parts.

Then the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) explains the reason for this dusting and cleaning: “for indeed he does not know what came unto it after he had left it”, and this indicates the keenness of the Shariah on ensuring the wellness of the body, because the body is the element on which religion is established. This way the explanation of the practical Sunnah, along with its reason, are concluded.

Second: The verbal Sunnah:

Then the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then one should say: 'In Your Name, O my Lord’”, i.e. in the name of Allah the Most High, the Magnificent, I place this dormant body on the bed. This indicates that it is recommended for a person to remember his Lord at all times. Then he said: “I place my side (on the bed), and by You I will lift it”, i.e. I will not place this body or lift it except accompanied by Your remembrance.

Then he said: "If You take my soul, then have mercy on it,” as an allusion to death.

His statement, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him: “And if You send it,” as an allusion to life.

His statement: “Then protect it as You protect Your righteous slaves”, i.e. protect me and my soul with whatever You protect Your slaves with. It is a general protection from all sins, grave offenses and evils. As he said: “Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you.” This is a general protection, and that is why he made it specific to the righteous. Because the Exalted Lord's protection is attained by righteousness only. Therefore, there is no share for the excessively negligent person concerning Allah’s protection, a special protection that Allah, Exalted, grants His allies and loved ones. However, it is possible that part of the general protection could reach such a negligent person.

Read on HadeethEnc.com

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to order his Companions that if any of them wanted to sleep, he should lie on t his right side and then say: "O Allah, Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth and Lord of the Magnificent Throne! Our Lord, and the Lord of everything", i.e. O Allah the Lord of the heavens and the earth, their Creator and their Owner and the One who raises the creation, the Lord, Owner and Creator of the Great and Magnificent Throne, the Creator of all human beings, their Owner and their Nurturer, and the Lord of everything.

"The Cleaver of grains and date seeds", i.e. O Allah the One who splits them and brings forth from them plants and date palm trees. Grains and date seeds are mentioned in particular here because of their excellence, or because of their abundance in the land of the Arabs.

"The Revealer of the Torah, the Gospel, and the Criterion", i.e. O Allah the One who revealed the Torah to Mūsa, the Gospel to ‘Īsa, and the Qur'an to Muhammad.

"I seek refuge with You from the evil of everything that You have grasp of its forelock (You have full control over it)", i.e. I flee to You and seek refuge with You from the evil of all creatures, because all of them are under Your authority, Your power and control.

"O Allah, You are the First, there is nothing before You, You are the Last and there is nothing after You, You are the Highest and there is nothing above You, and You are the Nearest and there is nothing nearer than You", the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clearly explained these four names of Allah.

"The First" means that everything other than Him is created after being non-existent. This makes it obligatory for the slave to observe the favor of his Lord in every religious and worldly blessing. This is because the cause and the result are all from Allah, the Almighty.

"The Last" means that Allah is the only One who will remain, and everything else will perish. He is also the Self-Sufficient to whom all creatures turn in worship, with hope and fear, and ask Him for whatever they need.

"The Highest" indicates the greatness of His attributes, and that all things, including entities and attributes, are of no worth when compared to His greatness. It also indicates Allah's real superiority and elevation over all of His creatures.

"The Nearest" indicates Allah's knowledge of all secrets, consciences, everything hidden and concealed, and subtle matters. It also indicates Allah's perfect closeness and nearness. There is no conflict between the Highest and the Nearest, because there is no one similar to Allah in His attributes. He is high in His nearness, and near in His elevation.

"Remove the burden of debt from us and relieve us of poverty", i.e. the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked Allah, Exalted, to relieve him of his debts and grant him sufficiency against poverty.

Read on HadeethEnc.com

This Dhikr is one of the supplications that are recited in the morning and in the evening, which the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) taught Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "Teach me!" So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught him a Dhikr and a supplication that he could recite every morning and every evening. He ordered him to say: O Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth in an unprecedented manner, Who originated them and brought them into existence from non-existence. Knower of what is hidden from the creatures and what is apparent to them, because Allah, the Almighty, knows the present, the past, and the future. Lord of everything and its Possessor, as Allah, the Almighty, is the Lord of everything and the Owner of everything. I testify with my tongue and heart that there is no god but You. Everything worshiped other than Allah is a false deity that has no right to be worshiped, and none has the right to be worshiped but Allah alone, may He be Glorified. I seek refuge in You from the evil of my own self, because the self has evils, as a verse reads: {And I do not acquit myself. Indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon whom my Lord has mercy} [Yusuf: 53]. So, if Allah does not protect you from the evils of your own self, then it will harm you and order you to do evil things. If He protects you from its evil, then He has guided you to all goodness. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) concluded his supplication with: and from the evil of the devil and the evil of polytheism to which he calls, or from the evil of his trap which he sets for people through desires, doubts, or other means of temptation. The completion of the supplication is to say: I seek refuge in Allah from committing evil against myself or causing evil to another Muslim. This supplication is what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught Abu Bakr to say in the morning, evening, and before going to bed.

