What to Say Before Sleeping

“بِاسْمِكَ اللَّهُمَّ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا”.

Bismika Allaahumma ‘amootu wa ‘ahyaa.

In Your Name , O Allah , I die and I live.

(Reference: Here, dying and living are metaphors for sleep and wakefulness. This explains why the normal order of these words has been reversed in this Hadith. Muslim)

(Cup your palms together, blow gently into them and then recite:)

بَسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ “قُلْ هُوَ اللهُ أَحَدٌ ۞ اللهُ الصَّمَدُ ۞

 لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ۞ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ”

Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem. Qul Huwallaahu ‘Ahad. Allaahus-Samad. Lam yalid wa lam. yoolad. Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan ‘ahad.

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 none is equal to Him .

بَسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ “قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ ۞

 مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ ۞ وَمِنْ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ ۞

 وَمِنْ شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ ۞ وَمِنْ شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ”.

Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem. Qul ‘a’oothu birabbil-falaq. Min sharri maa khalaq. Wa min sharri ghaasiqin ‘ithaa waqab. Wa min sharrin-naffaathaati fil-‘uqad. Wa min sharri haasidin ‘ithaa hasad.

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.

بَسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ “قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ ۞

 مَلِكِ النَّاسِ ۞ إِلَهِ النَّاسِ ۞

 مِنْ شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ ۞ الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ
                                                                  
۞ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ”.

Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem. Qul ‘a’oothu birabbin-naas . Malikin-naas . ‘Ilaahin-naas . Min sharril-waswaasil-khannaas . Allathee yuwaswisu fee sudoorin-naas . Minal-jinnati wannaas .

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)

“اللهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ

 لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي

يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ

 وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ

السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ”.

 Allaahu laa ‘ilaaha ‘illaa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyoom, laa ta’khuthuhu sinatun wa laa nawm, lahu maa fis-samaawaati wa maa fil-‘ardh, man thal-lathee yashfa’u ‘indahu ‘illaa bi’ithnihi, ya’lamu maa bayna ‘aydeehim wa maa khalfahum, wa laa yuheetoona bishay’im-min ‘ilmihi ‘illaa bimaa shaa’a, wasi’a kursiyyuhus-samaawaati wal’ardha, wa laa ya’ooduhu hifdhuhumaa, wa Huwal- ‘Aliyyul- ‘Adheem.

Allah! There is no God 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: Al-Baqarah 2:255. 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. See Al-Bukhari)

Listen to the Du’a: [mp3: http://www.areweprepared.ca/audio/before sleeping.mp3]