The last words on your tongue before sleep are written for you. When the Prophet ﷺ went to his bed he would cup his hands, breathe into them, recite al-Ikhlas and the two protective surahs, then wipe over as much of his body as he could — three times.
This page follows the act of going to sleep itself: what is recited on the bed, what is said while lying down, the tasbih of Fatimah, then what is said by someone who wakes in the night.
Whoever sleeps in purity and remembrance passes no hour of the night asking Allah for good without being given it.
Qul Huwa-llahu Ahad. Allahu-s-Samad. Lam yalid wa lam yulad. Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad. Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbi-l-falaq. Min sharri ma khalaq. Wa min sharri ghasiqin idha waqab. Wa min sharri-n-naffathati fi-l-'uqad. Wa min sharri hasidin idha hasad. Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbi-n-nas. Maliki-n-nas. Ilahi-n-nas. Min sharri-l-waswasi-l-khannas. Alladhi yuwaswisu fi suduri-n-nas. Mina-l-jinnati wa-n-nas.
Cup your hands together, recite Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas, blow into them, then wipe over as much of your body as you can — beginning with the head and face — three times.
Virtue: The Prophet ﷺ would do this every night before sleeping.
Allahu la ilaha illa Huwa-l-Hayyu-l-Qayyum. La ta'khudhuhu sinatun wa la nawm. Lahu ma fi-s-samawati wa ma fi-l-ard. Man dha-lladhi yashfa'u 'indahu illa bi-idhnih. Ya'lamu ma bayna aydihim wa ma khalfahum, wa la yuhituna bi-shay'in min 'ilmihi illa bima sha'. Wasi'a kursiyyuhu-s-samawati wa-l-ard, wa la ya'uduhu hifzuhuma, wa Huwa-l-'Aliyyu-l-'Azim.
Allah — there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.
Virtue: Whoever recites it on going to bed has a guardian from Allah, and no devil draws near him until morning.
Amana-r-rasulu bima unzila ilayhi min Rabbihi wa-l-mu'minun. Kullun amana billahi wa mala'ikatihi wa kutubihi wa rusulih, la nufarriqu bayna ahadin min rusulih. Wa qalu sami'na wa ata'na, ghufranaka Rabbana wa ilayka-l-masir. La yukallifu-llahu nafsan illa wus'aha, laha ma kasabat wa 'alayha ma-ktasabat. Rabbana la tu'akhidhna in nasina aw akhta'na, Rabbana wa la tahmil 'alayna isran kama hamaltahu 'ala-lladhina min qablina, Rabbana wa la tuhammilna ma la taqata lana bih, wa'fu 'anna waghfir lana warhamna, anta mawlana fansurna 'ala-l-qawmi-l-kafirin.
The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, saying, "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the final destination." Allah does not charge a soul except with that within its capacity. It will have the reward of what good it has gained, and it will bear the consequence of what evil it has earned. Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.
Virtue: Whoever recites these two verses at night, they will suffice him.
Bismika Rabbi wada'tu janbi, wa bika arfa'uh, in amsakta nafsi farhamha, wa in arsaltaha fahfazha bima tahfazu bihi 'ibadaka-s-salihin.
In Your name, my Lord, I lay down my side, and by You I raise it. If You take my soul, then have mercy on it, and if You release it, then protect it as You protect Your righteous servants.
Allahumma aslamtu nafsi ilayk, wa fawwadtu amri ilayk, wa wajjahtu wajhi ilayk, wa alja'tu zahri ilayk, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilayk, la malja'a wa la manja minka illa ilayk, amantu bi-kitabika-lladhi anzalt, wa bi-nabiyyika-lladhi arsalt.
O Allah, I submit myself to You, entrust my affair to You, turn my face to You, and rely upon You — in hope of You and fear of You. There is no refuge nor escape from You except to You. I believe in Your Book which You revealed and in Your Prophet whom You sent.
Virtue: Make it the last thing you say; if you die that night, you die upon the natural way (fitrah).
Allahumma Rabba-s-samawati wa Rabba-l-ard wa Rabba-l-'arshi-l-'azim, Rabbana wa Rabba kulli shay', faliqa-l-habbi wa-n-nawa, wa munzila-t-tawrati wa-l-injili wa-l-furqan, a'udhu bika min sharri kulli shay'in anta akhidhun bi-nasiyatih. Allahumma anta-l-Awwalu falaysa qablaka shay', wa anta-l-Akhiru falaysa ba'daka shay', wa anta-z-Zahiru falaysa fawqaka shay', wa anta-l-Batinu falaysa dunaka shay', iqdi 'anna-d-dayna wa aghnina mina-l-faqr.
O Allah, Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth and Lord of the Magnificent Throne, our Lord and Lord of all things, Splitter of the grain and the date-stone, Revealer of the Torah, the Injil and the Furqan (Criterion): I seek refuge in You from the evil of every thing that You hold by its forelock. O Allah, You are the First, so there is nothing before You; and You are the Last, so there is nothing after You; and You are the Most High, so there is nothing above You; and You are the Most Near, so there is nothing nearer than You. Settle our debt for us and free us from poverty.
Al-hamdu lillahi-lladhi at'amana wa saqana, wa kafana wa awana, fakam mimman la kafiya lahu wa la mu'wi.
All praise is for Allah who fed us and gave us drink, and sufficed us and sheltered us — for how many there are who have none to suffice them nor to shelter them.
Reciting al-Ikhlas and the two protective surahs into cupped hands and wiping the body three times, Ayat al-Kursi, the closing verses of al-Baqarah, 'Bismika Rabbi wada'tu janbi…', and the tasbih of Fatimah — 33, 33 and 34.
What is the virtue of Ayat al-Kursi before sleep?
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Whoever recites it on going to bed has a guardian from Allah upon him and no devil comes near him until morning (Sahih al-Bukhari).