Read on HadeethEnc.com

When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) lay down to sleep, he would rest his head on his right hand and place his right cheek upon it, and he would say: "O Allah" my Lord, "protect me" and guard me against "Your punishment" and torment "on the Day You gather or resurrect Your servants" for reckoning, i.e., the Day of Judgment.

Benefits

• The merit of this blessed supplication and the recommendation of reciting it frequently, following the example of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
• Lying down on the right side is recommended.
• As-Sindi said: His statement (O Allah, protect me from Your punishment) implies that a wise person should treat sleep as a reminder of death and the resurrection that follows it.
• Protection from Allah's punishment on the Day of Judgment is through His grace and mercy, by guiding the servant to righteous deeds and by Allah's forgiveness of his sins.
• Humility of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) before his Almighty Lord and Master.
• Affirmation of resurrection and the return, and that people will be brought back to their Lord to be held accountable for their deeds. Whoever finds good should praise Allah Almighty, and whoever finds otherwise should blame none but himself, for they are merely the deeds of the servants that Allah keeps count of against them.
• Keenness of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to elaborate on the conditions of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in his sleep.
• His statement: "He would place his right hand under his cheek": this was from the Prophet's habit of favoring the right side in all matters, except in cases where there is evidence indicating otherwise.
• Sleeping on the right side leads to quicker wakefulness, as the heart is less settled in that position, and it is more restful for the heart because it is located on the left side. If a person sleeps on the left side, it may harm the heart due to the body's weight pressing upon it.

Read on HadeethEnc.com

When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went to bed, he would say this Dhikr in which he would thank Allah for providing him with food and drink. Were it not for Allah, the Almighty,, one would not have access to food and drink, so praise is due to Allah for that. Also, the Prophet would thank Allah for facilitating matters for him, securing him provisions, as well as giving him a place to shelter him, given that many people have no means of sustenance or shelter. So, it is recommended to say this Dhikr when going to bed.

Read on HadeethEnc.com

Fātimah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Prophet's daughter, complained about the effect of the grinding-stone on her hand. When captives were brought to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), she rushed to ask him for a servant from these captives so as to do the household chores on her behalf. She, however, did not find him and found ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her). She told her about the matter. When he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came, ‘Ā’ishah told him that Fātimah had come to ask him for a servant. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came to Fātimah and ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with both of them) at their house while they were in bed, preparing to sleep. He sat down between them, and ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) felt the coldness of the Prophet's feet on his belly. He said: Shall I teach you something better than what you have asked me for giving you a servant? They replied in the affirmative. So, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: When you go to bed for sleep in the night, say Takbīr thirty-four times: Allāhu Akbar. Glorify Allah thirty-three times, saying: Subhān Allah. And praise Allah thirty-three times, saying: Alhamdulillāh. This Dhikr is better for you than having a servant.

Benefits

• It is recommended to say this blessed Dhikr, as ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is reported to have adhered to this Prophetic instruction till the night of the battle of Siffīn.
• This Dhikr should only be said during the night, and its wording in the version by Muslim, related by Mu‘ādh from Shu‘bah, reads: "When you two go to bed at night."
• If a Muslim forgets to say this Dhikr in the early part of the night and then remembers it in the latter part, there is nothing wrong with saying it, as ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), who reported the Hadīth, said that he forgot to say it in the early part of the night of the battle of Siffīn and then remembered it before dawn and said it.
• Al-Muhallab said: It indicates that a person may force his family as he forces himself to prefer the Hereafter over worldly life, if this is within their capacity.
• Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalāni said: If a person says it persistently, he will not be troubled by much work and it will not be difficult for him, even if he feels tired.
• Al-‘Ayni said: The reason for being better is either that the intended purpose is for them to be attached to the Hereafter, whereas the servant is related to worldly life, and the Hereafter is better and longer lasting; or the intended purpose, as far as her request is concerned, is that she obtains ability through these Dhikrs that enables her to do the service more than a servant can do.

Read on HadeethEnc.com